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Create a textured background. Tape lines at intersecting points across the canvas. Mix your paint colors. Paint in the spaces between the tape. Remove the tape. Fill in the blank space from the tape, optional.

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One of the easiest ways to do this is to apply artist-quality Gesso, a thick gel-like primer. Apply it like paint, or spread it around with a palette knife, if it's thick enough. This will allow you to control the style of the texture. You could also leave the canvas smooth and blank. Again, there are no rules for abstract art saying you must have a textured background. Many artists simply start painting on a blank canvas. Use blue painter's tape and place several lines, creating geometric shapes, such as triangles, squares, and rectangles. The goal is to create images that aren't representative of reality. The taped lines will help you paint Painter's tape will ensure that your painting has crisp, clear lines and shapes. Use rulers and pencil lines instead of tape. If you don't want to deal with the gaps that the painter's tape will cause when you remove it, try marking your canvas using a ruler and pencil. Again, lay your ruler down across several points to create geometric shapes. Decide which colors you'll be using to complete your painting. Mix them on an artist's palette or plate. You could also mix the colors directly on the canvas, but this will take away some control over the finished look. Don't worry if you happen to get paint on the painter's tape. Also, don't feel as though you must fill your entire canvas, or all of the shapes, with color. Some abstract artists will outline the colors of each shape before they begin painting. Others simply paint and decide which colors to use as they go along. As soon as you've decided the painting is complete, remove the painter's tape. If you'd like crisp, clear edges, remove the tape while the paint is still wet. If you remove the tape from a dry painting, it's liable to pull paint away with it, creating slightly rough edges. Once you remove the tape, you'll notice white lines from where the tape was covering the canvas. While you can leave it, you could also paint the lines in.