Abstract Expressionism: How to Paint Modern Art "Drip Paintings" like Jackson Pollock

Abstract Expressionism is a modern art movement with techniques that focus on the expression or emotion of oneself, rather than the painting of a representational figure or object. Jackson Pollock, an American artist from the early part of the twentieth century, was an innovator of the abstract "drip painting" technique. This technique encourages creativity and expression through the use of colors and action, thus the name "action painting."

Learn how to paint your own modern art drip painting for fun, as a means of expressing yourself or as a means of therapy.

1. Large stretched canvas or large roll of artist canvas to be stretched by you.
For kids, purchase a large roll of heavyweight art paper.

2. Artists acrylic paints, or large jars of tempera paint - you will need a lot of paint to create a large piece

3. Large Paintbrushes

4. Jars or bottles for paint

5. Drop cloth or tarp

Allow yourself to relax and get into a zone before you begin painting your art. Since drip painting is an intuitive form of painting, let go of any ideas ahead of time of trying to achieve perfect details. Just be free and make a mess! Use colors that represent emotions you want to express. Light incense or candles and play music (use caution with kids around incense and candles). Take all of your frustrations out on the canvas. These are all ways you can use drip painting as a means of therapy through art. In the end, you will be surprised at the visual representation your emotions have manifested on canvas, and the results will be stunning.

1. Locate a surface for painting, such as a large artists canvas or piece of plywood. For children, use a large piece of poster board or a large roll of paper. If you are painting just for fun, use cheap tempera paints. To create a finished piece to be framed, use artists acrylic paints.

2. Place a drop cloth or tarp onto the ground. It is recommended to do this technique either outdoors or in a garage, because it can create a mess.

3. Place your canvas, wood or paper on the ground over the tarp.

4. Use a variety of acrylic artists colors, or tempera paints for kids, and a variety of large paintbrushes to drip the paints. Pour your paint into jars or bottles, hold the jar in one hand and drip with the brush in the other. Start on one end of the canvas or paper and work your way to the other end. Drip the paint into large splatters, swirl the paint into patterns and create lines or designs. Let your wrists move freely to create sporadic designs. Get on your knees and work close to the surface, or drip from up high. There is no stringent technique in creating an expressive drip painting, the point is to be free and allow natural movement to create the design.

5. Continue to work on your painting for as long as you like, creating as many layers as you desire. You could do a painting in an afternoon, or work on it over the span of weeks. Go with the flow. As you see from the images of finished drip paintings, some have just a small spattering of paint and some have many layers in many colors.

Paint a solid colored background onto your canvas before you begin to drip paint. This is a design choice, and will give you a coordinating color in the background rather than the blank white of the canvas.

As an alternative to using acrylic or artist paints, you can also use wall paints. They come in large gallon-sized cans which is a nice amount of paint to start with. Use them in a well-ventilated area only.

Some alternative painting surfaces include large yardage of fabrics and bed sheets.

You can create a simplistic representational image by dripping a rough drawing of the subject matter.

When you set out to create your abstract masterpiece, you will be drawn to certain colors naturally, based on the mood you want to portray. You should always go with your gut instinct when choosing colors for your painting. All colors represent certain emotions, and the colors you use will inevitably evoke an emotion. You will be portraying an emotion when using a certain color, and viewers of your art will be affected emotionally by the colors you use. Most colors have the ability to create both positive and negative emotions, depending on the context in which they are used. For instance, the color blue when mixed with purple has a calming spiritual effect. However, a monochromatic painting with only shades of blue may have a melancholic effect.

I have spoken to many people who feel confused and lack an understanding of modern art. When I first learned about Abstract Expressionism in my art history class, I was not sure I understood the concept behind the movement myself. Having studied representational art, developing a fondness for the works of the great masters such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, I was not sure I understood the point of modern art as anything more than modern decoration for a contemporary home.

In time, I began to look at modern art in a different light. Rather than trying to interpret the meaning of a finished piece of modern art, I instead focused on the process that is involved in making the art...art as a journey, rather than a destination. In this respect, the final piece becomes insignificant. In this light, the expressive techniques used to create modern art, especially drip painting, could be used as a means of therapy. If we focus more on the doing, and less on the finished product, than the process of creating and the expressing of any emotion becomes the focus. In this way, the drip painting technique is useful in art therapy.