String Pull Art

Abstract Acrylic Painting Technique!

You can create beautiful designs with acrylic paint, canvas and string/yarn!

Often these images have a flower looking reference, but may be as wildly abstract as you choose!

These are the materials you will need:

Acrylic Canvas

My favorite canvas for the value is found at Joann Fabric!

Super value pack canvases are often on sale or you can find coupons.

Canvas can be recycled, if you have an old canvas with an attempt at a painting that you no longer want, you can paint a solid color over it and it becomes a new beginning.

This project can be done on paper, but acrylic paint is thick and it appreciates a heavy surface! You could try a smooth piece of wood like Masonite or a thick paper if you don't have access to canvas.

Acrylic Paint

Again, I like to go for the bargain! Walmart carries Apple Barrel paints, they are inexpensive and there are numerous colors. You can even get a value set.

Another positive about these paints is that they are thin. If you are using high end acrylics they are thicker or "heavy bodied" and you would need to thin the color with a little water.

Yarn, String or Pull Chain

Heavy yarn or string is perfectly acceptable for this lesson, professionals tend to use pull chain (available at Home Depot)

Tray, Bowl, Plate

Something that will hold a puddle of paint to saturate your string in.

Disposable is best - Glass would do if nothing else is available.

Non-disposable plastic or some types of ceramic are not suggested as they are porous and the paint could stain.

Work Space

Acrylic paints are water soluble only when they are wet. They can dry onto unwanted surfaces and become permanent. Please be cautious and prepare a work space with respect to your home.

I like a cut open trash bag as a table covering! Simply tape it so it won't move.

Lets get started:

1. Paint the Canvas:

Cover the canvas with a base of color.

Simply coating the entire surface of the canvas with paint in any method you prefer, you will be creating the background for your string pull. You may use a wide flat paintbrush to cover the entire surface with a single smooth color or follow one of these techniques if you would like:

This base coat need not be heavy nor does it need to be dry before continuing on to the next steps.

You can pour paint on the surface and spread it with a piece of cardboard if you don't have a palette knife as the one pictured.

You can use a wide flat paintbrush and create a gradient background if you prefer! Your color can fade from one to another or light to dark.

You can sponge paint a textured background if you would like!

2. Saturate String:

Cut some sections of string/yarn - each section becomes one shape in your painting - make them longer than you want.

Here are some saturation options!

Saturate 90% of a strand of yarn in one color (leaving a clean tail hanging out of the paint to hold onto)

Use a separate strand and separate container for separate colors -

Saturate your yarn in segments using different colors (again leave a clean tail to hold onto)

Here you can see how you could put colors onto a plate in the order you would like

3. Placing the String:

Use a curvy placement of the string - you can make loops - have fun!

You can also add paint after the string is placed. Here you can see Mr. Cudd adding black and the puddles of yellow he placed. Ms. B has placed light blue dots of color in the curves of her string.

4. Pulling:

Grab the end of the string(s) and PULL DOWN the canvas until the end of the string reaches the edge of the canvas.

My biggest suggestions:

Do NOT over work the composition - know when to stop!

Don't love what you did? You can rinse the canvas, let it dry and start with a fresh coat of paint!

Dive Deeper

Check out how this artist uses the yarn vertically and pulls it horizontally across the canvas to create the look of birch trees! If you have had multiple classes from me, you know I LOVE birch trees!

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