Set of 3 black and white flower paintings by Caroline Truong. Houston, TX.
I’ve done plenty of black and white illustrations using pen ink. Now, it’s time to use paint! I made black and white flower paintings specifically for a rental home I’m listing on Airbnb. There’s a wall in the dining room with 2 square windows and a socket in the middle. I chose to cover the socket and dress up the wall with art.
Why these? I couldn’t find what I was looking for at that moment, so I decided to create exactly what I wanted.
I was looking for affordable wall art that's ready to hang or framed - that I could obtain within a couple days. Most importantly, I wanted the art to be made by a Houston based artist. Unfortunately, it is very hard to find art that met all my criteria below, by doing a quick internet search:
Houston based artist
Sells art online that is ready to hang, could be obtained within a couple days
Style and colors are neutral, can be enjoyed by a broad audience, but still accents a room
Budget friendly
My search led me to a black and white flower art print a Target.com. It was the neutral look I wanted but not exactly the artistic style. So, I knew what I had to do. Make my own!
How did I do it?
First, I sketched my ideas using procreate on my iPad. Here’s a time lapse video of the sketching.
Black and White Flowers Sketch using Procreate.
Next, I used black acrylic paint to paint on a thick watercolor paper. I dip my brush into the water cup to keep my brush wet so the paint flows smoother. When I painted the lines, I tried to use as little brush strokes as possible. This means, I tried not to stop the line and keep the brush on the paper until I achieved the shape or form I desired. The process is to let the paint flow out of the brush and onto the paper, so the imperfections of the strokes create the art piece.
Black and white flower painting using acrylic paint on watercolor paper.
Last, I framed them. My go-to shop for standard size frames is Target. I like the modern look and there is glass inside the frame - not plastic or acrylic.
Black and White Flower by Caroline Truong - 11x14 Framed - Acrylic on Watercolor Paper
Black and White Flower by Caroline Truong - 11x14 Framed - Acrylic on Watercolor Paper
Black and White Flower by Caroline Truong - 11x14 Framed - Acrylic on Watercolor Paper
Black and White Flowers by Caroline Truong. Acrylic on Paper. Framed. Set of 3. 11x14. Houston, TX
I’m looking forward to painting more in black and white. The practice of painting without the fear of mistakes is liberating! Just allow the imperfections to be part of the art. After all, Bob Ross is right when he says mistakes are just happy little accidents.
Now I ask you…
Where do you buy wall art and who are you favorite local artists?