DIY Chevron Canvas Wall Art - The Lessons

Chevron was a big thing for a couple of years now and I have to admit I have been attracted to this neat streamlined pattern. I have seen them everywhere across the web and having those two 30 x 30 cm canvases, I though I just jump on the wagon of chevron-lovers.

I actually love three canvases arrangement show below but since I just want to start a project with anything that I already have at the moment, I settle for only two

source here

source here

So I gather all the supplies I need to start. First of all, the canvases.

If I succeeded most of my canvas project, I will review this handy medium in the future. I find the canvas ending of this particular selection is annoying. See that gaping between the frame and the canvas? Hate it.

Then with pencil, I draw very thin lines to make 2.5 x 2.5 cm squares.

Very thin lines, people. Guess what I learned in the next step.

Then I stick marking tape to make the chevron pattern.

I finished drawing the lines while Baby R1 is sleeping and she woke up in the middle of the taping process. I could only finished it later on that night. Sorry for the low quality image, I took the next photos in my bedroom using my table lamp.

Taping process done

You can still see the thin pencil lines

The details of the tape sticking onto the canvas. 

Since I decided to catch up the trend from the recent years, I went with emerald green for the painting. I use Sakura Acrylic Paint # 26 Emerald Green. I use a small spong to dab the paint onto the canvas. I don't want the paint to stain beneath the tape.

I cut a larger sponge from Ace to dab the acrylic paint

First layer of paint, I decided to dab at least three

The details in the painting process. I chose to dab the paint because I think it is easier to make sure that the point of the tape is not lifted in the process. Wrong.

This is how the canvas looks like after two coats of paint. I already have a feeling I may not be satisfied with the end result.

Although I initially would like to take the tape off in the morning, since I saw that the paint is already drying, I pull off the tape impatiently. There. I saw and imperfect result and I was not happy.

Peeling off the tape gives me a good feeling though, about the peeling off its self, not about the result/

 The green lines is too thin! Then I realized what I had done wrong. So here are the lessons:

1. Since we are using a 2.5 cm width tape on 2.5 x 2.5 cm squares, there is going to be a difference in the width of the chevron lines. You need to decide which color you want to emphasize
2. Paint the canvas with the primary color first.
3. When you start to tape the canvas, keep in mind that the taped part will be the primary color. In my case, the tape part should be the emerald green and the additional color is the white.

I tried to fix the canvas a couple of times, such as adding the width to the green chevron line. Whatever I have tried, I end up disliking the result. 

All those uneven lines #sigh

The paint that runs under the tape, the different width of the same green chevron lines

I need more oomph to this side of our bedroom

I will try to fix this piece of canvas though not anytime soon. What are the things you learn through trial and error in your DIY projects? Please do share. 

Trip.. What? Triptych and Subway Art

I am so doomed. I have ordered my canvases for wall art and was waiting for my order to come when I realized I miscalculated the number of canvases I need to buy. Remember that my intention is to have a wall art with a quotation about home? Please check here.

This is one lesson learned. We have to know exactly what kind of wall art we want to display. If I wanted to follow the image shown here, which means that whatever display I want to show comes in more than one canvas and knowing that I am drawn to an uneven number of canvases, I should have minimum of three canvases, then by all means the wall art I want to display is called triptych.

Wikipedia explains that triptych is a work of art (usually panel painting) that is divided into three sections, being the middle one is bigger that the other two. The triptych form arises from early Christian art and was a popular standard format for altar painting from the Middle Age onward.

Source here. Sagrada Familia con ángel músico, Santa Catalina de Alejandría, Santa Bárbara, 1510-1520, Museo del Prado, Madrid.

In a modern world, Francis Bacon created some of the most popular triptych.

Source here. Triptych, May - June 1973. 1973. Oil on canvas

Of course I am more into some fancy wall art like ones shown below:

Source here

Source here

I learn from here, is that if I want to create a triptych, unity as a principle of design, should be applied to triptych. That means that all panels have to share some properties: color scheme, repeated elements or variations of elements, common theme, background or anything that will make these three panels look like they belong together.

Meanwhile, what I wanted to be put onto the canvas is actually this quote :

Source here

People! This is called subway art. Shame of me for not knowing this sooner. This subway art has been a craze all over the globe and I just know that it has a name. I was fooled by the wood planks and the brush stroke which make this image appears like a three different planks put into one.

Subway art which is subway signs turn into arts have that modern feeling that I am sure will blend well with some major part of our house interior. Images below are some of the subway art that inspire me.

source here. Remember my brick wall? Although we have hung our wedding photo on our brick wall, this image will remind me that if we want to stick to eclectic or modern look, someday we might be ablt to replace the photos with the subway art

source here

Source here

Source here. Don't you just love the modern feel from this image?

So there you go. You have triptych and you have subway art. I have to make up my mind which one of those two I would like to create for the wall art in our house.

Upon deciding, I just realized I bought the canvases in the wrong quantity. Now we have the follwing :
- 2 pieces of 20 x 20 cm canvases which I intent to make the kids' hand prints (Inspired by Becky Higgins. You can see more of it here)
- 2 pieces of 30 x 30 cm canvases. As I write this, I totally forget my intention of buying canvases in this dimension.
- 2 pieces of 60 x 40 cm canvases which I intent to make 'In This House' quote into three pieces. Yes, I missed 1 piece when I ordered.

Well, I guess I will work on the kids' hand prints first before moving on to the triptych or the subway art.