Oil drip technique is a combination of control and chaos.
The artist Jackson Pollock (1912 -1956) turned the drip-painting technique into a contemporary art form in the early 1950s. Pollock was one of the leading figures in Abstract Expressionism, which was the dominant art form in the post World War II United States. The aesthetics of Abstract Expressionism incorporated a number of elements but one of its essential features was the idea of chance, chaos and anarchy. Surrealism, with its interest in the Freudian unconscious, was a major influence. Jackson Pollock's technique was a combination of finesse and control combined with the element of chance.
Instructions
1. Lay the canvas on the floor. If you are working on a small canvas, lay the canvas on a flat surface such as a table or work desk.
2. Experiment with thinning the paint. Pollock preferred household paints and often worked with enamel paint because the paint's viscosity allowed it to flow smoothly. You can thin enamel and oil paints with mineral spirits, linseed oil and walnut oil.
3. Choose a collection of objects to apply paint. Since the technique involves dripping the paint onto the canvas rather than brushing the paint onto the canvas, a variety of household objects may be used. Pollock used various objects to drip paint on the canvas such as worn out brushes, basting syringes and sticks. Other artists use objects such as wooden spoons and spatulas.
4. Experiment and refine your paint-dripping technique. The distance that the paint travels as it drips onto the canvas affects the outcome of the paint as it hits the canvas. Another technique is to lift the edges of the canvas so that the paint drips run randomly across the canvas.
