Jackson Pollock
was an influential abstract artist and one of the pioneers of abstract expressionism. Although he is best known for his "drip period" in which he dripped and splattered paint onto canvas, Pollock used a variety of techniques to paint. If you wish to paint like Jackson Pollock, the most important thing is to use an emotional, intuitive technique, rather than an analytical one. Paint in a primal way, splattering, smearing, dripping and brushing without editing yourself or stopping to think about your work.
Instructions
1. Lay a large dropcloth on the floor, and place an unstretched canvas in the center of it. Alternately, tack a dropcloth to the wall, lay a second cloth on the floor, and pin a canvas to the wall. Your cloth should cover the floor or walls for several feet around the canvas so you can splash paint around without worrying about getting it all over the room.
2. Dip a paintbrush in a can of paint, and apply it to the canvas without touching it. Dribble it down while slowly moving to get a drippy, thick coating of paint. Flick it to get a violent, forceful look. Swoop it over the canvas, briefly touching it and splattering paint to get a novel, textured look.
3. Apply paint with a variety of objects. Squirt paint onto the canvas with a baster. Coat a drum stick with paint, and hit the canvas. Use sponges, cups, your hands or anything else that strikes you.
4. Change colors as frequently as you want. Don't worry about whether the colors harmonize or clash. Allow your unconscious mind to flow into the painting through the colors you spontaneously choose.
5. Stop the painting when you feel like you are done. Don't worry about how the painting looks, just trust your intuition. Leave it sitting in place for several days to allow the paint to dry.
