Hi, my name is David, and I have a problem. Well not really a problem, more like a passion. I am an artist and I love making BIG art!
I have made many large (and small) paintings over the last few years, but I wanted more, I wanted more “bang for my buck”. So I started getting creative with my art.
So what is big wall art? Big wall art is any handmade painting that is at least 3 feet by 5 feet and up to 12 feet by 24 feet. The larger the better.
I’m also not talking about just any old painting. Most of the work you see out there on the market is prints or reproductions of other artists work (which is great if thats what you want). But this blog focuses on creating your own oversized wall art that will get people talking!
We have all seen the poster, painting or print that looks great on a computer screen or in a magazine but looks like a postage stamp once it’s framed and hanging on the living room wall.
(IMPORTANT NOTE: I am not talking about oversized vintage or antique art, I am talking about new art that is made and sold as “oversized” but actually hangs too small. This blog is about how to spot those pieces and where to hang them for maximum impact.)
One of the most common questions we get from clients is…
How do I make my new big art piece look bigger?
Here are some of our best tips on how to make your new oversized art piece have maximum impact when it gets hung up in your home.
This blog is about BIG handmade wall art. This blog is not a place to post your own work or ask for critiques. If you would like to do that please visit the Handmade Art Critiques group on Flickr.
Tall and grand are the two words that spring to mind when I think of big wall art. Many of my favourite pieces of art can be described by both of these words and many more besides so it’s hardly surprising I’ve taken a shine to making some of my own.
The thing about big wall art is that there are no limits to what you can make! You’re only limited by your imagination and your physical capabilities! The beauty of this is that you can create something unique that alludes to your personality, interests and passions.
Many people who enjoy arts and crafts make things for their home but I’ve never really considered myself creative enough to do this (I’m more than happy with my DIY skills though!) so wall art has always been one thing that’s eluded me, but after stumbling across some gorgeous pieces online I felt inspired enough to have a go…And I’m so glad I did!
A few of my favourite artists produce some pretty spectacular wall art so it was great fun researching them in order to come up with
I have always loved the idea of putting BIG pictures on the wall. It’s a way to make a statement about your personality or your taste without being too showy or obvious. I love how it takes the focus off of a couch or a chair and puts it all on the art. Here are some tips for picking out big wall art:
1. THE WALL SPACE: measure the space you have to work with on each wall. This is best done after you have removed all pieces of furniture from the room (and put them back). Measure both length and height, but don’t forget to measure around any windows or doors you have, too.
2. THE STYLE/MOTIF OF YOUR ROOM: this is one area where it helps to stick to a style if you can. There’s no reason that you can’t mix and match styles in different rooms — I do it all the time — but it does help if there is some kind of unifying theme in your room (like ocean murals in an ocean-themed room, for example). It keeps things from getting too crazy and crowded.
3. THE SIZE OF THE PIECE: keep in mind that if you are buying big wall art, there will be a
Huge wall art, oversized wall art…it’s all the same. I have been a loyal follower of this blog for quite some time and I can’t tell you how much it has helped me in my own search for the perfect piece of wall art. While searching for my own “big wall art” I came across this amazing site called Canvas Art Prints where they have a huge selection of awesome wall art. Sometimes finding the right piece of wall art is not so easy but with an awesome selection like the one above, it can be done!
I have been thinking about the ‘Big’ in big art. Big art is life-size, or nearly so. It takes up a lot of wall space but is also very affordable, even if you are on a budget.
Trying to figure out what size to make your pieces for maximum effect? Here are some general guidelines for how large to make your work:
The diameter of the largest circle (or oval) should be around 2 1/2 times the width of the widest section of wall. For example, if your widest wall is 36″, you would make your biggest circle around 70″ in diameter.
There should be at least 3′ between the largest circle and the ceiling, and between the largest circle and each side of the wall.
The first thing you have to do is figure out what kind of a room you’re going to put it in. Will it be the focal point? Are there windows or doorways that need to be filled, or will the piece look better all by itself?
The second thing you want to do is pick a color scheme. Remember, your main goal here is not to break up the wall but rather fill up the wall. You want to use as many colors as possible with just one piece so that no one has their attention drawn away from it. That said, don’t go overboard with dozens and dozens of colors, since this will only distract from your artwork. There’s no firm rule of thumb for how many colors to use, but we suggest starting with five or six at most for your first try, and experimenting from there.
Some other things that can be helpful:
Make sure the colors are complementary! Complementary colors are those next to each other on the color wheel (red & green, yellow & blue, etc.) These pairs of colors tend to “pop” when used together.
Use a variety of hues in different shades. This is just another way of saying “use more than two or three colors.”
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