Creating interesting shapes in abstract art

In this week's video I share a 20 minute art workshop which I created last year for my email subscribers. In this playful and accessible short workshop I share different ways to discover and develop interesting shapes to incorporate into your own abstract art. We’ll be exploring ways to find shapes out in the world and 2 x ways to develop your own collection of shapes through simple drawing exercises.

Materials

To complete the drawing exercises you will need some paper or your sketchbook and some drawing materials such as pencils or water based coloured pens.

Books

In the video I show you some work by two artists to get us thinking, Rex Ray and Hilma Af Klint and share inside these two books:

Rex Ray by Griff Willams, Rebecca Solnit and Christian Frock, Chronicle Books 2020

Hilma Af Klint: Visionary, Daniel Birnbaum, Julia Voss et al Stolpe Books 2018

[RochesterCCC]

Helen, you are a ray of sunshine! Your work is so vibrant and cheerful and makes me smile! Thank you for sharing your art, your thoughts, and your time with us.

[CamLek-xv]

Haven't even finished watching - I just had to get my sketchbook out and try that grid exercise! And now I've created 64 shapes, just like that; several of them pretty interesting! Thanks very much for igniting my curiosity. 😊

[trishrowe]

I am so glad I found your channel, I found this video so inspiring -
thank you

[rachelleandrichard]

Rex Ray's work is fantastic. I love the way you and he both use space, shapes, lines and colour. Talk about eye candy. Yum!! Rachelle ❤

[cydengel]

I love your dynamic reframing of “seeing” into “hunting” for shapes…thanks, Helen for these simple exercises that give infinite ideas to play with!

[alisonable]

Thank you for introducing me to Rex Ray. Love it.

[wildlightarts]

What a lovely way to have my morning coffee, with Helen! I loved thumbing through your sketchbooks with you, learning about these really interesting artists who inspire your work and seeing the techniques you share. I was thinking it could be fun to make a little one page sketchbook grid book with my favorite shapes and symbols kind of like a key for the map of my art making. I absolutely love the unique creativity of your overlapping and layering shapes process! I'm going to try it! I'll tag you and mention this video when I share the results! 😍🎨 Thank you so much for sharing these techniques! xo

[quiltedclothdesigns]

The way you explain things is amazing!!

[maribea]

Thank you. This is one of your best videos in my opinion. It connects visual inspiration from nature with works from other artists and two useful exercises. Really helpful.

[SimoneWhippArtist]

Thanks for sharing this again Helen. I did the shape grid and I refer to it time and time again! Your '34th' shape reminds me of the wonky candlesticks that you have done! X

[dianesorota]

Hello, Good evening and greetings from California where it's just after midnight and this week's video was posted 29 minutes ago. No other comments as yet. Enjoying the "Fantasia" like colors and shapes before I hit the hay. xo Diane

[artgirlsreality]

I love that you include both Rex Ray and Hilma Af Klint's art. They are both favorites of mine. Have you ever checked out other spiritist artists like Georginan Houghton, and Emma Kunz? I did a series of small paintings inspired by the work of Af Klint and Houghton, Kunz and Anges Pelton. All their work is so transcending and vivid in colors. THANK YOU again for another tutorial on the shapes. Will play with it today. - Cheers, Meg

[lorrainesaliba]

Hi sweet Helen ! I get so excited when one of your videos drops in !! It couldn’t have come at a better time ! I am just sitting around waiting for my tribe to come for lunch and bang! Found your video ! I had a just cut up a rice box I just used and did a few lines you suggested and ended up with such a cute unexpected composition !! It’s just an inch by two inches so quite small but I think it’s lovely ! You just made my day !! I have done the grid with you on Sketchbook Revival and loved it so it’s about time I did another one ! You are ever so inspiring dear Helen ! I send you a warm sincere virtual hug and love ! Have a great creative week and thank you for sharing your brilliant ideas ! Love always….Lorraine 🎨🤗🖋️🔖🥰

[carolyngreene]

I’ve been enjoying your videos for months? More than a year? And have enjoyed hearing your thoughts & insights. This video is one of my favorites as you have enabled me to expand my thinking (and hopefully seeing) within a world of shapes that I am already drawn to. Thank you for sharing your insights as well as practical application of the same.

[lucybanta]

I believe I took a class from you on this topic and loved it. I was thumbing through one of my art journals the other day and ran across the results and thought I needed to give the technique a go again. Funny how your newsletter with this lesson appeared in my email this morning! Can’t wait to make more shapes! Thank you!

[raerae]

Double page grid drawn up already. Shapes a go-go

[MsRealityrocks]

Great video, thank you for sharing! 😊

[rowinggranny]

After watching yet another wonderfully inspiring video from you Helen I am dashing off to grab my sketchbook & art supplies. Thank you also for sharing the art work of Rex Ray & Vilma Af Klint, so beautiful and something else to research now x

[aquiltybirdstudios]

Very inspiring. Just what I needed to hear! Keep up the good work.

[Malmhydif]

nice drawing i like your enthusiasm lovely * thanks you so much *and thanks from saudi arabia