Learn how to make ordinary art look like vintage-inspired oil paintings in just a few simple steps!
Do you love the look of vintage oil paintings?
Does your budget not allow for you to splurge on one-of-a-kind original artwork?
I love decorating my walls with unique vintage decor and one-of-a-kind art. It's one of my favorite ways to personalize my house and make it feel more like home. Unfortunately, original oil paintings and vintage art can be expensive and hard to come by.
The good news is, you can get the look and texture of vintage oil paintings for a fraction of the price.
SUPPLIES NEEDED TO MAKE VINTAGE-INSPIRED OIL PAINTINGS
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- Art print (printed on thick cardstock)
- Mod Podge (I used satin)
- Craft paintbrush
- Scissors
- Vintage frame (I found mine at Goodwill)
HOW TO MAKE ART LOOK LIKE A VINTAGE CANVAS OIL PAINTING
STEP ONE:
Search public domains for free vintage-inspired images or purchase inexpensive downloadable prints online.
Public Domain sites are not copyright protected so you can print, sell and distribute images as you please. Some of my favorite public domain art sources are National Gallery of Art, Raw Pixel and Picryl.
I was looking for specific vintage ship and seascape art, so I headed to one of my favorite ETSY art sources and ordered a set of downloadable vintage coastal images.
STEP TWO:
Print your image on thick cardstock to the desired size. If you prefer an image size larger than 8x10 you'll want to forego using a home printer and have your image printed from a print shop instead. Office Depot, Staples, Shutterfly and Vista Print are great options for ordering larger size prints.
STEP THREE:
Using a small craft brush, "paint" your picture with Mod Podge. For the most realistic vintage oil painting look, be sure to follow the original paint lines of the image. You'll want to add enough Mod Podge to give the picture texture, but don't go overboard.
After the Mod Podge is dry, cut out your image to fit your frame if it's not already cut and sized.
STEP FIVE:
In my opinion, the frame is one of the most important aspects of obtaining the perfect vintage oil painting look. Granted, authentic oil paintings are on canvas and not framed, but using a vintage frame will help give the appearance of original vintage art.
It's hard to show the detail in a picture, but the Mod Podge adds a nice clear texture and gave the print the perfect appearance of a vintage oil canvas.
I prefer the look of framed art, but another idea is to add art to a frame without using a mat and glass or use Mod Podge to glue a print onto a thrifted or inexpensive canvas.
Katie, The Mod Podge trick is such a fantastic idea..I never thought of it!! I just printed out a couple pics this morn and I definitely going to do this! (I’ll link back to you)
ReplyDeleteFunny and sneaky! :D But the idea is neat and I'm sure the effect in real life looks cool. Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDelete