How to Scribble Paint to Create a Vintage Style Painting

I have shared this gallery wall in my great room before. It has changed a bit as I repainted the wall a warm tan color and I moved the art up to accommodate hubby's bigger TV. 

I rearranged it a bit after Christmas and decided the square mirror above this vintage, thrifted picture left a little too much space an a bit of a hole.

I set out to find something to put next to the square mirror. I decided I wanted a small, oval picture. Everything on this wall is from a thrift store or a garage sale. All of the art ties together with common repeated colors--oranges, blues, greens, and themes--nature and floral (except the modern abstract painting and the portrait that I have dubbed my mom, even though it is not her). I couldn't find an oval painting but settled on an oval frame with a blank background in it.

I thought about putting a picture from an art book in the oval frame, but decided to first try my hand at painting something on the blank background. I chose to do an abstract floral and I am very happy with the final results.

First thing I did was antique the very bright and shiny gold frame with antique gold Rub-n-Buff and black paint. 

The blank canvas in the oval frame had a piece of white paper glued on the top of the canvas. I held the canvas up to the light and it looked blank, like nothing precious is hiding under the white paper. I painted the background tan. For this painting I used craft acrylic paints.

When the tan paint was dry, I started what I call scribble painting with yellows and oranges and dark red. I really just scribble painted blobs and a sort of tulip shape with the dark red. I though I would paint a vase, but filled so much of the area, I decided to just add some ground.

I start with the lightest color and then continue to the darker colors, not washing my paintbrush in between. When the initial scribbled blobs were dry, I added details with other colors and black and painted green here and there. When the painting was dry, I used Matte Mod Podge all over the painting with a stiff-bristled brush, painting the glue in different directions. When this dries, it adds all kinds of lovely texture and gives it a slight sheen that makes it feel like an oil painting. 

See that texture?

When the Mod Podge was dry, I wiped dark walnut stain over the whole painting. It doesn't stick to the Mod Podge a bunch, but it does add some darkness and age.

Little paintings like this are cute propped on a windowsill.

I moved the mirror over and hung the new, vintage style floral next to it.

I am happy that the hole is filled and enjoyed playing with paint.

This wall full of vintage, amateur art brings so much warmth and personality to my great room space. The colors and themes give the wall a cohesive look.

Try your hand at scribble painting. It is fun to play and I love that it gives you the ability to customize art for your spaces.