Super Easy Wall Art

by Decor Asylum

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Intro: Super Easy Wall Art

If you can tear paper and smudge paint, then you can create mountain landscape art for your walls. Any color, any size. I promise!

STEP 1: Materials Needed

  • Cardstock/ watercolor paper or any other heavier paper you have available
  • Acrylic paint (I used black but you can choose any color you like)
  • Paint brush
  • Water
  • Glue (MIA in the photo above!)

STEP 2: The Mountain Peaks!

As I mentioned in the intro, there are only two things needed in order to create this landscape wall art: one is to tear the paper and the other to smudge paint on the torn paper!

Cut several pieces of paper that will fit the width of your frame (the number of pieces is the number of your mountain ranges) and tear by hand your mountain peaks. It doesn't need to be neat or beautiful. On the contrary, we want as uneven as possible. (1)

Color the mountain you want to be in the foreground with your paint diluted just to enough to make the application smooth. (2)

STEP 3: Foreground to Background

Continue coloring the rest of the "mountains" diluting the paint with water as you move from the foreground mountains to the background ones. The more water you add to the paint, the lighter the color will be, giving the illusion of distance (think of real life, the farther the object, the lighter its color). (3)

Remember as said in step 1 that the tearing doesn't have to be neat? When you tear heavier paper, the fibers that make up all its layers get separated (bear with me please, I am no paper expert but this is how I understand/imagine it to happen!). When we apply the paint, these disrupted edges soak more color and become darker, thus giving the impression of slopes and all that mountain peak goodness. (4)

STEP 4: Assemble Your Mountain Ranges

Let everything dry completely and start arranging your "mountains" one behind the other, keeping in mind the color & distance factor (5).

Once you find an arrangement you like (you don't have to use all the mountain ranges create, just play around until you find what you like- that's what I did anyway), start gluing them on a piece of a paper, working your way from the background to the foreground. (6).

STEP 5: Admire Your Work

Frame your newly created, super easy, mountain landscape art and admire your work! What do you think? Promise kept?

16 Comments

JanesLife 5 years ago

Great job! I noticed the Nude statue on your table. It's beautiful. My Mom collected them and she had such wonderful pieces, I wish I had them today. (Long sad story) Luv and think of ya each day Mom. Thank you for this great diy!

Kat364 7 years ago

When you apply the painf to the paper you tear should I use a sponge type brush or regular paint brush. Im disabled and will have no money for my two children for gifts this Christmas. I just happen to have all of these supplies. Could I dab on fall colirs to look like the blueridge parkway in the fall? And finally as I layer the paper will it not be apperant that I glued them on rather than painted them? I honestly think my children would treasure these .

Decor Asylum 7 years ago

Hello! I used a regular paint brush but a sponge one should also work. The colors are totally up to you, you can choose any combination you like :) As for the final result I think it looks pretty good, considering how easy it is and is also a different approach to painting a mountain scene. Happy crafting, I hope you will enjoy the process :)

SEVoiland 7 years ago

Sometimes you just have to awaken the artist within every
individual. She is there. He is there. Set them all free! And by the way, this IS beautiful. Can you imagine the variety of results among your huge readership?

Sarrie_k 7 years ago

Yeeessss!! I made a seascape based on this "instructable!" (I just used narrower layers of torn paper and blues n greens... I'm an ocean girl, so I loved this project and that the instructions gave me juuuust enough leeway to accept this creative challenge, my way! Yay, instructables!!! I knew that if I got enough instructable emails, there wld be that one project that came along that wld come out so awesomely!! Thank you for the ideas!!!

Decor Asylum 7 years ago

Your enthusiastic comment really made my day :D Thank you so much!! Your color combo sounds lovely.

Sarrie_k 7 years ago

:)))) I'm so happy w the result, too!! Thanks again!! I'm currently away from th beach bc I came back up north (FLA to WI, USA) for some surgery... Easy crafty stuff like this is keeping me sane thru all th appts and such!!

Decor Asylum 7 years ago

I couldn't agree more with you. I have heard so many people, so many times, saying " I wish I could do this or that but I can't draw/paint/ etc" but I think they sell themselves short and sometimes it only takes a try :) Thank you for your kind comment.

EllGee 7 years ago

Your art and the arrangement are lovely! I know what I'll be working on this weekend. :-)

Decor Asylum 7 years ago

That's so nice of you! Thank you very much. Happy crafting :)

deluges 7 years ago

Seems easy and looks nice !