So, I was scrolling around the other day, you know how it is, just looking at stuff online. And I kept seeing these pieces by someone named Crystal Perez. Kept popping up. What really got me were the colors she uses, just pow! Right in your face, but in a good way. Really vibrant and alive.
I’ve been feeling a bit stuck with my own painting lately. Same old things, same old techniques. Seeing her work, especially the textures she gets, I thought, heck, I should try something like that. Not copy it, you know, but just try to get that same energy, that bold feeling. Shake things up a bit in my little home studio corner.
Getting Started – The Plan (Sort Of)
First thing, I needed supplies. I dug through my existing mess of art stuff. Found my acrylics, which seemed like the right choice for those strong colors. Here’s what I grabbed:
- A couple of small canvases I had lying around.
- My trusty acrylic paints – had to check if the bright ones were dried out. Thankfully, most were okay.
- Brushes, of course.
- And, importantly, my palette knives. I figured that’s how she might be getting some of those textures. Maybe some sponges too.
Didn’t really have a specific image in mind. Just wanted to play with color and texture, inspired by that Perez vibe.
Making a Mess – The Actual Process
Alright, so I put down some newspaper, because I know how I get. Squeezed out some bright blues, yellows, pinks. Way more paint than I probably needed. I just started slathering it onto the canvas. First with a brush, trying to blend things a bit. Looked okay, but kinda flat. Not that Perez pop.
Then I grabbed a palette knife. Started scraping the paint on, layering it thick in some spots, thinner in others. Now we were getting somewhere! It started to have a bit more body, more interest. But man, it’s harder than it looks. Getting the colors to sit next to each other without turning into total mud? Tricky. I scraped off a whole section that just looked awful.
Spent a good hour or two just messing around. Adding layers, scraping back, adding more. Used a sponge for a bit too, trying to get a different kind of texture. It was fun, honestly. Just playing with paint like a kid again. Didn’t really worry too much about what it was supposed to be. Just focused on the feel, the colors interacting.
The End Result… Ish
So, after things dried a bit, I stepped back. Does it look like a Crystal Perez painting? Absolutely not. Not even close. But that wasn’t really the point, was it? It’s got some bold colors, it’s got some definite texture. It feels energetic, which is what I was kind of going for.
It’s rough. It’s messy. But it’s mine. And doing it definitely broke me out of my rut for an afternoon. It’s easy to look at someone’s finished art and think it just flows out of them. Trying to even capture a fraction of the feeling reminds you there’s a lot of trial, error, and probably a lot of paint scraped off behind the scenes.
Good exercise. Might even try it again. Definitely have a new appreciation for getting those colors and textures to work just right. It’s not magic, it’s work. And sometimes, just making a mess is exactly what you need.
