How to Make a Print Look Like a Painting
How to make art prints look like paintings with this DIY faux oil painting technique
For someone who couldn’t paint their way out of a paper bag I have a fair amount of art around our home.
I love adding landscapes, vignettes, and portraits around our house because art adds a lot of good character to a space.
Adding art to your home is an easy way to bring color and texture into a room. The only problem is that art can be expensive…
While I have expensive tastes, I do not have the bank account to back it up. So I utilize this super simple method for making cheap art prints look like real paintings!
Where to Find Cheap Art Prints
Public Domain Art
In order to create DIY faux oil paintings out of prints, you must first have the prints…
There are multiple websites that will let you download public domain art for free and print.
Public domain art is art that is no longer protected by copyright laws and is free to use, modify, or distribute without permission.
Some of my favorite public domain art websites are:
The only minor inconvenience with public domain art is that you really have to search through their offerings for good prints… I have spent hours on public domain websites trying to find the perfect prints for our home.
After you download the prints from a public domain website you will usually need to make slight adjustments to the print and resize it. I like to use Canva to quickly and easily edit my art prints.
To make it easy I put together an entire collection of free printable art over in the Southern Yankee DIY VIP Gallery that you can gain access to by just signing up for our email list.
After you download the prints you want, you can print them at home or at your local CVS, Office Max, or UPS store for pretty cheap.
One tip is to make sure you are having them printed on a quality card stock or thin poster board material.
Also try to choose a matte finish for the prints, stay as far away from glossy as you can!
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Budget Prints from Amazon
For our most recent art gallery wall project I didn’t have time to really hunt through all the public domain art. I wanted vintage looking art but I also wanted it cheap, and for it to be mailed to me…
I know that’s probably asking for a lot but Amazon delivered on all my requirements.
Here are the sets of prints I ordered and I am super happy with the quality of the art prints.
They came on thick card stock material and there is a great selection with multiple sizes.
I also rounded up more budget friendly art prints from Amazon in case you also wanted to go that route.
How to Make a Print Look Like a Painting
Now that the print portion of this project is taken care of, it’s time to make these art prints look like a real painting.
The main difference in an actual painting and an art print is the texture.
The prints are flat with no raised brushstroke marks and that can make them look a little on the fake side.
So in order to give the prints some realistic texture I use two things: acrylic paint and Mod Podge.
Start by using acrylic paint to simply paint over the print. Use a small brush to create brushstrokes on the print that would have been on the original painting.
That part of this project makes me feel like a real artist and is very soothing. It’s basically like an adult coloring book but with paint.
After the acrylic paint has dried go over the entire print with Mod Podge. Use a sponge brush to create a mix of dabbing and swirling motions over the print.
The thicker the Mod Podge is applied the more texture the print will have. It will look very white when it first goes on but don’t panic, it dries clear and will look amazing.
Framing a Print to Look Like Art
Once the print is dry it’s time to frame and display it.
One little trick I like to use when framing the art in our home is to remove the glass from the frame. This way the print is displayed like real art and there won’t be a weird glare hiding all the newly added texture.
I personally love an eclectic mix of frames to display my art in. You can find some really beautiful frames for cheap at thrift stores and garage sales.
Don’t be scared of a picture frame’s color either, sometimes it just needs a little spray paint or Rub N Buff to completely transform it.
Tips for Creating for Art Gallery Wall
In our home we have standalone art strewn throughout the house but we are also in the process of completing a hanging art gallery wall going up our staircase.
I have a ton of tips and tricks for hanging the perfect gallery wall that you can check out here, but here are just a few main things to get you started.
- Choose multiple types of art prints: for instance include a mix of landscapes, portraits, and floral prints together. This will add interest to your art themed gallery wall.
- Establish a theme: While mixing different types of prints, try to establish a main theme or mood. This could be based on color schemes, subject matter, or emotional tone.
- Vary Sizes and Shapes: Use a mix of sizes and shapes to create visual interest. Larger landscapes can serve as anchors, while smaller portraits can fill in gaps. This variation helps to break up the monotony and keeps the gallery wall interesting.
- Layout the Art First: Do a dry run of the layout on the floor in front of where the gallery wall will go. Plan for 2-4″ in-between frames for a gathered but not clustered look.
DIY Faux Oil Painting Prints
These faux oil painting prints are one of my favorite DIY projects because they add so much character to your home for really cheap!
Plus I get to feel like an artist for a little bit which is really nice since your girl can’t even draw a stick figure.
I hope this inspires you to add a little or a lot of art to your home.
Stay tuned as we reveal our new hanging gallery wall art later this week!
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