Mini Valentine’s Canvases

Express your love for someone special with these easy to make mini pieces of art! We love the mix of styles used alongside a simple colour pallete. With easy techniques, you can master the art of the mini canvas!

Dotty Heart 

1. Find an outline of a heart you like (make sure it fits the canvas size at 7.5 x7.5cm) draw around it in pencil. Carefully cut it out and place it in the middle of one of your canvases, this will act as a mask so if you want to secure it use a little craft tape to hold it in place.

2. For this design we used 4 different tones of pink, red and purple. Using a couple of ear buds, dip the ends into the paint, (you may want to use a piece of scrap paper to dab off any excess paint). Gently dab the paint onto the canvas, start with adding paint dots to the edge of your paper heart mask, this will create a strong edge to your heart shape. 

3. Continue to add the colours equally, giving a lovely mix of tones. Make sure you add your dots right to the edge of your canvas.

4. Allow to dry and then gently peel off your mask to reveal the crisp white heart beneath.

Spectrum Heart

1. Once again use a paper heart to mask off the heart in the center of your canvas. Secure with a little craft tape.

2. We used the same pallet of red, pinks and purple. Start by adding a light pink to a medium sized paint brush, carefully apply your brushstrokes over the paper mask and onto the canvas right to the edge. Keep this movement going around the heart adding your paints from light pink to bright pink then to reds and purples, creating a subtle gradient of tones around the canvas.

3. When you are happy with the mix of colours, allow to dry and finally peel the paper mask away.

Splatter Heart

1. Using the same heart shape, create a paper square of 7.5 x 7.5cm and cut the heart shape from the middle. Using a few strips of craft tape secure the square onto the mini canvas (especially to the open edges of the heart). 

2. Now for the fun/messy bit! Use the same paint colours as before and add a good amount of paint to a wide brush. Using another brush knock the edge of the brush covered in paint so that the paint begins to splatter (it’s a good idea to try this out first, so you get used to the technique.)  Swap the colours over so you have a nice mix of tones. 

3. Once you are happy with the coverage and splats, allow to dry and gently remove the mask. Leaving you with a wonderfully neat edged splatter heart!

Ombre Heart

1. Use the square mask again for this design. Fill your pallete with the colours we have previously used, (it’s going to get messy again!) dip the pad of your little finger into the paint. We started with light pink into the right hand corner of the heart. Dab the paint gently onto the canvas.

2. Begin to mix the colours from light pink to bright pink, red to purple. Make sure the colours mix gradually into each other.

3. Dab the paint onto the paper edges so that you create a sharp edge, once the paper mask is peeled away.

Allow to dry and gently reveal your master piece! We think these would look great, placed in an open shadow box frame and placed on the wall. You could also personalize these makes with your initials and a memorable date.