17. Color Blocked Archways and Portals
Create a sense of architectural depth and mystery with this simple, graphic abstract idea. The concept revolves around painting nested archways that look like a series of doorways leading into a colorful distance. Start by drawing a large archway in the center of your canvas. Inside that arch, draw a slightly smaller one, and repeat this process three or four times, creating concentric arch shapes.
Paint each archway a different shade, starting with a very pale pastel on the outermost arch and gradually getting darker and deeper with each nested arch. This creates a powerful optical illusion of depth and perspective, drawing the viewer’s eye inward toward the center of the canvas. This clean, graphic style is incredibly soothing to paint and looks beautiful in modern, minimalist frames, making it a highly successful project for beginners.