Jackson Pollock Inspired Tee

I buy a lot of those plain tees from WalMart. They’re cheap, they fit pretty well, and if I stain them I don’t feel like I burned a huge hole in my wallet. That’s something I do a lot… stain them. I’m a messy crafter, and I’m also a messy cook. So buying cheap tees is definitely the way to go. Sometimes though, I manage to stain a shirt after only wearing it a couple of times. That makes me feel a bit robbed. I mean, gosh, I only wore it twice and now I can’t wear it in public anymore because I accidentally leaned to close to the grill while cooking?

That’s why I made this tee. Using fabric paints is a great way to cover up little stains on a barely used top so as to get more life out of it. I wasn’t quite ready to retire this shirt to the “indoor-only” pile.

I’ve actually wanted to try this method for quite some time. I’ve had it in my head for ages, so when I discovered two little marks on my bright white shirt, I knew this was the right time. And after making this and putting it through numerous washes (I made this last summer and STILL wear it, A LOT), I know I’ll be making more!

If you aren’t sure who Jackson Pollock was, he was a famous American artist that was very well known for his drip painting method. He was an influential figure during the abstract expressionist movement of the 40’s and 50’s.

The paint I used for this tee was So Soft Fine Glitter Flexible Fabric Paint. I really like it because the name is true to its word, it’s soft and flexible, not hard and stiff. i know you can find it at Michaels, but chances are they carry it at Hobby Lobby and maybe even JoAnn’s too. I think you can buy it directly from DecoArt’s website too.Anyway, the colors I used were:

• Purple Passion
• Sizzling Red
• Celebration Pink
• Turquoise Sparkle
• Ice Crystal
• Lemon Drop
• Limelight
• Tiger Orange

PLEASE NOTE: The full supply list and printable instructions can be found at the end of this post. Click the printer icon for a printer friendly version.

I have a painting easel, so I found it easiest to place a couple of my unopened canvases on the easel and stretch the shirt over the top. You could simply insert a piece of cardboard inside the shirt, maybe line it with some waxed paper as well.

This is pretty simple really, and quite fun! Load a small paintbrush with one of the paint colors and aim it at the shirt. Just wing it! Just like you were throwing one of those lawn darts overhand. I did each color 3 or 4 times, repeated some of the colors until I was happy with the design.

Next I added some super easy flowers. No artistic ability needed. Just brush and blend some yellow and orange petals by adding curved strokes.

Add in some green curved strokes for leaves here and there along the line of flowers.

For the flower centers, I used Iced Crystal and some of the pink. There was quite a bit of blending going on. Again, no rules!

That’s it; now just let it dry. I left it on the easel for a couple of hours and then transferred it to a clothes hanger. It will need to sit for 48 hours before going in to the washing machine.

A fun way to dress up a tee and a great way to display your artwork!

More adult wearable crafts

Looking for some more wearable craft projects for grown ups? I have several adult wearable crafts here, but I’ve also hand picked a few that I like in particular, you can see those below.

Drip Dye Tees	Denim Beaded Ring
Doily & Fabric Flower Pin	Fabric Painted Tie Dye Shirts

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Print Project

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Jackson Pollock Inspired Tee

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Crafting Time2 hours hrs

Total Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Supplies

• White t-shirt

So Soft Fine Glitter Flexible Fabric Paint:

• Purple Passion
• Sizzling Red
• Celebration Pink
• Turquoise Sparkle
• Ice Crystal
• Lemon Drop
• Limelight
• Tiger Orange

Instructions

• Insert a piece of cardboard inside the shirt, maybe line it with some waxed paper as well.
• Load a small paintbrush with one of the paint colors and aim it at the shirt. Just wing it! Just like you were throwing one of those lawn darts overhand. I did each color 3 or 4 times, repeated some of the colors until I was happy with the design.
• Next I added some super easy flowers. No artistic ability needed. Just brush and blend some yellow and orange petals by adding curved strokes.
• Add in some green curved strokes for leaves here and there along the line of flowers.
• For the flower centers, I used Iced Crystal and some of the pink. There was quite a bit of blending going on. Again, no rules!
• That’s it; now just let it dry for a couple of hours and then transfer it to a clothes hanger. It will need to sit for 48 hours before going in to the washing machine.