Creative Aboriginal Dot Painting Ideas By Elspeth McLean

Aboriginal dot painting is the creative form of pointillism. The use of symbolic patterns helps to create a different look to the work. There are different painting techniques used in this art. Australian dot work uses several artistic methods to create an illusionist effect on the canvas.

Dot Painting

Acrylic paints are used for doing dot art. It is used because of its fast drying capabilities and water soluble properties of the paint. Use of thick paint helps in giving a 3-dimensional effect to the work.

Where to paint?

You can paint dots on canvas, glass, pottery, ceramic items, metal goods, varnished wood, leather, leather, and fabric. It can be used on old household items and it is the best reuse technique.

Today’s featured artist is Australian born Elspeth McLean. She is now residing in Canada and works as a full -artist. Using paintbrush and acrylic paint, she crafts vibrant artworks on canvas. She is a part of the global dot painting community. she has dedicated her life to this artwork. Her interest in bright colors is clearly depicted in her works. She uses a detailed technique to outline the palette of her soul. She experiences her inner world with this artistic journey. Her creations are influenced by traditional concepts, myths and cosmic ideas. According to the artist, colors play a great role in a natural healing process. this thought

She believes in the healing influences of color and art which led her to achieve her Diploma in Art Therapy.

Dot painting technique

Dot painting art emerged in the 1970s in central Australia. The technique was developed by the Papunya art movement when Aboriginal people worked with school art teacher Geoffrey Bardon. The painting process reflected the traditional rituals of the Aboriginals. They used these paintings for story-telling and depicting religious rituals. As a type of camouflage, they painted dots over the painting.

In this art, separate color dots are applied to make a shape. Several layers of dots give a raised 3-dimensional look on the canvas.

Elspeth is an expert in doing mandala stone paintings. Selecting beautifully shaped stones add to the beauty of the finished work. Each stone is naturally collected, cleaned and painted with acrylic paint. It requires thousands of dots to make a single mandala stone. Her technique can be best defined as “dotillism” where she uses dots to create intricate patterns. Here are some of the selected mandala stone and canvas dot paintings by the artist. Enjoy!

Visit the artist website here.