The 10 BEST art techniques and designs for 2026 - Satisfying + Beautiful | AB Creative

2025 is here and it's the perfect year to unleash your creativity. Whether you are just starting out or looking for ways to explore your practice, I have for you 10 of my favourite techniques and designs from the last year that will help you and inspire you to be creative. Design just according to me, mind you. I asked my lovely patrons to vote for their favourites, so the jury is in. Let's start. It's actually freezing cold in London today and that's surely something my first favourite captures well. The deer in the woods. This piece features a technique that really takes the glue gun as a tool to the next level. You all know the basics. You pull the trigger, you get the plasticky transparent line, but the glue gun can also be used in combination with a silicone mat to get some fantastic results. Take a look. This is my silicone mat. Okay, that should be easier. This still didn't solve the problem what to do with the inside of the deer, but we'll get there. We'll get there. I've been procrastinating and waiting, but I have to have a go. Let me fill it up. Let's start with the ear because this is the easiest. Okay, now I need to fill the head somehow without... Go this way. Oh no! Ear. Okay, my bad. My bad. What have I done? How is that? Should I torch it? So many air bubbles. Why? I don't know. Can I torch it or not? Nah, probably not the best idea. What if I poke them? Okay, we've got a very chunky deer. You know what? It might actually work. It might work. I think it's a crazy experiment. Has anybody tried something like that before? I'm curious. Oh my goodness. We've got the last leg too. Okay, the good news is that the glue is kind of melting together. Wow. Okay, well, we've got a reindeer. No, not a reindeer. We've got a deer. Let's peel him off. Oh yeah, I've got those hairy bits. I think I'm happy with him. Isn't that wild? You can make some intricate 3D designs with such ease and then maneuver them and stick them down anywhere you want. No mess and no worries about messing up your canvas. I also used the glue gun to make some trees in the background. Trees are actually perfect subjects for any glue gun work. I like that white patch on the hair. I'm going to keep it, I think. But there's another interesting way to make a tree design and that takes me to number two on my list. Birch trees. There are few trees in nature as patterned, as distinct as the birch. I love them and I have always been drawn to them. So I wanted to find an interesting way to capture them in my art. I've tried some techniques before and seen many online but I really wanted something easy and unique. To achieve this, I cut out some strips in biscuit paper. It's basically sticky plastic and put them on my background. I want my trees to be more 3D. I want to use texture paste on the trees and I thought, well, that might work better this way. Actually, I'm not using texture paste. I'm using super heavy gesso instead. Yeah, let's do it this way so I can see what the tree is. I then used palette knife to go over those strips and then made some rough expressive horizontal marks to mimic the tree pattern. Let me, let me start with the big trees. Darker shadows at the bottom of the tree. Maybe more black. I think I'm going to add a little bit of brown as well. So this tree, this one is on top. And of course, there will be branches that I'm not adding now. The biggest benefit of this technique is that you can get so expressive but then the lines are absolutely perfect. Okay, let's go from here. Yep, done half of the tree here. I've been adding a little bit of brown and black to the bottom of the trees. A few leaves and embellishments later and this piece is ready to go. On the topic of black and white designs comes a design that you guys voted for as one of your favorites. My partially grayscale or bluish hibiscus. This design uses a technique that I think everyone should try in this new year. Texture paste. Okay, time for the paste. That's the, the old tube I had. I kept it in a jar. Pickled gherkin. Once the nozzle gets dry, you have to get the needle and poke it through. I'm going to start with this one. I don't worry too much if it's not identical. Draw the line. So now I'm going to fill it up a bit. And I don't know if I really want a hibiscus or something similar. Oh, we've got two with some nice marks. Paste is great for petals, honestly. Whoever invented it first, big thank you. Actually, they're probably long departed. However, it's a fabulous technique. I am really liking these marks. I'm also impressed with my efficiency tonight. It's quarter to one. You see, this one I wanted curved. So I am applying the paste the other way around from the midsection. Maybe it'll make a little bud. This is so much fun. It's definitely overlapping the remaining ones. Did I say that if you haven't tried? It's super satisfying. It's so satisfying. It's also one that I added so many fun embellishments to. Splatters, drips and even little silver balls. Just drop them in the right place. Oops, it actually jumped into the right place. Did you notice that? It just went right there. The tiny details make a big impact. Speaking of tiny, maybe 2025 is the year you want to try something a little bigger. I've always loved animals and my Highland cow is one of my favorite pieces. It combines so many of my favorite 3D techniques, including one of my most interesting backgrounds I've ever done. I've had this texture for a long time and mixed with heavy gesso. It results in something intricate and wild. I was looking for something to imitate some grass or hay. I've got those bits. I'll put them somewhere here a little bit. Okay, the heavy gesso. Oh, there's not much left. I've been liking it a lot. Depending on the amount of gesso you put on, your texture will be more or less visible. Because I'm imagining that this is somehow vegetation and grass, I'm putting it this way. Oh yeah, it is so much more runny. It's more runny. I think that gesso is actually holding it better now. Yeah. You can also layer dark paints into the crevices and coat it with something a little lighter to make it pop. I topped this piece off with some more 3D paste work and even some leaf imprints and I am so happy with the result. Now, animals aren't the only ones that make good portraits. Humans can be a fun subject too. Every year I've made a new autumn woman portrait, as I like to call it, and I decided to really push the envelope and make my best one yet. This piece includes one of the easiest and most striking pouring techniques that I know. Swiping. You start off by layering paint. Shall we start with maybe, maybe with orange? I can tip it over, but I don't want so much paint. You see how good it doesn't really matter here. Okay, I've got so many colors, but let me do one by one. It's going to be easier. Bronze, of course, is a metallic color. Metallics are very nice for swiping. I do have a little bit of gold somewhere as well. So because I'm adding such a small amount, I can actually see roughly the strands of hair that I wanted to apply. From my experience, red is probably one of the most powerful colors here, so it can easily kill everything else. Perhaps I should refrain from using it anymore. Now, okay, I've got this burgundy red. That's pretty. I want golden highlights on a lot. You know, green with red will make brown. So this is the only time, when you're making an autumn piece, this is not an issue. Because I don't want to cover the canvas completely, I'm doing this, touching the little gaps. And then you swipe it with a wet tissue and just take a look at what happens. I don't want too much black on her. Let's do this part first. I dip it. Oh, nice. Okay, I'm liking it. I'm going to cover her face, so no worries now. I am going to add a little bit of black here, because I want this part to be darker. Very pretty. To go over this section. I think generally it looks better when I have thinner stripes. So let's prepare some more. This is fun, this is fun, this is fun. And be very gentle with your swipe. Whoa, oh wow. I love those tiny, tiny little seams. Aren't they gorgeous? I'm even putting the black on the frisket paper. I am making a couple of black strands. Okay. I go over some of the basics of realistic portrait painting in a fun and accessible way in the full video, so be sure to check it out. I even dried some real Japanese maple leaves to add to the canvas. Look at that. To really take this one to the next level. If you thought My Lady was fun, then get ready for the next one. This ballerina piece is sure to inspire you and leave you with some great creative ideas. We start off by layering some paint in the middle of my canvas, and then using a hairdryer to spread it all around. Now, I love those containers. Why did I do it? Just to partially cover everything with grey. And now I'll be blowing directly. And yes, I don't mind this one sort of coming out of the picture, let's say. Wow. Look at the cells and the colours. You can use the hairdryer like a precision tool to get the paint exactly as you want it. I then sketch the ballerina on some tracing paper, and try to align it best with the colours on my canvas. These paints are forming her tutu, so it's important to put her in the best position. I then fill in the outlines to give her hair and arms and legs, and the abstract form does the rest. That was a great blue explosion, and now it's time for another one. My hydrangea piece was simple but beautiful, and I think it inspired a lot of views, so how could it not make the list? We used the glue gun before, but now it's time to make it a little more precise. I sketch my outline, and it's time to get to work. I noticed that I stopped breathing when I do that. Not bad. There's a lot to go. And when I'm looking at them, I'm like, that's quite a lot. That was the hidden one, so I did it first. Once it's totally dry, I can remove these. I can also use a hairdryer to remove them. They kind of shrink, you know, when you use warm air, but not too hot, because you don't want them to melt. I'm being much faster now, much more efficient. Now I'm making the centre of the flower. Like a little bead, and I'm going to make plenty of those beads here. Pretty. Some bigger, some smaller. Really random. What is this one? I'm going to put some music on. I'm going to enjoy myself. Notice that I'm doing this, removing the little thread that is attached to the end of the nozzle. That reminds me of the episode when I made little dots on the mat, on the silicone mat, and I created some interesting flowers, first time ever. So yes, I could make them here like this, and I can then transfer it and stick it onto here. If you are worried, you know that you're going to make a mistake. Look how cute. So I started on the second one. I also am making a selection of little ones. Just in case I want to put them in between. Now that the 3D lines are done, all that's left is to pour paint over the whole thing and touch up some of the details. Oh, we're going to be funny now, covering all that. I want the midsection the darkest, not really dark. Oh, it's spreading. Let's spread it. I want someone here. My favourite. The pretty purples. Once I blow them, yes, we'll get some overlapping, and that's what I'm hoping for. I'm going to use the drips to cover the edges. So the same colour here, and down. Oh, that's really light. I shared this stage with my lovely Patreons, and I asked them a question, whether they would prefer to see me enhance it with gold or with silver. And they wanted silver. And actually, I wanted silver too, so I'm happy. I'm very happy. I'm going to use my finger first. So pleasant doing that with your finger. It's really rewarding. Wow, it popped, it popped. Okay, maybe that's enough blue for now. Warm colours are stunning and great to experiment with. And this next piece proves that. It's time for a bumblebee. That starts out as just a few dots of paint. I start off by spreading paint roughly on my background. Adding as much texture as I can. I'm trying to make a background that will make my bee happy. I won't leave anything till I'm happy, that's my rule. If you're curious, I'm putting it here. I just want a super, super small amount. Oh, that's nice. Goodness me, that's so... That gets dry, like, immediately. Now, this is another treasure. That's from a clementine crate. Absolutely amazing, this bit. Yay, that's awesome. Love it. Love this colour here. Okay, so I'm making more of it. Don't want it perfect. Just want a little bit. Wow, oh, how pretty. Sorry, I can't stop myself. I see those colours, I'll just take some of it off. Stays there. Very long drippings. Once I've drawn my design on, it's time for some more texture paste. A mix of heavy gesso and all-purpose filler. But to get the fluffy bee effect, I needed to do something a little different. I used the paintbrush to add all the texture. Better than I thought. I prepared a needle, but I don't think I'll need it. For those of you who are new to my channel, for each episode, I try to think of something different, and I love trying it as you watch me. Because I think it's more interesting, and especially for me. And it's got this element of the unknown. As you can see, I'm adding quite a thickish layer. This is such a great technique that you can use in all sorts of fun ways. Just don't be afraid to experiment. If you know me at all, you know that blue is my favourite colour, and I can't go more than a few moments without it. So we are back to blue colours, and paying respect to the chilly weather, with a beautiful snow queen that my patrons chose as one of their favourites. This piece again uses a similar technique to my ballerina, but I want to encourage you all to think big this year, and use the whole canvas. Spreading the paint from the centre outwards might seem abstract, and it is a little, but controlling it, and shaping where we want specific colours, can help create the entire composition. Oh, I have a really nice colour here. Okay, I'm imagining this is the shape of a dress. This is crazy. When you paint with a brush, you kind of know what you're doing at the moment. Yeah, I'm enjoying it, but the outcome, I don't know what will happen. I'm adding a bit of black here, just to, thinking of the composition. So this is a safe option. That's a lovely flower, but I'm not going to use it. I'm going to use something that I don't recommend at all. This, yes. I made it myself, and it's not safe. Okay, slow. Oh, this is spectacular here. Love it, love it, love it. I am liking this one. I am going to change the hair. I wish she had blue hair, but I know it'll be too much blue, and blue, and blue, and everybody blue, so I have to think whether to make her blonde or brunette. Maybe it will look nice with the black, black and blue, I don't know. This color will be darker later. Once acrylics dry, they're a little bit darker. And this is, of course, the first layer. I will be adding highlights and shadows. So at the moment, instead of white, I'm going to cover her with a layer of this skin tone. I added more white because I want to add some highlights. So this is the lightest part. I might blend it in a bit. So I've got the same color, but I am adding some black. And I know it looks dramatic and dirty. Definitely under the chin. Hopefully, you can see that she is partially turned. Yes, I need black for the eyebrows. I need the thinnest brush possible. Now, lips. I've never painted anybody with snowy white hair, but it's very exciting. I don't need much. Kind of like the blue undertones, you know. I do like them. Finally, I want to leave you with a piece that I hope inspires you to think outside the box and not be limited by how flat the canvas is. Another one of my patrons' favorite is the 3D carnation. The key with this piece was a secret technique to make the flowers, as well as one of my favorite pouring techniques that you know and love. I use texture paste to make the simple stems. Sometimes I use only all-purpose filler or heavy gesso, but I'm going to use both and I'm going to mix it half and half. When you have some leftover, don't discard it. I keep the leftover bits in a jar and you can reuse it. That's the bag I had before. Flatten it a bit. Kind of wondering if I want them thick or not. Also, how flat do I want them? So easy to make those joints. The piping bag. And then put paint across the whole canvas to give it color and life. Now comes the fun part. Polymer clay. Let me show you what I did. Don't know if I actually want to do individual petals. Maybe. As you know, I am not a polymer clay specialist. Uh-oh. Oh no, that's what I wanted to avoid. Okay, that's too much. Roll something not too thin and then we can always make it thinner. Okay, so this is going to be... Well, I'll make a couple of prototypes and see if I like them. That's sort of probably the rough shape of the petal. If this doesn't work... Do you think they are too big? I might like some smaller ones perhaps. Bigger? Smaller? Okay. The good news is the edges don't have to be perfect. Let me find a thick needle. How is that going to work? Okay, that's giving me the right shape. And now I can make it even more... See, because it won't rip in my hand and if it does in some places, that's fine. That will look kind of natural. I think we're getting somewhere. Okay, now the only problem is how many do I have to produce to make one connation? That's a good one, I think. Let me check with this fake flower. Okay, mine is bigger but it doesn't look bad, does it? Okay, so this goes here. Let me put some music on or something to listen to and I am going to proceed with some more. It actually took me quicker than I thought. I am making the last one. Now I think that's probably absolutely enough to build one. I'm kind of wondering how to start. I don't have any mid part but I do want to put the flower on the canvas. So let me think. I'm trying to fold it a bit and I picked a little bit of clay because it's going to be easier for me to attach it to something. I can hold it like this. Something like that. All right, I don't think I want it fully 3D. I want it like a relief so it's going to be lying against the background. I think it's going to look nice. What do you think? Yeah, a bit floppy. Perfect. I am so happy. Getting excited. Wasn't that fun? Now just bake them in the oven, paint them, stick them down and you're ready to go. There we are. I hope you'll enjoy this look at some of my favorite pieces of last year and that it inspires you to create some truly amazing work in 2025 and beyond. Please let me know which one of those pieces was your favorite in the comments. Art should be fun and expressive so don't be afraid to try new things and even if you make mistakes that's okay. It's how we learn and improve. If you'd like stencils for any of these pieces to try them yourselves or longer more in-depth versions of my tutorials you can find them on my Patreon. Some of these pieces are also available for sale on my website avcreativeofficial.com. I want to wish you all a happy new year again and I'll see you next Saturday. Thank you so much for watching. Bye-bye.