Futura Teaches Spray Painting Abstract Art

A pioneering painter and street artist, Futura has exhibited at institutions like the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, collaborated with Louis Vuitton and Supreme, and created album art for The Clash. Now he’s teaching you his signature, kinetic approach to abstract art. Learn how to express yourself and paint with color, dimension, and detail. All you need to create art is an idea and a can of spray paint.

• Meet Your Instructor: Futura
• Pioneering painter and street artist Futura has been making groundbreaking art for more than 50 years. In his first lesson, Futura discusses his opus, the Break Train, and welcomes you to his abstract universe.
• The School of Abstraction
• There are no rules when it comes to abstract art. In this lesson, Futura describes his kinetic approach to painting and reveals a brand-new piece called TEMPO TANTRUM that incorporates all the skills you will learn in the class.
• Spray Paint Mechanics
• Futura shows off a graffiti writer’s primary tool: the spray can. Learn how to use the four levels of spray-can fullness and nozzles to gain greater control of your spray.
• Working With Canvas
• Learn about different types of canvases and find out how to achieve one of Futura’s signature techniques by manipulating the fabric of a canvas.
• Can-Control Techniques
• Futura uses a series of kinetic movements to demonstrate the can-control techniques that form the foundation of spray-painting.
• Using Unconventional Tools
• You can use anything as a paint brush—even pieces of cardboard. Futura shows you how to see possibility in nontraditional objects, tools, and surfaces.
• Create Your Own Characters
• Futura’s alien-inspired characters have taken his art around the world. Follow along with two character-drawing exercises, and let him show you how to draw characters full of personality.
• Designing Products
• Turning your products into art gives them a new life. Futura reveals his product design checklist and shares how he designed the coveted Nike “FLOM” (For Love or Money) high-tops and his unique art car for BMW.
• Collaborating With Brands
• Relationship-building is a key part of working with brands. Learn about Futura’s collaborations with Virgil Abloh’s Off-White and the Noguchi Museum.
• Color and Composition
• Paint along with Futura as he explores color choice, composition, and coverage in a multicanvas painting.
• Detail and Dimension
• Building on his triptych, Futura shows you how to create depth through layering detail elements and adding acrylic paint.
• The Signature as Art
• Your tag, your logo, or even your handwriting can be visual ways to express your identity. Learn about the evolution of Futura’s tag and how to see your signature as a work of art.
• Art in Public Spaces
• Futura discusses the art of painting in public, encourages you to see your community as a canvas, and inspires you to make your mark.
• Send Out Signals
• From creating your portfolio on social media to cultivating long-term supporters, Futura teaches you how to find the right consumers for your work.
• Bonus: Becoming Futura
• Explore Lenny’s path to becoming Futura and get a deeper understanding of the street art movement.