How to Paint a Vincent Van Gogh Blended Background in Acrylics by Ginger Cook 

Thank you so much for sharing this tutorial. As a fellow artist, I can't express enough how valuable this example is and how it will help me with my portraits. Thank you Ginger and God Bless xx

Thank YOU Ginger!!! This technique is just what I needed to know! It's so counter-intuitive to use the brush that way, but it produces the exact effect that I wanted/needed ... I wish they had taught that (& so many other techniques) in my university art classes (grrrr). What a blessing youtube is!

This is one of my favorite Ginger Cook video's. I love doing backgrounds!

I keep forgetting how important layering is. so much of the time my work looks so flat. now I understand why

Thanks for sharing this tip on making interesting backgrounds. These are beautiful. Love them!!

Thank you so much! Ginger in new to painting and I absolutely love this! Thank you for teaching me!

Excellent material. I’m learning that backgrounds add much more to a painting. In haste, wanting to get at the subject, I think I’ve neglected opportunities to make a nice painting a great painting.

I discovered you late, but I'm loving your videos. I've only watched two, and I'm already hooked. Thanks very much for your tutelage!

Great demonstration, thank you Ginger.

Thank you very much Ginger!...your class helps and is fun!

THis was a very helpful video. thank you for sharing. I always wondered about layiering and now I know a little bit more about it and the effects

Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful technique! I used liquid acrylics for the background which turned out amazing. I'm using regular golden acrylics for the subject on top and I think it is beautiful.. Best tip I've learned in the last ten years. Love this!

Great lesson. This will be great to use. Thanks for posting.

marvelous ! i used a similar technique to paint out graffiti when i lived in los angeles.

this can also be a great use for left over paint on the pallet or even when you clean your brush just keep a small canvas insted of a paint rag

Ginger, you are a great teacher! I've seen a huge improvement in my paintings, just from this one video alone.

I’m so happy you did this, I have been playing with background color, very helpful ,Thankyou 💕

Wow I am so glad I found your channel. I learnt so much in 15 min. Thank-you for your very clear explanation.

These backgrounds are so beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and techniques with us🥰🥰🥰

Loved it!

Thank you for your instruction, it's so helpful and beautiful! Quick question on when to use the side of the brush and when to use it flat, I'm not clear on that? Thank you!

Absolutely stunning backgrounds! Love how easily you are able to make them happen. Great tutorial!

This was a great lesson on creating backgrounds. Thanks!

Thank you. Love it.

Thank you so much for this! I can't wait to try it!

I know I’m late to this post but found it so helpful. Can you tell me why you use the tip and then the flat of the brush? I wasn’t too sure about that.

I just viewed this again 5 years later as I need a similar effect for a 40x40 painting. I will upsize my brush and be in business!! Thank you xx

Hi Ginger so happy to have found your channel and this video, pls how can I do exactly this but on large size of canvas for a full body portraits? Thank you for your insightful video

Beautiful background tutorial! Acrylic painting is so fast! Love your videos.

I love this . Going to try very soon. I have a painting on my easel that has sat there for several months. The patron Unicorn Angela Anderson did. And I am just scared to do the swirls...just lines really . I love your lessons and have been bouncing around watching them. Love you and Jon. Great lessons,story's and caring

I am such a fan. You explain so well helping me understand my mistakes. Always wanted to do this background and now I know.....dry dry dry.....thank you so much.

I always wondered how to do this my backgrounds are going to be so much better now, thank you for the tutorial👍

So beautiful! Thanks for sharing, this is such a valuable lesson to layer, dry, layer, dry, layer, dry..... then maybe layer some more! 😂 When I started doing this my paintings definitely improved by leaps and bounds.

I actually loved the sienna background. To me it's pretty enough to be a modern painting by itself👏

excellent tutorial. thank you for sharing, i can't wait to try :)

You're an amazing teacher. I sure do appreciate it.

Gracias por el tutorial, muy lindo, ojala puedas seguir enseñando a los novatos

Thank you Ginger, This will help so much on improving my backgrounds.

Hey ginger thank you for the tips! Just tried one out and it looks amazing! Wondering what to paint over it now :P

Thank you Ginger! Your videos are educational and fun, and you have such a positive energy! Love your coaching, lessons, and appreciate your free videos! It is like talking to a friend when I hear your videos, don’t ever stop ❤️

Really enjoyed your tutorial. The backgrounds are pretty enough to frame by themselves!

Ginger, what is your paint consistancy? I am a beginner, is it out of the tube thick or watered down? Also, your brush stroke is it a scrubbing movement? Thank you for your reply!

Thanks. What will be the background for abstract paintings?

Spectacular!!!! What a great tutorial... Thank you so much, you are a great artist and teacher...

Thank you so much, Ginger.

Thank you for this video, Ginger. I’m going to try this background technique on a few different paintings I’m doing.

These are beautiful and would make wonderful dramatic backgrounds for photography.

Thank you for sharing. Im trying to do a still life of some peaches and I was stuck on the background for it. Very helpful!

this is exactly what I needed. Thanks. You always come up with such helpful tips!!

Thank you so much! It's exactly what I was hoping to find! So trying this out x

This was my first into to Ginger Cook. Fell in love with this technique and colors. 2 yrs later, I still come back to this video. 💜💜

Youre amazing

Thanks so much! That was so exciting to watch it all come together . I'm encouraged!

This was really helpful. So glad I stumbled across it. Love your work. Thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge with us. Looking forward to much more.

Thank you so much for these tips. The backgrounds are beautiful.

Very useful lesson Ginger. Many thanks....

WOW!! This was just what I was looking for! Thanks so much for sharing... you've saved my day!!

Thank you so very much for sharing this!!! I am a "novice " & was struggling with trying to figure out a background & how to do one, last night- well I ended up painting the canvas w/gesso so I could start again! What I mess it was! I truly appreciate you sharing your talent!

Very helpful. Will definitely experiment it on my next painting. Thanks so much for taking your time and efforts to share your knowledge with complete strangers :D

So beautiful backgrounds 😍Thanks for your tutorials.

This was quite helpful.

Wow, I just love this instructive video on how to use different brush techniques!! I am preparing a big canvas to paint an opened red rose and was looking for an interesting background that would compliment the rose and let it stand out. Thanks very much. So beautiful.

ginger I loved this and painted this and also the flowers in a blue glass.. I will also try some of your Kat images,,

Thank you for the lesson!! Can’t wait to find more from you!!!

This was actually the kind of tutorial i had been looking for...God bless u 💚💚💚

Thank you for the tutorial..I was having difficulty painting background ...It help me alot .💖

This is beautiful. I'm very grateful to you for sharing. Can't wait to try it. XX

Loved this! I learn so, so much from you. Thank you so much.

Hi Ginger! So this seem to be the very first video I watched way back! I can tell as I had liked this one! I must have been too shy to leave a comment though lol. Love this background technique!!

thank you so much for this hints ! but I think Renoir was painting this way , not van Gogh.

I have a face portrait with dark blue/alizrian red background in OIL. I would like to incorporate different blues around the face, is the method the same for oil, since it dries slow, it would take a month just to layer, if that's the case. Or just try to not blend the colors that are underneath??

Thank you! I saw so many faces in the painting while you were doing it, gonna try this technique next:)

Thanks again Ginger! These are beautiful backgrounds, I would never have thought to create such textures like this with acrylics. You (and your daughter) have got me interested in painting again now that I am retired. I have spent a small fortune over at Jerry's and let them know you directed me there....I hope they appreciate you as much as I do.

This was very helpful! Thank you for putting up your videos! I'm learning so much!

very helpful, u made it quite easy to understand for a beginner like me, thank u so much 👍🏼👍🏼

Muy hermoso felicitaciones me encanta cómo pinta , felicitaciones 👏 dé Chile..

Thanks Ginger! I'll mark my calendar!!!

Thank you for the tip ...Beautiful work ...Best wishes from France ...

Hi, Thanks for your background tutorial. I really like the result. If I understood correctly, the subject is added later to the finished background? If I wanted to paint a bird, for example, a hummingbird, would I lightly sketch the hummingbird on my canvas before creating my background over after?

Yes, Ginger you've got many admirers and rightly so. I thought that was excellent, really excellent. I'll get cracking first thing tomorrow morning. I'm off to the bar now to have a few beers. Goodnight and kind regards to you and all your 49,000 subscribers all - Chris

Tried this, and couldn't manage to do it correctly. But it ended up resulting in a pretty cool new look, that I still wouldn't have achieved without watching this tutorial at first. That's why art is so cool, lol. Hope to get it right next time. I have a hard time finding what colors look good together.

Thank you for sharing this tutorial Mam Ginger. Beginner here... Awesome!!! I like portrait and im just starting how to mix the right color.. God Bless You... and keep safe!

Great tip. Can’t wait to try it. I will let you know how it works out. Maybe send a picture of one that I have & would like to replicate..........just don’t how to duplicate. Young kids probably call it modern art. I really would like to replicate though sometime when I meet up with the person who painted in art class.

I loved this demo. Do you have the art lesson on doing this particular still life.

Very useful thank you so much I think you are amazing !! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️

OMG Ginger, Despite the fact that this video is from 10 years ago I must tell you how much I love, love, love both of these backgrounds. And hopefully you will actually receive this message. I am retired, and finally eliminating other things that have created a super-busy, but unfulfilling lifestyle. I am getting back into art and dedicating more time to it. Although I am self-taught, and have actually managed to sell a few things, I have ALWAYS been stumped with regard to good backgrounds. I have managed to be extremely dissatisfied with many that I have attempted. I cannot wait to try this, and practice with different colors. I am so interested in seeintg what colors will go together well, and that actually enhance subject matter. Thank you so much for sharing this. I'm off to practicing right now, and am simply giddy!!

Excellent video, thank you, Ginger Cook.

Ginger this is priceless ageless .. I am about to do a bike race of my nephew in pole position and want to blur out the background but with the colours to compliment obviously .. thank you Ginger Cook great teacher

Ginger, I have been trying to get my colours to blend and I just cannot make it happen...Ive been layering over and over. Ive watched this video sooo many times haha what am I doing wrong?

Hi Ginger, thanks for this super clear tutorial. Do you have any color combination suggestions for a teal/turquoise flower? Thanks.

Hi mam😊🙏 I'm from India Can u make a video about beutiful background colour for any potrait...plss??

Thank you Ginger! That was an excellent tutorial!!! Love them both!

Love this Ginger,if you wanted to start with a purple background,what colours would you use to blend in? Thanks for another great tutorial.😘😘

Great video! I love those backgrounds you could hand them just like that!

WoW that is eventually clear to me. Thank u so much Ginger for sharing your tips, really appreciate !!!

It is unfortunate the video quality does not show your hands moving. The brush work technique is also what I am after.

What kind of sheet is that??? Plezz reply..🤗

Hi ginger! Loved your technique.. Do you think I can attempt this with sponges??!!

Great example... thank you...new sub! 👏

I didn't even know enough to know what I didn't know! I've been trying for DAYS to create the loose, mottled dark tones you showed here & failing for it to look like this. THANK YOU