Abstract Voices: Painting with Gerhard Richter

Imagine dragging a giant squeegee across a canvas, smearing thick rivers of paint into something completely unexpected. That is exactly what German artist Gerhard Richter does. Born in 1932 in Dresden, Richter is one of the most celebrated living painters in the world. His abstract works — called Abstrakte Bilder — sell for tens of millions of pounds, yet they often begin with a simple gesture: scraping wet paint across a surface. Today you will work like Richter, using colour, texture and mark-making to give a mood or feeling a visual voice, no recognisable objects required. 🎨

Abstract art does not try to show the world as it looks. Instead, it uses the formal elements — colour, line, shape, tone, texture and form — to express ideas or feelings directly. Richter layers acrylic paint in thick impasto (paint applied so thickly it stands off the surface) and then drags a wide squeegee or palette knife across it while it is still wet. This scraping technique, called grattage, removes some paint and smears the rest, creating long streaks, blended gradients and surprising colour interactions the artist cannot fully predict. Richter calls this controlled chance: he sets up the conditions, then lets the paint decide some of the outcome.

Colour mixing is a core skill in Richter's process. He often begins with a limited palette — a restricted set of chosen colours — rather than using every colour available. Mixing complementary colours (colours opposite each other on the colour wheel, such as red and green or blue and orange) produces rich, dark neutrals without using black from a tube. Adding white creates a tint (lighter version); adding black or a complementary colour creates a shade (darker, deeper version). Working this way gives a painting visual harmony: all the colours feel related because they share pigment. Choosing warm colours (reds, oranges, yellows) tends to feel energetic or tense; cool colours (blues, greens, violets) tend to feel calm or melancholic.

Richter works in distinct stages and so should you. First, he applies an underpainting — a base layer of colour that is partially visible in the final work. This layer influences the mood of everything above it; a warm orange underpainting glowing through cool blue layers creates tension and depth. Once dry, he adds thick patches and streaks of contrasting colours. Then, while the top layer is still wet, he drags his squeegee in a single confident sweep. This is the decisive gesture — hesitation leaves muddy smears, so Richter commits fully. He may repeat this process fifteen or twenty times, each layer interacting with the last. The resulting surface has history: you can see traces of earlier decisions beneath the final marks.

Evaluating abstract art requires specific vocabulary and a structured approach. When you look at a Richter abstract — or your own finished piece — start with description (what do you literally see: colours, marks, textures?), then analysis (how are the formal elements working together?), then interpretation (what mood or feeling does it suggest and why?), and finally judgement (how effectively has the artist achieved their intention?). This four-step method is used by professional art critics. Saying 'I like it' is a starting point, but explaining 'the diagonal scrape creates a sense of movement that reinforces the energetic orange underpainting' shows real critical thinking. 💬

When you create your own Richter-inspired abstract, make deliberate choices at every stage. Ask yourself: what mood do I want to create? Choose your underpainting colour to support that mood. Select two or three complementary or contrasting colours for your top layer. Decide the direction and pressure of your scrape — a gentle, curved drag feels very different from a sharp diagonal slash. Step back and evaluate using the four steps: describe, analyse, interpret, judge. Your artistic voice is built through these conscious decisions, not by accident. Richter said, 'I have nothing to say and I am saying it.' He means the painting itself does the communicating — and now, so can yours. 🌟