Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
ABSTRACT STYLE
Beginning in the early 20th century, abstract art became a leading style of modernism. Rather than portray the world in a way that represented reality, as had been the dominating style of Western art in the previous centuries, abstract paintings, prints and sculptures are marked by a shift to geometric forms, gestural shapes and experimentation with color to express ideas, subject matter and scenes.
Although abstract art flourished in the early 1900s, propelled by movements like Fauvism and Cubism, it was rooted in the 19th century. In the 1840s, J.M.W. Turner emphasized light and motion for atmospheric paintings in which concrete details were blurred, and Paul Cézanne challenged traditional expectations of perspective in the 1890s.
Some of the earliest abstract artists — Wassily Kandinsky and Hilma af Klint — expanded on these breakthroughs while using vivid colors and forms to channel spiritual concepts. Painter Piet Mondrian, a Dutch pioneer of the art movement, explored geometric abstraction partly owing to his belief in Theosophy, which is grounded in a search for higher spiritual truths and embraces philosophers of the Renaissance period and medieval mystics. Black Square, a daringly simple 1913 work by Russian artist Kazimir Malevich, was a watershed statement on creating art that was free “from the dead weight of the real world,” as he later wrote.
Surrealism in the 1920s, led by artists such as Salvador Dalí, Meret Oppenheim and others, saw painters creating abstract pieces in order to connect to the subconscious. When Abstract Expressionism emerged in New York during the mid-20th century, it similarly centered on the process of creation, in which Helen Frankenthaler’s expressive “soak-stain” technique, Jackson Pollock’s drips of paint, and Mark Rothko’s planes of color were a radical new type of abstraction.
Conceptual art, Pop art, Hard-Edge painting and many other movements offered fresh approaches to abstraction that continued into the 21st century, with major contemporary artists now exploring it, including Anish Kapoor, Mark Bradford, El Anatsui and Julie Mehretu.
Find original abstract paintings, sculptures, prints and other art on 1stDibs.
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Style: Abstract
1948 Black & White Abstraction by Woman Institute of Design Artist Lois Field
Located in Chicago, IL
A rare 1948 black & white drawing from woman artist, Lois Field, who studied at the New Bauhaus in Chicago. Artwork size: 3" x 4". Handsomely framed to 9" x 11".
In 1923, Lois F...
Category
1940s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink
New Seeds No.3 (Abstract painting)
Located in London, GB
New Seeds No.3 (Abstract painting)
Pastel on Paper - Unframed.
Artwork exclusive to IdeelArt.
Materiality and soul are essential to the work of Nashville-based multimedia artist Brooke Noel...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Pastel
Diagram (Abstract Expressionism painting)
By Laura Newman
Located in London, GB
Diagram (Abstract Expressionism painting)
Ink and acrylic on arches watercolor paper - Unframed
Laura Newman's paintings combine geometric de...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink, Acrylic
Tipping Point #7 (Abstract drawing)
Located in London, GB
Tipping Point #7 (Abstract drawing)
Pigment pencil on Mylar - Unframed.
This work is from a series titled Tipping Point. This drawing has been created eyes closed. It captures an a...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Mylar, Pencil
Expressive Abstract Drawing. Free Association
Located in Zofingen, AG
This calligraphic abstract drawing is made with Chinese ink and pastel on heavy white paper. Looking at it you can feel the freshness of instant impulse and the charge of cheerful en...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Pastel, Ink
P3.13 (Abstract painting)
Located in London, GB
P3.13 (Abstract painting)
Gouache on Japanese paper. Unframed.
This gouache paint on Japanese paper is a result of working with the accidental arrangements of found colored papers ...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Gouache
Prospectus 1 (Abstract Drawing)
Located in London, GB
Prospectus 1 (Abstract Drawing)
Graphite on paper, Unframed.
Margaret Neill works for a time on a group of pieces in a series, using classic almost primal materials such as graphit...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Graphite
Maeve D'Arcy "April Pink Moon" Abstract Acrylic Work on Paper
By Maeve D'Arcy
Located in New York, NY
This contemporary abstract acrylic painting on paper features intricate mark-making formations in black and white. D'Arcy’s train of thought is impulsive and random, the marks are in...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Acrylic, Graphite
Maeve D'Arcy "Serve Immediately" Abstract Acrylic Work on Paper
By Maeve D'Arcy
Located in New York, NY
This contemporary abstract acrylic painting on paper features intricate mark-making formations in black and white. D'Arcy’s train of thought is impulsive and random, the marks are in...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Acrylic, Graphite
Maeve D'Arcy "Trash Puddle" Abstract Acrylic Work on Paper
By Maeve D'Arcy
Located in New York, NY
This contemporary abstract acrylic painting on paper features intricate mark-making formations in black and white. D'Arcy’s train of thought is impulsive and random, the marks are in...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Paper
4th floor (Abstract Painting)
Located in London, GB
4th floor (Abstract Painting)
Spray paint, pencil, ink, watercolor on paper. Unframed.
Peter Soriano works on relatively large sheets of Japanese paper with a tendency to work from...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink, Spray Paint, Watercolor, Pencil
Cut-Up Paper I.14
Located in London, GB
Acrylic on paper. Unframed.
Pedersen works with acrylic paint.
When painting a composition, she tends toward a limited color palette, often reducing the composition to minimal, har...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Acrylic
Untitled 743 (Abstract Painting)
Located in London, GB
Untitled 743 (Abstract Painting)
Watercolour on paper - Unframed.
Artwork exclusive to IdeelArt.
French abstract artist Jérémie Iordanoff blends the visual languages of Western Mo...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
Swipe 3 (Abstract painting)
Located in London, GB
Swipe 3 (Abstract painting)
Sumi ink and paint on paper. Unframed.
For Russinof, everything begins with color. She begins a painting by applying color in lyrical, gestural marks. T...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Sumi Ink, Acrylic
Guna TT (Abstract painting)
By Tracey Adams
Located in London, GB
Guna TT (Abstract painting)
Encaustic on Shikoku paper - Unframed.
The title, Guna, is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘string, thread or strand’ and was inspired by Adams yoga practice.
...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Encaustic
Study after Big Bang
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Carroll Dunham (1949 - )
Title: Study after Big Bang
Date: 2016
Medium: Pencil on paper, signed and dated upper left
Size: 18.25 x 13.87 in. (46.36 x 35.23 cm)
Frame Size: 27...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Graphite
Tipping Point #5 (Abstract drawing)
Located in London, GB
Tipping Point #5 (Abstract drawing)
Pigment pencil on Mylar - Unframed.
This work is from a series titled Tipping Point. This drawing has been created eyes closed. It captures an a...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Mylar, Pencil
M228 (Abstract new media)
By Jesús Perea
Located in London, GB
Digital creation, printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag de 308 gr - Unframed.
Fluctuating between illustration and expressionism, connecting the geometric and biomorphic worlds, Perea co...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Digital
Abstract minimalism. Black and silver color. Up.
Located in Zofingen, AG
This spontaneous gestural drawing is made with Chinese ink and silver pastel on heavy white paper. Looking at it you can feel the freshness of instant impulse and the charge of cheer...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Pastel, Ink
"By the Seat of Her Pants", Abstract, Contemporary, Watercolor Painting, 2018
Located in Natick, MA
Sarah Alexander's 22 x 30 inch Watercolor on Aquabord painting "By the Seat of Her Pants" is a joyous and playful spiral of color. Rich orange, reds and blues coil around in a whirlwind of motion depicting the joys and emotions of a busy and full life. The painting is done on a clay panel made especially for watercolor, and sealed with a polymer varnish. The painting sits on a 2.5 inch wood cradle for a contemporary look and does not require framing. The painting is signed in the lower right hand corner.
Sarah Alexander is a contemporary mixed media artist with an emphasis on watercolor and drawing using unconventional surfaces and techniques. Her work is in private collections and has been shown extensively throughout New England, and abroad. Her work has been published by North Light...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Watercolor, Board
Stem #28 (Abstract painting)
Located in London, GB
Stem #28 (Abstract painting)
Acrylic on Yupo - Unframed.
Baribeau constructs his paintings layer upon layer, building color, form and texture into viscous, impasto compositions, on...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Acrylic
Untitled 753 (Abstract work on paper)
Located in London, GB
Untitled 753 (Abstract work on paper)
Watercolour on paper - Unframed.
Artwork exclusive to IdeelArt.
French abstract artist Jérémie Iordanoff blends the visual languages of Weste...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
Minoan Stories 6 (Abstract painting)
By Jessica Snow
Located in London, GB
Minoan Stories 6 - (Abstract painting)
Oil pastel and acrylic on hot press paper - Framed
Artwork framed, dimensions incl framing: 64 x 82 cm / 25.1 x 32.2 in ...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Oil Pastel, Acrylic
Intermezzo 4 (Abstract drawing)
Located in London, GB
Intermezzo 4 (Abstract drawing)
Charcoal on paper - Unframed.
Image size: 46.3 x 43.8 cm/ 18 1/4 x 17 1/4 inches.
Neill creates works on canvas, linen and paper using a variety of...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Charcoal
The Long Way Home, Drawing, Pen & Ink on Watercolor Paper
By Lisa Bolin
Located in Yardley, PA
Intricate converging hand-drawn ink lines interlace to create a mid-century modern kind of feel. These graphic black and white pieces add a pop of energy to the special space you hav...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Pen
Perspective 2022 (Abstract painting)
By Martin Reyna
Located in London, GB
Perspective 2022 (Abstract painting)
Ink on paper mounted on canvas - Unframed.
Diptych, each element: 108 x 75 cm / 42.5 x 29.5 inch
Martín Reyna is ...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Paper, Ink
Monochrome abstract drawing. Funny Silver Mood - 4 -
Located in Zofingen, AG
This monochrome abstract drawing is made with Chinese ink and silver pastel on heavy white paper. Looking at it you can feel the freshness of insta...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Pastel, Ink
Perspective 2022 (Abstract painting)
By Martin Reyna
Located in London, GB
Perspective 2022 (Abstract painting)
Ink on paper mounted on canvas - Unframed.
Diptych, each element: 108 x 75 cm / 42.5 x 29.5 inch
Martín Reyna is ...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Paper, Ink
Untitled (Ref 19013) (Abstract Drawing)
By Martin Reyna
Located in London, GB
Untitled (Ref 19013) (Abstract Drawing)
Ink on paper - Unframed.
Martín Reyna is an Argentinian-born abstract painter living in Paris, France. His gestural abstract paintings delig...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink
Small Maelstrom (Ref 854) (Abstract drawing)
Located in London, GB
Small Maelstrom (Ref 854) (Abstract drawing)
Pigment pencil on Mylar. Unframed.
The Maelstrom Series include the most iconic and known of Peerna's works.
Starting from the cente...
Category
Early 2000s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Mylar, Pencil, Pigment
BP37, INEXISTENTEIDEEN, 2019 (Abstract painting)
Located in London, GB
Acrylic, graphite on paper - Unframed.
Daniel Gottin's interest and concept are to examine the subjective nature of perception, and playfully responds to the characteristics of an a...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Acrylic, Graphite
Tangle 17 (Abstract painting)
By Tracey Adams
Located in London, GB
Tangle 17 (Abstract painting)
Mixed water-based drawing media on Arches paper - Unframed.
Working on paper has always been an important part of Tracey Adams daily practice.
For almos...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Mixed Media
Warren St 18 (Abstract Painting)
Located in London, GB
Warren St 18 (Abstract Painting)
Spray paint, pencil, ink, watercolor on paper. Unframed.
Peter Soriano is a Philippines-born French-American abstract artist who divides his time b...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Watercolor, Pencil
Slouch (Abstract Painting)
Located in London, GB
Slouch (Abstract Painting)
Acrylic on Montval paper - Unframed
Martina Nehrling is an American abstract artist whose dynamic and richly textured paintings evoke kaleidoscopic world...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Acrylic
Abstract Calligraphy. Energetic Gestural Drawing. Funny Silver Mood - 1 -
Located in Zofingen, AG
This spontaneous gestural drawing is made with Chinese ink and silver pastel on heavy white paper. Looking at it you can feel the freshness of instant impulse and the charge of cheer...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Pastel, Ink
Oscillating resonance (Abstract painting)
Located in London, GB
Oscillating resonance
Acrylic, ink and colored pencil on polypropylene paper - Unframed.
Artwork exclusive to IdeelArt.
Adrienn Krahl’s paintings express a profound sense of drama...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink, Acrylic
Untitled (ID 1290) (Abstract Painting)
Located in London, GB
Untitled (ID 1290) (Abstract Painting)
Pastel and acrylic on paper - Unframed
In her abstract drawings, collages and paintings, Fieroza Doorsen brings to life the tensions and harm...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Pastel, Acrylic
Untitled 1-12 2017 (Abstract painting)
Located in London, GB
Untitled 1-12 2017 (Abstract painting)
Acrylic on paper - Unframed.
This work, sold as a portfolio, is made of 12 works on paper, each artwork's dimensions are 70 x 50 cm - 27.5 x ...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Acrylic
A20 - Make it sexy (Abstract Drawing)
Located in London, GB
A20 - Make it sexy (Abstract Drawing)
Acrylic on paper - Unframed.
The artist created this series shortly afterward arriving in NY.
His interest was to see what responses the paint...
Category
Early 2000s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Acrylic
Intermezzo 4 (Abstract drawing)
Located in London, GB
Intermezzo 4 (Abstract drawing)
Charcoal on paper - Unframed.
Image size: 46.3 x 43.8 cm/ 18 1/4 x 17 1/4 inches.
Neill creates works on canvas, linen and paper using a variety of...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Charcoal
A12 - I am having so much fun (Abstract painting)
Located in London, GB
Acrylic on paper - Unframed.
The artist created this series shortly afterward arriving in NY.
His interest was to see what responses the paintings evoke.
Category
Early 2000s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Acrylic
Trapped In The Mind Of The Religious
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Trapped In The Mind Of The Religious was created using Watercolour on 300gsm paper
This painting depicts the story of a girl going through a spiritual journey toward enlightenment b...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
Cut-Up Paper 2002 (Abstract painting)
Located in London, GB
Cut-Up Paper 2002 (Abstract painting)
Acrylic on paper - Unframed.
Pedersen works with acrylic paint.
When painting a composition, she tends toward a limited color palette, often ...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Acrylic
Intermezzo 7 (Abstract drawing)
Located in London, GB
Intermezzo 7 (Abstract drawing)
Charcoal on paper - Unframed.
Image size: 46.3 x 43.8 cm/ 18 1/4 x 17 1/4 inches.
Neill creates works on canvas, linen and paper using a variety of...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Charcoal
Gravitational wave (Abstract painting)
By Jessica Snow
Located in London, GB
Gravitational wave (Abstract painting)
Acrylic on paper. Unframed.
As a multidisciplinary artist, Snow uses different mediums and supports. Each work results from preliminary studi...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Acrylic
Ambassade 44 (Abstract Expressionism painting)
Located in London, GB
Ambassade 44 (Abstract Expressionism painting)
Watercolour on hot press paper - Unframed
This work is part of the watercolour series titled Ambassade which was named after a visit ...
Category
Early 2000s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
Beyond the Visible, Original Marker Drawing by Agam
By Yaacov Agam
Located in Long Island City, NY
Diagonal lines in pink, pink, orange, and black make up the composition of this original drawing by Yaacov Agam. Signed above the printed text ’Agam’.
Title: Beyond the Visible
Medi...
Category
1980s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Archival Paper, Permanent Marker
Colby 10 (Abstract painting)
Located in London, GB
Spray paint, pencil, ink, watercolor on paper - Unframed
Peter Soriano is an abstract artist who divides his time between New York City and Penobscot, Maine. Although he began his c...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink, Spray Paint, Watercolor, Pencil
Diagram (Abstract Expressionism painting)
By Laura Newman
Located in London, GB
Diagram (Abstract Expressionism painting)
Ink and acrylic on arches watercolor paper - Unframed
Laura Newman's paintings combine geometric de...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink, Acrylic
Ink #8 (Fraying) (Abstract painting)
By Emily Berger
Located in London, GB
Ink #8 (Fraying) (Abstract painting)
Ink, watercolor on Arches watercolor paper - Unframed.
Image size: 11” x 8.25 - 28 x 21 cm.
She layers paint in gestural, horizontal swaths fr...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink, Watercolor
Untitled 1, Op Art Drawing by William Schwedler
Located in Long Island City, NY
This abstract composition by William Schwedler includes several geometric forms and shapes that are placed alongside straight, angled lines.
Untitled 1
Artist: William Schwedler, A...
Category
1970s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Graphite
Nude Study 51, Drawing, Charcoal on Watercolor Paper
By Bill Buchman
Located in Yardley, PA
A live demonstration charcoal study made for the the film, Zen Breakthrough: Figure Drawing Techniques (2012). Comes with a beautiful mat with protective clear plastic sleeve.. :: Dr...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Charcoal
Untitled (Ref 19008)
By Martin Reyna
Located in London, GB
Ink on paper - Unframed.
Martín Reyna is an Argentinian-born abstract painter living in Paris, France. His gestural abstract paintings delight the eye and activate the mind with the...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink
Untitled 1-12 2017 (Abstract painting)
Located in London, GB
Untitled 1-12 2017 (Abstract painting)
Acrylic on paper - Unframed.
This work, sold as a portfolio, is made of 12 works on paper, each artwork's dimensions are 70 x 50 cm - 27.5 x ...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Acrylic
0118.5 (Abstract painting)
By Tracey Adams
Located in London, GB
0118.5 (Abstract painting)
Pigmented wax and ink on Shikoku paper - Unframed
Working on paper has always been an important part of Tracey Adams daily practice.
For almost thirty ye...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink, Wax
Untitled 2010
Located in London, GB
Oil on postcard - Unframed.
In her abstract drawings, collages and paintings, Fieroza Doorsen brings to life the tensions and harmonies that emerge when structure meets intuition. H...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Oil, Postcard
Eckige Masse 95 (Abstract Painting)
By Kyong Lee
Located in London, GB
Eckige Masse 95 (Abstract Painting)
Pencil and acrylic on Fabriano-pittura paper - Unframed.
In her work, Lee is responding to her emotional experiences within her physical surrou...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Acrylic, Pencil
Untitled (Ref 19005)
By Martin Reyna
Located in London, GB
Ink on paper - Unframed.
Martín Reyna is an Argentinian-born abstract painter living in Paris, France. His gestural abstract paintings delight the eye and activate the mind with the...
Category
2010s Abstract Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink
Abstract drawings and watercolor paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Abstract drawings and watercolor paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add drawings and watercolor paintings created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, orange, purple, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Martin Reyna , Mila Akopova, Jaanika Peerna, and Sumit Mehndiratta. Frequently made by artists working with Paper, and Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Abstract drawings and watercolor paintings, so small editions measuring 0.5 inches across are also available. Prices for drawings and watercolor paintings made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1 and tops out at $400,000, while the average work sells for $1,408.