If you’re tired of wasting hours making your own poster backgound Mock Ups , this will save you a ton of time. I’ve put together a free pack of 60 square-format wall art background mock ups for Instagram, ready to use and made specifically for artists.
These are photorealistic digital mockups, just drag and drop in your artwork and you’re done. No messing around, no software needed, all you need is a free Canva account. I’ll even show you how to do it.
It’s so easy.
These backgound mock ups are primarily intended to use with Instagram, but you can use them anywhere. They make your art look clean, and professional.
Who Will Benefit From These Background Mock Ups?
If you’re an artist or illustrator promoting your work on Instagram, these free background room mockups are for you.
I’ve created 60 high-quality mockup images featuring stylish bedroom and living room settings, with a few stairway shots thrown in too.
Each mockup is designed with a blank wall space where you can drag and drop your artwork. There are no awkward angles or perspective issues to deal with, every image features a flat, front-facing wall so your art sits naturally in position..
It’s as straightforward as it gets.
You can easily post one a week for a full year’s worth of content or post daily for two solid months. They’re simple to use, fully editable in Canva, and will help you keep your art in front of viewers – consistantly.
How to Use These Mockups with Canva (Step-by-Step)
Follow these instructions. It is very simple to add your artwork for free with Canva. This is very basic editing.
N.B. If you wish to enhance or mute any of these images you’ll find the menu using the ‘Edit’ > ‘Adjust’ links as described in the instructions below.
Step 1: Create a New Design
Click “Create ‘+’ round purple icon with a white cross – top left, and choose the “Instagram Post (Square)” or, if it’s not visable, enter ‘Instagram’ in the search bar and find it that way .
These mockup files are already perfectly sized for Instagram, so they’ll fit the canvas with no adjustment needed.
Step 2: Upload a Mockup File
Look at the vertical toolbar on the left-hand side and click “Uploads” (it has an upward arrow icon beneath a cloud). Then click the purple “Upload files” button at the top of the adjacent column
Navigate to the folder on your computer where you saved the mockup images and select the one or multiple images you want to use. It/they will appear in the upload library as a thumbnail.
Once uploaded, click and drag a mockup image onto the blank canvas. When you drop it, it should automatically snap to fill the full 1080 x 1080 square. If it doesn’t fill the space perfectly, click the image and pull out the corners until it fits edge to edge.
Step 3: Upload Your Artwork File
Stay in the Uploads tab and click “Upload files” again. This time, choose the image of your artwork. Once uploaded, it will appear alongside your mockup in the upload library.
Important: Do not drag your artwork onto the canvas. If you do, it may replace the background. Instead, click once on the artwork image. This will place it on the canvas as a separate layer, leaving the mockup untouched in the background.
Step 4: Resize and Position Your Art
Once your artwork appears on the canvas, you’ll see a border around it with white circle handles at the corners and sides.
Click and drag a corner handle inward or outward to resize the image proportionally. Position your artwork over the blank frame or wall space in the mockup image.
To move it, click and drag from the centre of the artwork. Keep adjusting until it sits naturally inside the framed area. Take care to match the scale, if the art looks too large or too small compared to the surroundings, resize accordingly.
Step 5: Add a Drop Shadow to Match the Room Lighting
Click on your artwork to select it. A new editing panel will appear on the left.
Scroll down until you reach the “FX Effects” section. Look for the “Shadows” icon, it looks like a small football. Click it to see a selection of shadow effects. Click the ‘Drop Shadow’ tile. Click.
Then click the small sliders icon next to “Drop” to open the adjustment settings. You’ll see four sliders:
- Blur Amount – softens the edges of the shadow. Increase this for a more natural, diffused effect.
- Angle – sets the direction of the shadow. Match it to the lighting in the mockup by checking which way the shadows fall in the room.
- Distance – controls how far the shadow falls from the edge of your artwork.
- Intensity – adjusts how dark or light the shadow appears.
Tweak these settings until the shadow looks like it belongs.
Step 6: Adjust the Exposure to Blend Your Art with the Background
Next, return to the main Edit section to adjust the artwork’s exposure.
To do this, either:
- Tap the back arrow just above the Shadows settings to exit the shadow controls, or
- Click “Edit Image” again in the toolbar above your canvas.
Now select the “Adjust” panel. Click it to open the sliders.
Scroll down to the ‘Whites’ slider. It is set to ‘0’ by default. Slide it to the left to under expose the image slightly. This adjustment usually helps the artwork to sit naturally in the mockup so it doesn’t look like it’s floating on top.
Step 7: Download Your Final Image
Once you’re happy with how everything looks, go to the top right corner of the screen and click the “Share” button.
From the dropdown, select “Download”.
In the download settings:
- Set the file type to JPG or PNG (either is fine).
- Leave the size at 1080 x 1080 px, it’s already correct.
Click the purple “Download” button, and your final mockup will be saved to your computer, ready to post to Instagram.
That’s all there is to it.
These mockups are a quick and easy way to show off your art without wasting hours fiddling around. Once you’ve set up a few, you’ll fly through the process, and your feed will look a whole lot more professional for it.
Use them to stay consistent, keep your posts looking sharp, and focus on what really matters: making and selling your art.
Download the full pack and give them a try, you’ll be glad you did.
Before you go this will interest you:
You need all the help you can get when you’re selling your artwork, these posts will help:
- What Kind of Art Sells Best? The Popular Subjects Revealed
- What Size Art Sells Best? Prints and Frame Sizes
- 9 Side Hustle Ideas For Artists to Make Passive Income
- 10 Ways to Make Money With Digital Art Today
- 10 Ways to Sell More Art: Top Selling Tips for Art Fairs
- 12 Wildlife Art Bestsellers (Use These Subjects to Make Money)
- How to Find Art Commissions: A Mega Selling Guide
- How to License Your Art: Best Guide For Beginners
- How Do Artists Find a Target Audience? The Best Tips!
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Hi, I’m Kevin Hayler
I’ve been selling my wildlife art and traveling the world for over 20 years, and if that sounds too good to be true, I’ve done it all without social media, art school, or galleries!
I can show you how to do it. You’ll find a wealth of info on my site, about selling art, drawing tips, lifestyle, reviews, travel, my portfolio, and more. Enjoy