This art project encourages freedom and experimentation with color and brush-work for all ages. Results can be surprising and unexpectedly pleasing. The Acrylic Flow Release mixture can be irritating to skin and eyes, though, so caution should be used. I wear gloves when brushing the mixture on the canvas and direct students to uses brushes, not fingers. Recommended for fifth grade and up.
Materials you’ll need:
- Acrylic Flow Release mixed with water (Mix 1 part Acrylic Flow Release to 10-20 parts water).
- Wide mouth mixing jar with lid (a clean pasta sauce jar works well)
- ½” paint brush
- Rectangles of raw canvas (I cut up studio scraps into 9×12 and 11 x14 sizes)
- Acrylic paints
- Paint brushes
- Water jar (clean mayonnaise jar) for brushes
- Paper acrylic palette
- Plastic trash bags
Steps:
- Cover work surface with a protective layer of plastic
- Brush a rectangle of raw canvas evenly with the diluted Acrylic Flow Release mixture
- Paint freely with fairly liquid acrylic paint and watch the colors blend and flow
- Using simple shapes such as circles, hearts or rectangles to unify the composition can help with getting started.
- Put completed wet paintings aside to dry on flat plastic bag, and repeat steps.
Expect to get four or more paintings from one session!
Let paintings dry completely before handling.
