Drips, Drops & Sprays
with Cherril Doty & Marsh Scott
Jackson Pollack doesn’t get to be the only one to play with paint! These techniques are just plain fun, and you can do them easily. Make sure your work area is well protected with tarps or plastic.
Materials
• Acrylic paints (heavy body and fluid)
• Acrylic and India inks
• Variety of spray paints
• House paint
• Spray bottle of water
• Variety of papers
• Canvas substrates
• Butcher paper
• Variety of paint brushes
• Toothbrush
• Pipette or eyedropper
• Protective tarp or old sheets
Drips & Drops
A roll of butcher paper is the perfect substrate for this playful technique.
Lay out a large sheet of paper and tape down the edges. Drip and drop paint or ink onto the paper randomly, in a controlled manner, or a combination of both. When done, gently fold the sheet over and blot lightly. Let dry.
Alternate Papers
Discover how drips and drops react on a variety of different papers.
Gather rice paper, gampi, printing paper, watercolor paper, or other papers of varying weights and textures. Using the fluid acrylics and inks, drip and drop as demonstrated above. You will see that each of the papers responds differently to the paints and inks. Tear and use these papers in collage work.
Spatters & Drizzles
Brush Spatter
Dip your brush into paint; then use your finger or a palette knife to spatter it across the paper. Experiment with a variety of brushes, including a toothbrush. For variation, shake brushes over the paper.
Paint Drizzling
This example uses dark-colored house paint. This can be mixed with 20 percent acrylic paint if desired. On a canvas substrate, using a one-inch brush, drizzle paint onto canvas to create an abstract outline. When dry, fill in the shapes, as desired, with colors to create your own Picasso-esque design.
Working with Water
Clear Water
Step One Paint a design in clear water on water-media paper, working quickly.
Step Two Dip brush into ink and spatter, flick, or drop while also drawing back into the water lines. The ink will spread through some of the water areas. Large patches of painted water can create a marble effect.
Dissolving
Step One Paint a patch with heavy body acrylic paint on a canvas substrate, mixing your colors. (You could also add fresh paint to a finished work for this.) Allow a few minutes for the paint to begin drying before moving on to the next step.
Step Two Use a spray bottle to mist the canvas with water. As the paint begins to dissolve and drip down the surface, spray back into the drips to create a different effect.
Sprays
In addition to traditional spray paints, there are a number of sprays on the market that can impart a variety of unique looks to your art, including glitter sprays, spray webbing, spray marbleizing, mists, and craft ink sprays. These sprays can be used to create singular effects or as an over spray.
Place a large sheet of butcher paper down to cover your surface; then place your substrate on top. Experiment with a variety of sprays to see their effects. You may want to daub with a paper towel or baby wipe to achieve a slight diffused effect. After you finish spraying, lift the substrate to discover a negative image, which can be used to create yet another piece of art.