A Scrape Painting is a unique way of creating abstract colorful acrylic paintings. With one scrape of your tool you can mix and blend colors and the process is super satisfying! This is my favorite way to create art with kids, as it is easy and the results are always fun! Below I explain the two methods you can try and explore.
You will find a lot of Rainbow art ideas on my blog as I love crafting and painting my rainbows to brighten my day! Another great art project is to try a Paint by Number Kit. Make sure to check them all out after this post!
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What materials do you need for Scrape Painting?
Scrape painting can be done on either a blank canvas or onto a sketchbook page like I am doing today.
You will want to use acrylic paint– either the ones that come in tubes like this Liquitex colors or basic bottles you can buy at the craft store like these Apple Barrel Paints. Both of these will work well for this technique.
What tool do you use to create Scrape Painting?
You can create a basic scrape tool by cutting down a box of cardboard to size. This is simple tool that works really well! Other tools you can also use are an old credit card, a putty knife, an old ruler or a craft weeding tool.
how to do scrape art:
There are two methods to try while creating your Scrape Painting. Both have their own advantages and both are fun to try!
Method 1 is great for kids to try easily, they can scrape the paint over and over again onto different papers. Method 2 is great especially for larger paper where the color placement is of importance.
Method 1: Add paint onto the tool
- Squeeze your paints onto the cardboard tool edge. Apply the paint blobs close to each other if you want the colors to blend.
- Apply masking tape to about 1/6th of the way from the bottom of the page. This is optional but will help create a neat edge for your rainbow shape.
- Starting on the tape, hold the cardboard tool at a 45 degree angle and press down along the paint covered edge.
- Using one smooth motion move the cardboard tool to create a rainbow shape (or any other shape you desire) and lift the tool off the page carefully ending on the tape again.
TIP: Try not to pause your movement while scraping the paint. A pause will create a visible line in the colors. To prevent that, scrape the paint using a consistent movement- and go slowly if needed.
Method 2: Add paint onto the paper/canvas
- Apply your paint colors directly onto the paper.
- Place your cardboard scrape tool atleast an inch about the paint and at an 45 degree angle to the paper.
- Scrape the paint down in one fluid slow motion, pressing the tool down firmly against the paper.
- Carefully lift the tool off the paper.
TIP: If you have leftover paint on your tool, don’t waste it. Try scraping it onto a new piece of paper instead.
Scrape Painting Video Tutorial
Here is a video step by step tutorial of this Scrape Painting Technique that shows how I created these art today!
BLOG HOP:
Today my friends are all sharing inspiring colorful crafts, make sure to check them all out!
- Rainbow Sprinkle Glue Gun Seals from Laura at Me and My INKlings
- Easy Felt Rainbow Bookmark from Beth at Creatively Beth
- Rainbow Plaid Friendship Bracelets from Lindsay at Artsy Fartsy Mama
- Free Printable Rainbow Wall Art from Laura at Laura’s Crafty Life
- Two Ways to Make Mini Macrame Rainbows from Shani at Sunshine and Munchkins
- DIY Rainbow Mobile for Baby’s Nursery from Justine at Little Dove
- Printable Rainbow Bookmarks from Erica at 5 Little Monsters
- Happy Go Lucky Door Hanger from Katie at the Crafty Blog Stalker
ALSO READ: EASY FLOWER PAINTINGS
TIPS:
Here are a few things to keep in mind before you start a Scrape Painting of your own.
- Avoid using any water. For best results, use paint directly from the tube/bottle without diluting it at all.
- Apply a little extra paint than you think you will need. If there is not enough paint on your tool or paper, the scrape will not work and you will have empty spots in your art.
- Mix and match colors but carefully: While adding colors onto your tools or paper, make sure that no two adjacent colors are complimentary in nature. Complimentary colors will mix to produce a grey/brown hue.
- When in doubt go ROYGBIV order: In both of my examples today I applied paint in ROYGBIV- because the adjacent colors blend to create the most beautiful colors!
In conclusion, a Scrape Painting is an easy art technique that anyone can try and enjoy! You can create amazing results with just the scrape of a tool. It is quick and super satisfying. There is nothing that beats that wow factor of scraping the paint.
Hi I’m Smitha! I live in Minnesota with my husband and two daughters. You’ll always find me painting florals in my sketchbook. And I love the sheer joy of making something with just my hands! But my bigger love is capturing it all on camera Read more.
Thanks for stopping by today! If you learnt something from this tutorial, do share this post with a friend or on social media! Tag me @smithakatti #smithakatti I’d love to see what you create!
