Brush up on your art skills with this salt & watercolor painting project
Think (or paint) outside the box wiht this unique painting technique! One-part experiment, one-part art experience, this salt & watercolor painting project will give you a wall-worthy finished project, while you learn some STEM skills along the way.
Materials you will need:
Paper (Watercolor paper works best, but cardstock or sketchbook paper can also work)
Paintbrush
Watercolor paints
Salt
Water to rinse your painbrush
Directions:
Step 1
Set up your workspace and start painting! Keep in mind, your painting will change when you add the salt, so don’t worry too much about the details!
Step 2
While your painting is still wet to the touch, sprinkle it with salt. Watch closely as the salt absorbs the water on your paper, and some of the color along with it!
Step 3
When you’re finished, let your salt and watercolor painting project is completely dry, and gently rub the salt off the paper.
Expand on the Activity:
Try different kinds of salt! Table salt, sea salt, and rock salt are all great to try. How does the size of the salt grain impact what you see happen on your painting?
The amount of water on your paper will have a big impact on how it looks when you add the salt. Experiment with adding the salt at different points as your painting dries to see which effect is your favorite.
Be sure to share your salt watercolor painting project with us by submitting a photo or video to our Science Showcase here or tag Orlando Science Center and use #OSCatHome on social media! You might be featured on our channels.
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Create a stunning masterpiece when you follow these step-by-step instruction for how to make marbleized paper – a sensory STEAM project for kids and adults alike!
It’s always fun to use materials in new ways, and this is likely one way you’ve never used shaving cream before! Use our directions for how make marbleized paper and follow along with the questions included to help you make observations as you create! Not only will you have a wall-worthy finished project, you'll also learn some neat STEM skills along the way.
Materials:
Shaving cream
Paper (start with a heavier weight paper, like cardstock or construction paper)
Food coloring* or washable paint such as liquid watercolor or tempera paint
Popsicle sticks (If you don’t have popsicle sticks, read the directions carefully and substitute in a different tool. Tooth picks are great for creating the marble effect and a ruler or spatula work well to remove the shaving cream from your paper at the end!)
*Warning: Food coloring can stain! If you're worried about mess, substitute washable paint. Either way, mess-friendly play clothes are recommended for this activity!
Directions:
STEP 1
Spray some shaving cream onto a protected work surface.
STEP 2
Spread the shaving cream out so it’s about ½ an inch thick.
How does the shaving cream feel? Is it a liquid or a solid? Do your best to describe it.
STEP 3
Add a few drops of food coloring on top of the shaving cream. Make sure you leave some space between each drop.
What do you observe as you drip the food coloring onto the shaving cream? Does it mix in? Does it sit on top? Sink to the bottom? Spread out flat? What do you see happening?
STEP 4
Use a popsicle stick to drag the food coloring around on the top of the shaving cream, creating a marbled effect.
Do the colors mix with the shaving cream? Do they stay separate? Do they mix with each other?
STEP 5
When you’re happy with the marble you’ve created, place your paper on top of the shaving cream and food coloring and gently press down. Depending on how thick your paper is, you may see the marble start to show through the other side. Let it sit for about 5-10 seconds.
STEP 6
Carefully remove your paperand place it shaving cream side up on a protected work surface.
STEP 7
Use a popsicle stick to very gently scrape the shaving cream off your paper. This will likely take a few passes and it may help to remove the shaving cream from your popsicle stick between each pass.
The food coloring has soaked into your paper, leaving behind a marbled pattern! How is the design on your paper similar to the design you saw on your shaving cream? How is it different?
STEP 8
Let your paper dry for a few minutes. Once dry, use a tissue or paper towel to brush off any leftover little bits of shaving cream.
Display your marbleized paper with pride, or add it to a larger project! Be sure to share your mess-terpieces with us by submitting them to our Science Showcase here or tag Orlando Science Center and use #OSCatHome on social media! You might be featured on our channels.
NOTE: It’s best to let the paper dry completely before cutting it or writing on it.
Expand on the Activity!
Try this again and try using more or less food coloring. How do your results change?
Test out different kinds of paper. What happens when you try this with printer paper, newspaper, tissue paper, cardboard, or colored construction paper? What kind of paper works best?
Experiment with making different shapes and patterns with the food coloring in the foam. How many different patterns can you make?
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Find out when we release new resources by following us on social media!
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Support OSC At Home
In these ever-changing times, it is our pleasure to adapt quality Orlando Science Center experiences to engage with everyone while they are safe at home. Please consider supporting our operating fund to ensure we can continue developing resources today and well into the future. Thank you for your generosity and support!
Make a messy masterpiece by creating a forensic science painting!
We love making messes at Orlando Science Center — especially in the name of science! Join us by creating a forensic science painting and learning some vocabulary along the way. We’ll be making some common spatter patterns using bright, beautiful colors to create a forensic puzzle work of art.
A canvas, piece of cardboard, or paper (butcher paper, paper bags, or anything you have on hand would work fine!)
Tubes of paint
Paint brushes
Your hands
Clothes you don’t mind getting messy!
Directions:
Create some passive stains.
Open your paint tube and hold it upside down. Allow it to drip onto your canvas. Try dripping from higher or lower to see some different stains.
Create some transfer stains.
Got some paint on your hand? Wipe it onto your canvas! Notice the pattern that you leave behind – not a smooth line or shape but evidence of your fingerprints!
Create some projected (or impact) stains.
Dip your brush into your paint and fling it onto your canvas! What do you see? How do the shapes look different than the passive stains?
What other patterns or stains can be made on your forensic science painting?
Void patterns occur when stains are made with an object in the way – kind of like a stencil.
Spines are what forensic analysts would call the spikes coming out of your passive paint stains.
Satellite stains occur when stains jump off of other stains. If you dripped paint on top of a paint puddle, the splashes the impact would make would be satellites.
Flow patternsoccur when gravity impacts the stain – this is how acrylic pour painting works.
Don't forget to hang, frame, or gift your finished forensic science painting!
We'd love to see what you created, even if you made a few mess-takes! Submit your progress or final shots to our OSC Science Showcase or tag Orlando Science Center on social media and use hashtag #OSCatHome to share your creations!
OSC At Home Emails
Get a round up of our latest activities and ideas delivered straight to your inbox so you don't miss a thing!
Find out when we release new resources by following us on social media!
Follow us on social media for even more science fun including fun facts, games, behind-the-scenes photos, and more!
Support OSC At Home
In these ever-changing times, it is our pleasure to adapt quality Orlando Science Center experiences to engage with everyone while they are safe at home. Please consider supporting our operating fund to ensure we can continue developing resources today and well into the future. Thank you for your generosity and support!
