# Watercolor Texture with Rubbing Alcohol
> Kids paint watercolor paper with liquid watercolors, then dab rubbing alcohol on the still-wet paint with cotton swabs. The alcohol pushes the color away and leaves 'fish eye' patterns, swirls and shapes. It is simple process art about observing cause and effect.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/art-activities-kids-texture-watercolor-projects/
- Ages: 4–8 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: medium
- Time: prep 5 min, activity 30 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class
- Skills: process-art, cause-and-effect, observation, color-mixing, fine-motor
- Cautions: ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- Liquid watercolors
- 1 sheet Watercolor paper
- Rubbing alcohol (household)
- 1 piece Small cup for the alcohol (household)
- Cotton swabs (household)
- Paint brushes
- Small bowls for the watercolors (household)
- Eye droppers (optional)

## Substitutions
- Instead of cotton swabs: Eye droppers (Suggested by the author. These work well for dropping alcohol into a puddle of paint.)

## Safety
- Rubbing alcohol is flammable. Keep it away from candles, stoves and other heat sources.
- An adult pours a small amount of rubbing alcohol into a cup and keeps the bottle capped and out of reach.
- Rubbing alcohol is poisonous if swallowed. Supervise closely, and skip this activity with kids who still put things in their mouths.
- Work in a well-ventilated room, keep alcohol away from eyes, and wash hands afterward.
- Liquid watercolors can stain. Cover the table and use smocks or old clothes.

## Steps
1. Pour each liquid watercolor into a small bowl and set out paper and brushes.
2. Paint the entire sheet of watercolor paper with liquid watercolors.
3. Wait about 2 minutes so the paint starts to dry but is still wet.
4. Adult: pour a little rubbing alcohol into a small cup and set out a few cotton swabs.
5. Dip a swab in the alcohol and gently place it on the still-wet painting.
6. Watch the alcohol push the color away and leave 'fish eye' patterns behind.
7. Make a small puddle of watercolor and drop alcohol into it to see a bigger effect.
8. Draw a heart or another shape with an alcohol swab on a wet painting.
9. Swab alcohol across the painting and watch two wet colors swirl and mix.
10. Collect the finished paintings, and maybe make a book out of them.

## Tips
- The key to a good effect is to get the timing right. If the painting gets too dry, the bleach-out effect is not all that apparent.
- If you have a small puddle going, the effect of alcohol on the colors is quite visible and exciting for the kids to watch.
- On a wet painting, drawing a heart with alcohol turns out pretty neat. It looks like resist art!
- I just loved it when 2 colors swirled and mixed while wet.
- My 5 year old is big on 'scenes', so we made a collaborative art piece together.
- Liquid watercolors give bright colors. A reader found Crayola watercolors dull, and the author pointed her to her favorite liquid watercolors. (from readers)

## FAQ
**What watercolors do you use?** The author uses liquid watercolors, her family's favorite brand, and links to them in the materials list.
**Why isn't the alcohol making much of a pattern?** The paint is probably too dry. Add the alcohol a couple of minutes after painting, while the paint is still wet.

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2014)

*Combine rubbing alcohol and water colors and watch the resulting effect.* I'm very excited to introduce a brand new series we are doing in collaboration with some of the most creative moms out there!

### **What**: New Series - Easy Art Projects for kids

- [**Installment 2 : Cracked Resist Art**](https://www.funlittles.com/art-activities-kids-cracked-wax-resist-art/)
- [**Installment 3: Melted Crayon Art for Easter**](https://www.funlittles.com/art-activities-for-kids-melted-crayon-art-for-easter/)

**Who:** We are collaborating with many of the bloggers in our Rockin' Art Moms group along with a couple of my favorite kid bloggers. **When :** Starting today we will run the series every other Monday. (Bi-Monthly/fortnightly series) **Details:** Participating Blogs {Alphabetically ordered}

- [**Artchoo**](http://artchoo.com/)
- [**Babble Dabble Do**](http://babbledabbledo.com/)
- [**Fun at Home with Kids**](http://www.funathomewithkids.com/)
- [**Housing A Forest**](http://www.housingaforest.com/)
- **Learn Play Imagine**
- **Meri Cherry Blog**
- **Two-daloo**
- **Willow Day**



**Follow Tammy at Housing A Forest**

**Follow Allison at Learn Play Imagine**

**Themes:** To make things more exciting we have a few loose themes. This week we are "Exploring Water colors"

Here is a list of upcoming themes

- **March 10t****h** - Resist Art
- **March 24th** - Exploring Crayons
- **Apr 7th**- String Art

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Are you ready for today's FUN art project?



Materials

- **L[iquid watercolors](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005V9W9RM/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **Rubbing Alcohol**
- **Cotton Swaps**
- **[Watercolor Paper](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001E01U6S/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **Paint Brushes**

**Good for :** Ages 4 and above

Today's project is basically observing, exploring and totally enjoying the effects of rubbing alcohol on liquid watercolors. The invitation to create was simply a stack of good quality watercolor paper, brushes, watercolor and rubbing alcohol. My 5 year old jumped at the chance to paint with liquid watercolors- our most loved art supply.

Once she covered the entire watercolor paper with liquid watercolors, we waited for about 2 minutes for the paint to start drying.



We don't want the paint to dry completely or else the effect of alcohol will not be dramatic. I set out a small cup with rubbing alcohol in it along with a few cotton swabs. I encouraged her to dip the swab in the rubbing alcohol and gently place it on the still-wet watercolor painting.



The alcohol instantly removes and bleaches the water color out leaving a wonderful pattern behind. I researched about this pattern and learned that they are called "fish eyes". A couple of images below really do look like fish eyes.



The key to a good effect is to get the timing right. If the painting gets too dry the bleach out effect is not all that apparent.



My 5 year old enjoyed this painting the best. She pretty much made a tiny puddle of watercolors and started dropping alcohol in it. If you have a small puddle going then the effect of alcohol on the colors is quite visible and exciting for the kids to watch. Alternatively you can even use eye droppers instead of cotton swabs.



On a wet watercolor painting, drawing a heart with alcohol turns out pretty neat! Looks like resist art!



This effect is pretty much swabbing the painting with alcohol. I just loved it when 2 colors swirled and mixed while wet. What's more gorgeous than wet on went art project?



So we made a collaborative art piece since my 5 year old is big on "scenes".





The orange one on the left kinda sneaked into the pictures. That painting has a different effect which will go on the blog soon.

 



We collected all the stunning artwork and would probably make a book out of it.



Now stop by all these fabulous blogs for more watercolor art projects inspiration

- [**Drippy, Splashy Watercolor Process Art**](http://artchoo.com/drippy-slashy-watercolor-process-art) from Artchoo
- [**Watercolors and Oil Art**](http://babbledabbledo.com/easy-art-projects-for-kids-watercolors-oil/) from Babble Dabble Doo
- [**Exploring Absorption with Watercolors on a Texture Board**](http://www.funathomewithkids.com/2014/02/exploring-absorption-with-watercolors.html) from Fun at Home with Kids
- **[Pour Painting with Watercolors](http://www.housingaforest.com/pour-painting-with-watercolors/)** from Housing A Forest
- **Erupting Watercolor Absorption Art** from Learn Play Imagine
- **Spring Watercolor Flower Art for Toddlers** from Meri Cherry Blog
- **Watercolor Stickers** from Willow Day

Thanks for reading!

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**Click on this image to purchase the book for a low price of $8.99 USD**