MAKE A GORGEOUS ACRYLIC SKIN! How to Create a Swirly Embellishment

This lesson is so easy that even a child could make something beautiful! When it's thoroughly dry, use the acrylic skin as a collage element in a painting.

You will need :

1. a disposable plastic or aluminum container 
2. acrylic gel medium, glossy (thinned to a smooth, creamy consistency) or tar gel
3. liquid acrylic colorants (I like airbrush colors)
4. eyedropper or other tool to drip colorant
5. feather or other tool to drag through



Acrylic Skins are Easy to Make



Pour the acrylic medium into the container (I used the cover of a CD pack, since they are too nice to throw away!). 

Then drop the colors of your choice here and there. Use a brush, a bottle with a nozzle, or an eyedropper to place the drips.

Next, drag a tool through the medium, swirling the colors as you go. Do as much or as little marbleizing as you like. The acrylic medium dries quite clear, but it takes a day or three, so be patient, set the container aside, and wait.

I removed the circular shape I made quite easily when it was dry enough, by picking at one edge with a sharp tool and simply peeling it up. The shapes you make can be cut with scissors, too!

HOW TO USE CLEAR TAR GEL AS A RESIST MEDIUM

1. Paint, stamp, or drizzle tar gel on absorbent, DRY paper. Here I'm using good, heavy watercolor paper. I could have painted it with light colors first if I had wanted to. You definitely should, for added interest!

2. When the tar gel is dry,
wash over it with
watercolors or any waterbased, diluted paint or ink. Here I also used non-permanent markers and added black accents with a pen.