Squeegee Painting for Grown-Ups

As we know, even preschoolers can be introduced to squeegee painting. However, what we’ll be discussing here is a more challenging version of this technique. This means that squeegee painting is incorporated into an activity that cannot be done by young children, as it requires the ability to create a basic drawing and to handle a craft knife without injuring oneself.

I introduced my granddaughter Olivia to this type of art, and she was thrilled by the experience. She’s a young teenager, and she immediately wanted to create a second piece so she could master the technique before doing it at home. So, grandmothers who love this kind of activity, try it with your grandchildren – you’re guaranteed to have a wonderful time!

So, what is it? It’s an abstract art technique where you apply fluid acrylic paint dots or lines to a canvas or heavy paper, then use a rubber squeegee to drag and blend the colors together.

Supplies

You will need:

• Fluid Acrylic Paint in Assorted Colors (the popular 2-ounce bottles are fine);
•  A squeegee in the size of your choice (a wider one will cover a letter-size sheet in a single pull);
• Printer paper that’s at least 24 lbs in weight, or cardstock paper, but keep in mind that for a child, the thicker the paper, the harder it is to cut with a craft knife. On the other hand, since we’re working with paint, paper that’s too thin won’t work either;
• Masking tape to cover the entire sheet, so don’t use tape that’s too sticky, or it will rip the entire creation apart when it’s time to remove it. And you have to see the drawing through the tape (I use the green one, it works very well);
• A fine black marker for details or corrections.
• Paper towels for wiping the blade and protective covering for your workspace.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preparation: You can try one of the illustrations I’m proposing to practice this technique, or you can create your own illustration. If you print my model, the first step is to complete it with a few elements like Olivia did on hers. She added a laundry basket, a tree, sun and clouds, etc.

2. Place your drawing on your work surface, cover it completely with masking tape.

The idea now is to reveal the clothing you want to paint with the squeegee by removing the tape with the X-Acto knife along the inside edges of the areas to be painted.

This masking tape makes it easy to see the black outline of the clothing, follow it exactly. The main challenge is applying just the right amount of pressure so that you cut only the tape, not the paper.

3. Apply the paint: Squirt small dollops of different paint colors across the top of each piece of clothing, leaving some space, or not, between colors.

4. Position the squeegee: Place the edge of your squeegee at the top of area you will paint, holding it at a slight angle. Scrape downward: evenly pull the squeegee down across the paper toward yourself to smear and blend the colors. Light pressure leaves bolder, thicker colors, while hard pressure scrapes away more paint.

5. Wipe and do it again with another piece of clothing if you didn’t paint them all at once. Wipe excess paint off the squeegee with a paper towel after each pull, or use another sheet of paper, you can have nice results with the excess paint too.

6. Let dry: Wait 10 minutes before removing all the tape.

You can add details, redo the contour or whatever adjustment you need to make with the black marker. Ta-da! ‘Kind of fun, isn’t it?

You can also choose a simpler introduction to squeegee painting for your grandchildren before moving on to projects using masking tape. Have a look at Andrea Nelson’s work too.

Questions for You:

What feeling do you get when working on arts and crafts, regardless of the result? We always love to see your creations, so don’t hesitate to share!