paste resist tutorial

OK, so we're in the midst of finishing our cabin and have all these little  pieces of wood laying around just begging me to do some artwork.  (Yes, stuff in my environment talks to me about possibilities!)  I wrapped them in muslin and was ready for paste resist fun!

 

Start by wrapping some wood with muslin. Pull tight and hold in place with a few staples on the back. 

Mix flour and water... the mixture is up to you but it should be spreadable with a brush. This isn't gravy so lumps are OK!

 

Spread flour paste liberally over muslin board. I used a foam brush. Leave it to dry thoroughly.

 

And now the fun part!  When the flour is completely dry, remove the muslin from the board and crumple! Make sure you crumple the whole piece of fabric as the crinkle lines are where the paint will seep through and make the design! Next, spread out your muslin and cover completely with acrylic paint of your choice. The craft types in small bottles are a good consistency.  Now, leave this to dry completely again! 

When the paint is completely dry you can crumple your work and put it in a bucket of water to soak for a few minutes. This will loosen the paint and flour which then can be scraped off with a knife or flat blade of some sort. As you scrape the crackle design will appear. Oooooh  that is fun to reveal! 

Here is one I did with black paint!

And here is one I scratched with circles in the wet paste before drying.  The crackling was added after it dried! 

Questions.... ideas?  I would love to hear from you  and share ideas. I respond to all comments.

If you would like to link or share with someone else please credit my site and send me a quick note.