Thrifty Art Thursday: Reusing Kids Paintings!

I love my white gel pen, but I’ve found that it doesn’t always write well on all surfaces. It needs a little tooth to really flow well. What I’ve found works the best is my kids old finger paintings! It turns out that cheap tempera is an excellent ground for gel pen. It dries to an extremely matte surface which is just what I need.

For those of you who don’t have a ton of kid made backgrounds you’ll have to make it yourself. I suggest getting yourself some cheap tempera paint, and a bunch of stuff to make marks with, including combs, sponges, leaves, cheap bristle brushes, and especially your hands. Go for abstract rythym and movement, let everything be unplanned. I love the papers that my kids make, I’ve been saving them for years. They make wonderful backdrops to gel pen, collages, block prints and stamps. Hope you’re having a wonderful Art Every Day Month, and thanks for stopping by Thrifty Art Thursday!