Bubble Paint Techniques

As children grow and develop, they can build on skills they've already mastered. Children who enjoy finger painting, for example, might enjoy experimenting with different painting techniques. Bubble painting, in which paint bubbles pop and leave traces on paper, produces colorful results with a delicacy that finger painting can't match. Try several different bubble paint techniques for a variety of paintings that build your child's artistic side and self-esteem.

Setup

For each of these methods, prepare the paint the same way. Mix 1/4 cup of dish soap with tempura paint, blending in the paint until the mixture has the intensity of color you want. Put the mixture in a medium-sized mixing bowl. With a straw, blow bubbles into the mixture until it bubbles up over the top of the bowl (being careful not to swallow any of the paint).

Traditional Technique

In the traditional bubble paint technique, you take a piece of construction paper large enough to cover the mouth of the bowl and place it on top of the bubbles. As you do this, the bubbles pop and leave traces of color on the paper. Therefore, using construction paper that is a different color than the paint produces the best results.

Controlled Technique

For an alternative that allows you more control than the traditional technique, scoop bubbles gently from the liquid with a large spoon and place them on your paper. You can then pop them with your finger or the spoon. This gives you more control over where the bubbles go on the paper, as well as affording you the opportunity to make patterns.

Multiple Colors

A final bubble paint technique involves multiple colors. To use multiple colors, repeat the setup from Section 1 using a different color paint. You can then either use one color after the other, while the paint is still wet on the paper, which will produce more of a blurred result, or wait until the paint from one color dries before repeating the process with subsequent colors, for a sharper result.