Scraped Mountains
Pull colour across a rocky horizon
The Set Up
Lay out thick cardstock or lightweight board that can handle wet paint. Set out a small selection of opaque poster paints and a couple of pearlescent or metallic paints. The contrast between flat colour and shimmer reads beautifully. Have squeegee style window washers, wide paint scrapers, and old loyalty cards or cut plastic cards in different widths. The variety of edges creates different ridgelines.
You can lay out reference photos of mountain ranges if that sparks interest, or you can stay abstract and let the act of scraping discover the shape. Both are true to the theme because this is about landscape and memory and arrival and experimentation!
The Making
Squeeze tiny blobs of paint along the top third of the paper. Too much paint turns muddy. Less paint lets you pull clean layers and keep the shape of the movement. Keep cloths nearby for wiping tools between pulls.
Invite the artist to choose which edge they want to try first. A wide scraper makes a long smooth slope. A narrow card makes sharper dramatic lines. Press the edge into the paint blobs and pull downward in one steady motion, letting the colours drag and mix. You will see instant ridgelines and valleys appear.
Ask Where could this be. A snowy ridge. A lava range. A planet no one has seen yet. That open question turns technique into story.
Once the first layer dries a little, you can add new small blobs above or below and scrape again. Layers build depth. Pearlescent paint over flat colour can read like mist or early sun. If scraping feels too fast for some kids, let them press and slide with both hands, slow and steady, so they can feel the movement of the paint rather than rushing the pull.
Notes from our Artspace: MÅLA style squeezy paints (from Ikea) are great here because the paint flows slowly enough that kids stay in control instead of dumping a huge puddle by accident.
Variations
Cut the dried mountains into strips and collage them into a travel journal scene
Make one huge shared horizon by lining pages side by side and scraping across them all in one pull
Materials
Thick cardstock or light board
Opaque poster or tempera paints plus a pearlescent or metallic option
Window squeegees, paint scrapers, old plastic cards
Optional printed mountain or landscape references
Optional glue and extra paper if you want to collage after
Back to Top
Scraped Mountains
Pull colour across a rocky horizon
Bookmark
Painting & Drawing
The Set Up
Lay out thick cardstock or lightweight board that can handle wet paint. Set out a small selection of opaque poster paints and a couple of pearlescent or metallic paints. The contrast between flat colour and shimmer reads beautifully. Have squeegee style window washers, wide paint scrapers, and old loyalty cards or cut plastic cards in different widths. The variety of edges creates different ridgelines.
You can lay out reference photos of mountain ranges if that sparks interest, or you can stay abstract and let the act of scraping discover the shape. Both are true to the theme because this is about landscape and memory and arrival and experimentation!
The Making
Squeeze tiny blobs of paint along the top third of the paper. Too much paint turns muddy. Less paint lets you pull clean layers and keep the shape of the movement. Keep cloths nearby for wiping tools between pulls.
Invite the artist to choose which edge they want to try first. A wide scraper makes a long smooth slope. A narrow card makes sharper dramatic lines. Press the edge into the paint blobs and pull downward in one steady motion, letting the colours drag and mix. You will see instant ridgelines and valleys appear.
Ask Where could this be. A snowy ridge. A lava range. A planet no one has seen yet. That open question turns technique into story.
Once the first layer dries a little, you can add new small blobs above or below and scrape again. Layers build depth. Pearlescent paint over flat colour can read like mist or early sun. If scraping feels too fast for some kids, let them press and slide with both hands, slow and steady, so they can feel the movement of the paint rather than rushing the pull.
Notes from our Artspace: MÅLA style squeezy paints (from Ikea) are great here because the paint flows slowly enough that kids stay in control instead of dumping a huge puddle by accident.
Variations
Cut the dried mountains into strips and collage them into a travel journal scene
Make one huge shared horizon by lining pages side by side and scraping across them all in one pull
Materials
Thick cardstock or light board
Opaque poster or tempera paints plus a pearlescent or metallic option
Window squeegees, paint scrapers, old plastic cards
Optional printed mountain or landscape references
Optional glue and extra paper if you want to collage after
Back to Top
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Thoughts?
Would love to hear if youv'e tried this or have any ideas on how to make it even better!
