These are some of the water marbling mistakes I made when I first started, and how you can fix them. My motto is if there is a problem, there is always a solution, you just have to find it!
You Are Moving Your Tools Too FAST!
Water Marbling uses many tools to create beautiful designs. If you are trying to achieve a specific design you may have a hard time because you are moving your tools too quickly. So if you imagine your paint surface is controlled by your speed. If you go slow you have so much control. If you move your tool quickly the tool creates extra movement, like a current. That quick movement can also create bubbles…which some people love and some hate. So experiment, and get the feel for your speed. Slow equals control, quick equals extra movement. There are some very cool designs that can be achieved with quick movement. Experiment with your speed….see what you like.
Don't Give Up, Test, Test, Test
When I first started water marbling I would get so frustrated when I would try something new. It seeemed like I needed to test multiple of the same item to get the process to work. And that’s exactly what I needed. Every single new item required a different process to prepare for water marbling. You will use a product called Alum to prepare your items to be water marbled. This process can vary depending on the item. Most fabrics will need to be prewashed prior to the Alum process. Some can be prepared from wet. Some need to dry. You can soak some items, use a paintbrush to apply and even a spray bottle! Don’t give up. Just document what you have tried and try again a different way.
You Can Not Use Soap To Clean
You have finished water marbling and now it’s time to clean up. Someone is kind and cleans your tray for you. They use soap and get everything squeaky clean. Then the next time you start to water marble and all of you paint is resisting. Nothing is staying put. It’s all wrong. It’s the SOAP! Soap and water marbling are not friends, they just don’t mix. You can rinse well just with water and a cloth. But on your trays and your tools do not use soap. Remember you are not eating off of it. It doesn’t need to be squeaky clean
You Have Your Tray In Direct Sunlight
If you have your tray in direct sunlight…the water marbling medium has some sort of “reaction” and the paint dries too fast. You will find the paint crackling and breaking apart. I also find all the paint will not open up properly and just stays as tiny little droplets. Is it the heat? Is it the sunlight UV rays? I’m not sure, so shade is best or indoors.
Just remember there is no wrong way to do art. But there is cause and affect. So enjoy the journey of water marbling…and learn from my mistakes!