MARBLING EFFECTS

There are two ways to create great ‘marbling’ effects in watercolour. The most common method is to use Cling-film. Create yourself a wet-in-wet wash and apply cling-film to it while it is still wet. Crinkling the film up (preferably from the sides) will result in a delightful pattern when removed, that loosely resembles that found in marble. A similar effect can be achieved by laying crinkled-up tissue to a wash, but the two techniques differ in one crucial way; if you’re using cling-film, the wash should be allowed to dry completely before removing it. If you’re using tissue, it should be removed before the wash dries (leaving it to dry will make it stick to the paper and be very difficult to remove).