Ink Blot Art

What do you see???

Having a masters in psychology doesn't permit me to administer the ink blot test (the Rorschach). You actually have to have a PhD which sucks because it would be totally cool to give. I have had to settle for making ink blot art to decorate my walls. Plus, it's great for pondering the inner depths of my soul ("what does it look like today?").

This is an easy project. You'll just need some sketch paper, some black paint (I used acrylic), a few Q-tips, and a frame or two (depending on how many you want to frame). I used a long frame matted for two 4x6 photos.

Okay. This project sounds really common sense but there are a few steps are not that obvious.

Make sure you have small pieces of paper. I actually used a sketch book that had 4x6 paper. You can cut some to be smaller if you don't have small pieces or you can simply make your ink blots bigger for a bigger frame.

Step 1: Turn paper sideways so that it is wider than it is taller. Fold it in half.

Step 2: Open it up and add some blobs of paint to the middle of the paper and place a few blobs randomly.

Step 3: Move around the blobs with Q-tip. Spread them out a bit so that your design will be interesting and not just a giant blob in the middle of the paper. Don't put too much paint. You want the color within the design to be lighter in some areas to add depth.

Step 4: fold the paper in half and press down.

Step 5: Take a new clean sheet of paper of the same size and place it over the paper with the paint. Press down to make sure some of the paint transfers. Make sure to do this on a flat surface!!!

Step 6: Separate the sheets, and voila, you have yourself a frame-able ink blot (hopefully). If you don't like the design, try again! The point of using the clean sheet of paper is to transfer SOME of the paint but not all of it. Hopefully, there will be some spots that are lighter than others within the actual design. If you put too much paint on it, then it will probably be dark throughout. Try it again with less paint if you want.

(notice the differences in light and dark within the image)

Step 7: Let it dry. Usually you want to wait for a few hours.

Step 7: Frame and hang!

For more DIY awesomeness, check out some of my other posts:

DIY stocking stuffer earrings. Cheap and easy to make:

http://cooklovecraft.blogspot.com/2011/11/stocking-stuffer-earrings.html

Succulent garden… in a fish bowl!

http://cooklovecraft.blogspot.com/2011/10/fish-bowl-succulent-garden.html

How to make a Chalkboard Necklace:

http://cooklovecraft.blogspot.com/2011/10/chalkboard-necklace.html

Tutorial on how to make a magnetic chalkboard Herbs/Spice rack!

http://cooklovecraft.blogspot.com/2011/10/magnetic-chalkboard-spice-rack.html

Swarovski Christmas Tree Earrings:

http://cooklovecraft.blogspot.com/2011/10/swarovski-christmas-tree-earrings-step.html