Blow Painting

Create some amazing art with the power of air!

Here’s What You Need

• Straws
• White Paper
• Tempera Paint
• Water

Here’s What You Do

Lay the piece of paper on a flat surface. You may want to lay down a couple of pieces of newspaper beneath the paper (just in case). Pour tiny puddles of paint in a couple spots on the paper. Try to use a few different colors. Note: You may want to add some water to the paint to make it spread a little more easily. Using the straw, blow as hard as you can on the different puddles! Experiment by blowing hard and soft and in different directions to see what kind of results you get. When you are done, lay your creation flat and allow it to dry.

The Science Behind Colors

Gas is everywhere. They are made up of groups of atoms. In solids, atoms compact and close together. Liquids have atoms a little more spread out. However, gases are really spread out and the atoms are full of energy. They are bouncing around constantly.

Most of us don’t pay much attention to the gases that surround us. However, on a breezy day, you can feel the wind in your hair, on your face, against your body. It tickles, pushes, or slams into you, depending on how hard it’s blowing. When it’s windy, you can fly a kite or go sailing. In this activity, you used fast moving gas to blow paint around on paper. Scientists are also experimenting with ways to use wind as a valuable source of energy—helping to bring electricity into our lives.