Melted, Poured, Painted Ice Cream

Nothing says “summer” like ice cream and nothing says “summer heat” like melting ice cream! Although actual melting ice cream can be a bummer, this painting project incorporates fun and easy pouring techniques for exciting, swirling, dripping, melting effects.

Supplies

• Heavy paper or cardboard – cereal boxes work well, as do old manila folders
• Chromacryl Fluid Acrylics and/or Chromatemp Artists’ Tempera Paint – assorted colors
• Chromacryl Pouring Medium
• Paper cups
• Craft/popsicle sticks
• Paintbrush
• Construction paper
• Glue
• Scissors
• Optional:
  • Glitter or sprinkles, squeeze bottles
  • Cardboard box lids or aluminum baking trays
  • Plastic tablecloth, smock or old shirt, gloves – pouring can get messy!

Prepare To Paint

Cover your surface. Pouring into a box lid or a container can help control the drips and runs.

Step 1 – Mix Your Colors

Begin with mixing 4:1 parts of Chromacryl Pouring Medium to Chromacryl Fluid Acrylics /Chromatemp Artists’ Tempera Paint in a cup and stir with a craft stick. Add small amounts of water at a time until the mix drips off the craft stick. The mix should be a consistency like melted ice cream! Stir until there are no lumps. If desired, pour mixture into a
squeeze bottle.

Step 2 – Pour Your Colors

Pour each color onto the cardboard or manila folder. Allow paint to mix on paper, or pour small amounts into one cup and then pour. Direct the paint by tilting the paper. You do need to work quickly but have fun. Pick up one color at a time and pour onto your painting surface. You can pour in circles, zig zags or just pour into the center of the surface.

Analogous colors (colors that are next to each other on a color wheel) usually work well with each other, for example, red/orange/yellow or blue/violet/red. It’s ok to add another color for excitement, but be careful if you pour or mix complementary colors (red/green; blue/orange; yellow/violet).

If you have a color in a squeeze bottle, add some drips and runs for sauce. If you want to add “toppings,” sprinkle glitter or small sprinkles on the wet paint.

Make multiple pours on different pieces of cardboard so you can have different “scoops” for your project.

Set aside to dry. Drying can take 24-72 hours, depending on the thickness of the paint and the humidity.

Step 3 – Make Your Cone

While the poured papers are drying, mix up a cone color using just paint. Typically it is a light brown, but use your imagination! On a new piece of cardboard or manila folder, paint a large area with a loaded brush (that means, use a lot of paint!) You do not want a thin amount of paint. Once covered and while still wet, use a the back of a paint brush to scratch texture in a waffle pattern. Set aside to dry.

Step 4 – Cut & Assemble

When the cone and poured papers are dry, cut into desired shapes. Younger children can cut a large triangle shape for the cone, and circle shapes for the ice cream. Older children can cut organic shapes for the scoops and drips. Remember to vary the sizes of the scoops if you have multiple “flavors.” Glue to construction paper, starting with the cone, then the bottom scoop, then the next, and so on!