Try this easy painting idea! Make a ghost family portrait with acrylic paint, a squeegee, and black cardstock. No drawing skills required!
What if I told you you could make an adorable family portrait without knowing how to draw or paint?
That’s exactly how I ended up with a ghostly family portrait featuring Greg, me, and our two cats, Pouffy and Grayson!
I saw this technique online and thought, I NEED to give this a try.
There was no careful painting or trying to get everything right.
I simply put a little paint on black cardstock and pulled a squeegee down over it.
The paint smeared into the cutest ghost shapes.
I made four ghosts and then added a couple of details (ears and tails) for the cats, and finished with basic ghost faces drawn on with paint markers.
It’s such an easy painting idea, and the best part is that you don’t need any artistic talent to try it. The squeegee does most of the work.
Once dry, you pop it in a frame, and you’ll be surprised at how good it looks.
If you have been looking for easy painting ideas, a fun Halloween art project, or a new way to experiment with acrylic paint, this one is worth trying!
Let’s make a ghostly family portrait!
What is Squeegee Painting?
Squeegee painting is a simple painting technique that uses a squeegee to drag, spread, or smear paint across a surface.
Instead of using a traditional paintbrush to create the main design, you place paint on the surface and pull the squeegee through it.
Catch the Ghost Painting Video Here
You can see how to do the easy painting idea here.
Why This Is Such an Easy Painting Idea
This project is so beginner-friendly because you don’t need any drawing skills. It’s a simple painting technique, and it uses basic craft supplies.
Okay, the squeegee may not be a basic craft supply, but I just grabbed mine out of the shower, used it, washed it, and it’s back in there.
I also love that it’s easy to personalize because you can make your ghosts represent your family, friends, or pets.
On top of all that, every result is different. No two paint pulls are ever alike. The pull and the amount of paint will never be the same.
Supplies You’ll Need
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- Black cardstock
- White acrylic paint
- Squeegee
- Paintbrush – if you want to add details, as I did for the cats
- Paint markers – black for the ghost faces
That’s it! You probably have most of these supplies in your craft room already…or in the shower,
Directions for How to Make a Ghost Family Portrait
Step 1: Prepare Your Black Cardstock
There’s not much to prepare, except to cut it to the size you want it to be.
The black background gives it that spooky look.
Step 2: Add Your Acrylic Paint and Pull
Place a small dab, or an arc of acrylic paint near the top of where you want each ghost to begin.
You don’t need a perfectly shaped blob. You don’t need to be precise at all.
The amount of paint and where you place it will help determine the shape and size of your ghost.
This is where this easy painting idea comes to life and where the magic happens!
Place your squeegee just above the paint, and pull it down in a steady stream, right off the paper.
You might need to put two fingers at the top of the paper before you start pulling.
All of the ghosts should look a little different. That’s their charm.
Step 3: Add the Details | Some Wet and Some Dry
If you need to add the details, like the ears and tails, as I did, I did it while the paint was still wet, so it blended and didn’t look like an add-on.
A few light brush strokes and you got it! You can make this for dogs, bunnies, or anything really.
Set your painting aside and let it completely dry before adding the faces. You don’t want a paint marker dragging wet acrylic paint or smearing the ghost shapes.
Once dry, break out a black marker. I used black acrylic paint markers. Draw the eyes and mouths on the ghosts.
Each ghost will be a little different. You can give them different expressions, like happy, surprised, silly, spooky, etc.
And just like that, your ghost family portrait is complete!
I popped mine into a dollar store frame, and it was ready to display.
What Else Can You Make with Squeegee Painting?
Once you see how easy it is, you are going to want to keep making things. You might start looking around at other fun and unexpected things to paint with.
I have figured out that the ghost shapes look a lot like tombstones in graveyards. I added a little gray and a little white when I tried that. And instead of faces, they got the old R.I.P. instead.
You can also make abstract art with a squeegee too. Lots of different colors would be fun!
I’ll be spending some time thinking about the different shapes and what they can be!
A Little Family Portrait with a Spooky Twist
Who says family portraits have to be serious?
With a little acrylic paint, a squeegee, and a few simple details, you can turn an ordinary piece of black cardstock into a personalized piece of Halloween art.
I love that ours captures a little bit of our family personality.
I also love that these easy painting ideas don’t require any special artistic skills. Just experiment, have fun, and see what happens.
Other Great Halloween Projects
Thanks so much for stopping by, and Happy Halloween!
Remember: Life’s too short not to shimmer, so grab your glue gun and your glitter!™
Mona