In this mindful cotton clouds exercise, we’ll discover how important playfulness is for relaxing.
As a child, you were probably constantly playing and having fun. It’s something that can make you lose all sense of time. My son is sometimes so engrossing in playing, that he forgets to go to the toilet for example. His mind is only in the present moment and he forgets everything around him.
As an adult, we usually forget to play, because we are so occupied with all that is expected of us. I believe that’s a shame, as playing is so healthy and calming. It’s a way to be completely in the moment and quiet all the worries and mental chatter in our minds for a while. It can also release endorphins, which make you feel better and decreases your stress level.
In this exercise, we create art while playing. Dipping cotton balls in paint and pressing them onto our paper to create clouds. Let’s play, let’s get messy and relax.
Have fun with this mindful cotton clouds exercise and get some well-deserved creative me-time.
Please let me know if you’ve tried this one, I would love to see it.
You can find a small video of this exercise on my Instagram @thecreativecooldown
Supplies used:
Watercolor paper 300gr (Fabriano), watercolor (Kuretake Gansai Tambi), gouache (Holbein Artists’), flat paintbrush (A10), rounded paintbrush (creArt), cotton balls, washi tape, water jar, and a paper towel.
Alternative supply suggestions:
Use whatever paint you have. It works best with paint that is opaque such as gouache or acrylic paint. However, if you make the background not too dark, watercolor can also work. You can even use your kids’ paint. A lot of kids’ paint is gouache.
If you don’t have watercolor paper, use the thickest paper you have. If you only have regular paper, try to limit the amount of water you use to prevent your paper from warping too much. Taping it down will also help.
Instructions:
Step 1
Before you start, slowly breathe in and out a couple of times to get more relaxed. If you want, you can put washi tape around the edges of your paper to create a nice border.
Step 2
Step 3
When your paint is dry, it’s time to add your clouds. Grab some cotton balls. Use paint that is opaque (see alternative supplies in case you don’t have that), this will make the clouds stand out more.
Add some water to your paint and make a paint puddle. Dip your cotton ball in your paint puddle and press it onto your paper. Make a dabbing motion to create a cloud.
Step 4
Continue to fill your page with clouds by pressing your cotton ball filled with paint onto your paper in a dapping motion. We’ll use the same shade for steps 3 and 4.
Step 5
Now, it’s time to add some contrast and depth to our clouds. Create a paint puddle with a slightly darker shade of the color you’ve used in step 4 and dip your cotton ball in it. Now add it to the clouds on your paper in the same way as described in step 4. If you are painting a sunset, the top part of the clouds will be the darkest. So add this darker shade at the top of your clouds.
Step 6
Continue to add slightly darker shades to your clouds until you feel it’s enough.
When you’re done, slowly remove your washi tape. Keep the tape parallel to your paper when you remove it, this will prevent your paper from tearing.
Now you’re done with this mindful cotton clouds exercise! I hope you had fun.
If you liked this exercise, you might also like my mindful sponge watercolor exercise.