Gravity action art is super easy to set up and a simple and colourful way of seeing science in action. It is a great introduction to action art and the dripping technique creates unique pieces of art every time. Plus, it is a great way of seeing art and science working together to create eye-catching masterpieces. 

Wondering how to make this vibrant project into a STEAM Activity? Wonder no more! You can start this project with the challenge of creating an instrument that can hold paper at an angle (for example a ramp) or engineering your very own easel with recycled supplies. Once that is ready then all you need is a few supplies and some clothes you can get messy in.

Now, let’s get dripping!

How to create Gravity action art

What you need:

• An easel or make your own easel using cardboard. 
• Tape
• Paper
• Paints (Tempera or Acrylic, you can also try watercolours)
• Water
• Cups
• Spoons or paintbrushes
• A tray to collect the paint.

How to:

This activity is pretty straightforward. I recommend starting with the STEAM challenge and then continuing with the painting task. Follow the quick guide below to get started or watch the video for a quick demonstration.

The STEAM challenge: Design an instrument that can hold a piece of paper at an angle using recycled materials. (examples for inspiration: easel or a ramp)   

Step 1: Tape a piece of paper onto the top of your easel. 

Step 2: Place the easel on a tray to help collect the paint. 

Step 3: Choose your colours and pour them into cups. If your paint is too thick, dilute them with some water. 

Step 4: Using a spoon or paintbrush drip paint onto your paper and watch the art come to life. Let your paintings dry and display them proudly.  

Explore further:

• Experiment with different drip sizes and using different dripping tools such as popsicle sticks, spoons, forks, paintbrushes, etc.
• Change the angle of your easel and watch how it affects the flow of the paint and your artwork.
• Play around with viscosity by using undiluted and differently diluted paints
• Experiment with different types of paints. How do they affect the results?
• Explore colour mixing
• Explore other forms of action painting techniques such as splats and sprays (I recommend do this outdoors)

The STEAM behind the fun:

Gravity: What is making the paint drip? Well, that is gravity. Gravity is an invisible force that pulls things towards the Earth’s core.

Viscosity: Viscosity is the property of a liquid that describes how fast or slowly it will flow. You can think of viscosity as how thick a liquid is. A liquid with low viscosity like water will flow quickly.

Gravity action painting is super fun especially when paired with a STEAM challenge. We enjoyed our engineering time and watching art and science play together. So do give it a try! We hope you enjoy creating your drippy masterpieces.  Happy action painting!