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Friends Art Lab / Blog / Clear Glue and Watercolor Art

Clear Glue and Watercolor Art

Author: Kristian Klebofski    Published: 02/08/2023     Updated: 02/14/2025

Clear glue and watercolor art is GORGEOUS. The first time I discovered this technique by accident, I was absolutely and completely mesmerized.

Three completed clear glue and watercolor art hears sit next to a bottle of clear glue and a container of liquid watercolors.
Table of Contents:
  1. I discovered clear glue and watercolor art by accident
  2. We will forever love clear glue and watercolor art
  3. Materials
  4. How to make clear glue and watercolor art
  5. Do you do the background first in watercolor?
  6. How long does clear glue and watercolor art take to dry?
  7. Clear glue and watercolor art will be on repeat from now on
  8. Frequently Asked Questins

I discovered clear glue and watercolor art by accident

We were in the middle of a study on famous artists and were beginning to create a Monet-inspired water lily pond.

The kids painted swirled watercolors in blues, purples, indigos, and greens together. Each piece looked like a whimsical, magical pond, and then I had an idea.

“What if we added some glue on top for texture?” I wondered to myself. I went inside, grabbed several bottles of clear glue, and gave them to the kids. “Here, try these!” I suggested, having no clue that the texture would be the least exciting thing to happen when they mixed!

💕 Related: Check out this darling list of the best heart art projects for kids!

A close up of a painted blue heart with clear glue zigzags on it.

We will forever love clear glue and watercolor art

We made hearts for Valentine’s Day here, but the best thing about this technique is it is evergreen and can be used for any holiday or occasion.

Also, this won’t work with regular white school glue (trust us, we’ve tried a dozen times). The good news is clear glue isn’t more expensive than white glue, AND if you have any left over, it works just as well as white glue.

💕 Looking for more exciting art projects for kids? Take a peek at these:

  • Black Glue Eggs
  • Cupcake Liner Flower Art
  • Bubble Wrap Heart Art
  • DIY Suncatchers With Clear Glue
The materials for the project: watercolors, clear glue bottles, and a piece of white paper cut into the shape of a heart.

Materials

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  • Clear glue
  • Watercolors – liquid watercolors or pan watercolors
  • Thick paper
A white paper heart is painted with blue liquid watercolors and a fluffy paintbrush. Two bottles of clear glue and a container of liquid watercolors sit beside the heart.

How to make clear glue and watercolor art

  • Paint base layer – Invite your child to paint a layer of color on their paper using any colors you want. You want the colors to be very wet and saturated for the best effect. For this reason, I prefer using liquid watercolors because it takes minimal effort to have a very wet canvas.
  • Add clear glue directly onto the wet paint – Add the glue in any design that you want. From swirls to scribbles to lines and words, have fun “drawing” with the glue. Kids are amazed to see the watercolors instantly change color from the glue, turning nearly white.

And the best part? Even when your paper dries, the lines made with the glue don’t go away. What it looks like wet is exactly what it looks like dry! 🎉

Do you do the background first in watercolor?

Yes! The glue will not react to watercolors if the glue is dry.

However, it’s always worth experimenting with adding glue to your paper first, letting it dry completely, and then painting it over with watercolors. While the bleaching effect won’t happen, it’s still an easy and fun way to add texture to your artwork.

three completed clear glue and watercolor art hears sit next to a bottle of clear glue and a container of liquid watercolors.

How long does clear glue and watercolor art take to dry?

I would plan on letting your paper dry overnight before touching and using it. 

If you want to make your paper into a shape (such as a heart), you could cut out the paper before beginning to avoid wasting materials on the parts of the paper that will get cut off.

A close up of a heart painted with bright pink and orange watercolors with clear glue lines on it.

Clear glue and watercolor art will be on repeat from now on

Seriously, once you try it, it won’t be the last time!

If cutting your paper into shapes, what might you make? A shamrock? Pumpkin? Unicorn? Dinosaur? Whatever you make, it will be one incredible piece of art.

Hands hold heart painted with bright pink and orange watercolors with clear glue lines on it. A clear glue bottle and watercolors sit behind the heart.

Frequently Asked Questins

Where do I buy clear glue?

We’ve bought ours from Amazon, but it’s also been at Target every time I have looked for it! It’s not usually hard to find (yay!).

Does this work with regular watercolors?

YES! I think liquid watercolors are easier for little artists (because you want your paper to be really wet), but both work perfectly.

What age is this recommended for?

Any age that can safely use the materials.

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EXPLORE A CATEGORYArt, Science, Valentine's Day

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  • Two hands hold a symmetrical smoosh heart art - a white paper heart filled with red, green, and purple paint and is symmetrical on both sides.
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Comments

  1. Lavette Hodge says

    June 30, 2023 at 12:23 am

    I used glue to draw my picture on a canvas panel, I then used water and alcohol with watercolor paint and it came out pretty good. Try it and let me know what you think>

  2. Lavette Hodge says

    June 30, 2023 at 12:25 am

    I used glue to draw my picture on a canvas panel, I then used water and alcohol with watercolor paint and it came out pretty good. Try it and let me know what you think. It did not run or pool.

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Kristian

Hi, I’m Kristian!

I have spent over 15 years in the preschool classroom, I have a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education, and I was a college professor of education for eight years. My passion is sharing creative learning activities for children and I'm so happy you're here.

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