Solar System Painting Project using Marble Ink

Project Summary:

This solar system painting project using marble ink requires a bit of preparation and a little extra work but it is a fantastic project because it introduces children to working with a diverse range of materials, it’s educational, suitable for children of all ages, it produces a beautiful piece of artwork to display and it’s so much fun!

Project Details: Solar System Painting Project using Marble Ink

For the planets you will need different sizes of circular shaped white card.  One option is to use a circle cutter. Amazon has an excellent selection of circle cutters, click on the links below to view details:

Latest Products: Circle Cutters

You will also need a selection of marble inks. Amazon has a great range of marble ink sets:

Latest Products: Marble Inks

Step 1: Gather the materials

The first step is preparing all of the materials that you will need for the project. We decided to produce our Solar System project on white card which was size A2. For the painting you will require black, yellow and orange acrylic paints and sponges. For the planets you will need a marble ink set and different sizes of circular shaped white card. You will also need a large bowl to create a circle shape, a pencil, some glitter and glue.

Step 2: Sketch the outline of the sun using a pencil

This step can be made really simple by using a large bowl. Draw a circle around half of the bowl so that the sun is coming out from the edge of the painting.

Step 3: Paint the background black

This part is so much fun for young children, all you need is a sponge and plenty of black paint. Make sure not to paint the circle you have marked out for the sun.

Dip the sponge in the paint and starting from the circle edge, work the sponge outwards across the paper until it is entirely covered in black paint. It is then best to leave the black paint to dry for a few minutes before painting the sun.

Step 4: Paint the sun

Once the black paint has dried you can begin painting the sun. Take a clean sponge and paint the semi-circle that you have mapped out in a bright yellow paint.

Children will have lots of fun making the sun appear fiery by taking another sponge, dipping it in orange paint and then gently dabbing the orange on top of the yellow paint.

Another technique to try out is using a paint brush; dip it in orange paint and use your hand to tap on the paint brush handle. The bristles will splash the paint onto the sun making it look like a ball of fire! Once your background has been completed you can set it aside to dry.

Step 5: Choose the circular cards for the solar system planets

The next step requires a little bit of work and preparation. We wanted to include the 9 planets of the solar system.

The numbers after each planet below indicate their position in terms of size. For example Jupiter is denoted by (1) as it is the largest planet, Saturn is the second largest, (2), and so on, until Mercury which is the smallest planet. Pluto was once the ninth planet from the sun but has now been reclassified to be a dwarf planet.

1. Mercury (8 – smallest planet)
2. Venus (6)
3. Earth (5)
4. Mars (7)
5. Jupiter (1 – largest planet)
6. Saturn (2)
7. Uranus (3)
8. Neptune (4)
9. Pluto (9 – dwarf planet)

You may choose to map out your ideas on paper before you begin the marble ink. Map out the list above in a notebook and number the planets 1 – 9. Then go through each item on the list and select a circular card which would be of an appropriate size for that planet. For each planet choose at least 4 circular cards of the same size, which means you can do lots of marbling and then select your favourite ones to become the planets.

Step 6: Choose your colour scheme for the solar system planets

This is also a preparation step; again using a notepad and list of planets , decide which colour marble inks to use for each planet.

We had fun using the internet for this step, we looked up each planet and decided what combination of colours would look most realistic. For example, for the Earth we decided to use a combination of green, blue and black to represent the land and the sea. For Mars we chose a combination of red, yellow and orange to represent its dusty landscape.

Step 7: Begin the marble ink marbling process

The marbling process is so easy and so much fun, it can be enjoyed by children of all ages. Simply choose a container, add some water, select a marble ink colour and add a few drops to the water.

You can use a fork to glide it through the water to create a swirling effect. If you are using colour combinations for a particular planet, add a few drops of each colour and use the fork to create magical swirls of mixed colour within the water.

The final step is simply to place the circular card down into the water and you will see the design from the marble ink transfer onto the card! Gently remove the card and lay it out to dry.

It’s best to use different containers for different colour combination ideas in order to prevent the previous colours from mixing, but have fun with lots of experimentation of all kinds of combinations and designs!

Step 8: Choose the final planets for the solar system

Children will enjoy laying all of their work out and then choosing which circular cards to select as the final planets. You could use a pencil to write the name and number of the planet on the back of the chosen circles.

Step 9: Glue the planets onto the background painting

This step requires a little preparation as you need to lay the planets out on the background in the correct order, while ensuring the spacing fits the size of the page. Then use craft glue to individually attach each planet to the page.

Step 10: Apply the final touches