What is the Cling Film Technique?

The cling film technique is an artistic effect developed to create texture on the surface of wet paint. By manipulating the cling film, also known as plastic wrap - you are moving the paint around to gather in certain areas, which creates interest and texture!

Not unlike the marbling or shaving foam techniques, this super-fun method is ideal for creating abstract art effects, or you can cleverly select your colour palette and tones to emulate the look of a skyline. Here is a fantastic example of colourful skies using the cling film technique from expert crafter Jennifer McGuire! In this video tutorial, Jennifer talks you through colour combinations, changes the application of the cling film to achieve different looks and pairs her beautiful backgrounds with silhouettes for maximum impact!

Changing the application of cling film for different looks

In this second video tutorial, artist Creations Ceecee has us transfixed with a beautiful approach to this classic technique. Using watercolour, Ceecee paints a gestural bouquet of flowers using primary shades, she then applies the cling film in a controlled way to achieve darker tones in certain places. It's important to let this dry naturally for the effect to work fully. Using this as a base, Ceecee then applies shading to the design using pencil crayons and white highlights using a gel pen - and wow the result is stunning!

Using watercolours to achieve the cling