The paint method is the most traditional home marbling technique. Any type of paint can be used, as long as it has been thinned to a watery consistency.

1.  Fill a shallow tub with water and add a squirt or two of dish soap to help the paper absorb the colors better.

2.  Pour or squirt paints onto the surface of the water and swirl into the preferred design with a toothpick. Heavy paper works best with this technique as it does not wrinkle quite as badly as lighter papers or fall apart when wet.

3.  Place the paper on top of the painted water, then remove quickly and set painted side up to dry. Iron heavy papers flat if they wrinkle during marbling. The same paint tub can be used for several sheets of paper before you need to add more paint to the water.