Chinese New Year fun with ink swabs.

Cotton swabs let you see how an ink spreads itself on paper, and also thins out the color so you can better see hue and tone. If you’re testing colors, you might as well have fun. These swabs are round on one end and pointy on the other — twice the fun potential!

Double-ended cotton swabs
Double-ended cotton swabs

Many friends are celebrating the coming of the Chinese New Year, so I thought that would make a good theme.

Red, yellow, a hint of green
Red, yellow, a hint of green

J. Herbin Rouge Hematite, Platinum Mix Free in golden yellow, and De Atramentis’ Petrol came out of the ink drawer. To make an ink swab snake, make a swooshy S with the cotton swab side down to the paper. Add yellow dots with the pointy end. Dark green dots for eyes and a tongue in red complete the snake.

Ink swab snake
Ink swab snake

Make inky fireworks using a spray bottle with water and a loaded ink swab.

Ink swab plus spray bottle
Ink swab plus spray bottle

Experiment with the distance from the spray to the swab, and from the swab to the paper.

Spray away
Spray away

You can add a greeting while the paper is still a little wet.

Pretty accidents
Pretty accidents

Children love receiving ang pao, or red envelopes with money gifts, during Chinese New Year. You can jazz up a simple brown envelope with an ink swab doodle.

Ink swab on envelope
Ink swab on envelope

Or try a card!

Swabby snake
Swabby snake

If one swab is fun, why not use two at the same time?

Double swab action
Double swab action

The colors blend on paper as you draw, leaving parts of the stroke orange and parts distinctly red and yellow.

Why doesn't this look like a snake?
Why doesn’t this look like a snake?

Writing with cotton swabs is not easy. Use a light touch. I should have used new swabs per line for more consistent color, but I like the gradual fade of this too. Happy Chinese New Year, everyone!

Writing with two swabs
Writing with two swabs