Watercolours are paints made of pigments suspended in a water-based solution.

Watercolor resist refers to the process of creating a masked surface before inking with watercolors. This can be done with tape or wax crayon, or with specialty products like rubber cement and frisket. By masking the surface before painting, you can create a design that will be left un-painted, which can be drawn, painted, or added to after.

Clear off a space that is okay to get wet, and sticky and collect your watercolour making materials. Food colouring will stain surfaces and fabric, so it is recommended that all your work surfaces are covered, and that you are wearing clothing that is suitable for art-making.

In a mixing bowl, mix 4 tablespoons baking soda with 2 tablespoons vinegar until the fizzing stops.

Add 1/2 teaspoon corn syrup and 2 tablespoons cornstarch to the mixture. Mix until smooth.

Pour the mixture into your ice cube tray or small dishes, filling each section equally.

Add 5-10 drops of food coloring to each section, making sure to mix really well with your spoon and clean it in between colours. The photo in the image carousel shows primary and secondary colours, but you can make any colours you wish.

A box of food colouring, like the one shown in the image carousel, should contain red, yellow, blue and green. To make orange, we found that 4 drops of red mixed with 6 drops of yellow works best. To make purple, we found that 2 drops of blue mixed with 8 drops of red works well.

Tip: You may want to experiment when mixing your food colouring, so mix your colours in a separate bowl first before adding it to your container.

Allow your paints to dry and set. This can take 1 to 3 days, so make sure to complete these steps in advance of when you want to paint.

Collect your painting materials.

Begin by creating your name in block letters using masking tape. Apply the tape letters to the paper. This tape will act as a resist, keeping the paper white underneath . Make sure to press firmly on the tape so that it sticks down, and no watercolour can stain the paper.

Take your brush and dip it into the water dish. Then tap it onto a dried watercolour block to dampen it. This will brighten the watercolour.

Once there is watercolour on your brush, apply it across the surface of your paper. Be careful as you paint over the tape, making sure not to lift it up. Continue painting until you’ve filled the whole paper, and then let it dry.

Once your painting is dry, you can peel off the tape. Do this carefully so the tape doesn’t rip your paper.

Admire your amazing artwork.

Post your creations on Twitter, hashtag them with #MacLarenFamilySunday and mention us @MacLarenArt so we can retweet all your creative work!