You can create a lot of interesting art pieces with a material called gesso. Its been used by painters for centuries to prime various types of painting canvases and boards. When it dries you have a chalky, porous surface that accepts paint and stain well.

You will need:

1 sheet of thick paper

Masking Tape

Paintbrushes of various sizes

8oz bottle (at least) Gesso

Acrylic paint

Step 1
Set out your paper on a flat work surface. Use the masking tape to secure the paper to the surface so that it won't slip around or curl. If your work surface is a nice table or floor, lay a trashbag underneath everything so that moisture doesn't damage anything.

Step 2
Paint a think layer of gesso (1/8 to 1/4 of an inch is good, depending on how thick your paper is) on the paper. Take care to leave a clean border around the edge of the paper so you can handle the artwork later.

Step 3
Using your finger, the tip of a paintbrush, or even a comb, begin to draw a simple pattern in the gesso. Its up to you whether you press hard enough to uncover the paper underneath, or draw gently so that only small lines are visible. The patterns that work best are small, repetitive shapes like circles, spirals, or flowers. If you are unhappy with a pattern, just smooth out the gesso and try again! Once you're happy with it, let everything dry overnight.

Note: This is where the type of paper you used and the masking tape play a key role. Moisture from the gesso can cause the paper to warp and buckle unless your paper is thick or was made specifically for wet media, like watercolor paper. Taping the paper down securely will make sure that you don't find a curled-up mess the next morning.

Step 4
Paint the whole gessoed surface one color. Allow to dry.

Step 5
Using a sponge or paper towel or rag, gently apply a second color to the raised parts of the gesso. You could also try painting the whole gessoed board one color and then rubbing a metallic glaze over the raised peices. Your first color should show through in the deeper parts of the pattern. Allow to dry.