Squeegee art revolution: scrape your way to amazing abstract art

De Souza Rego, an artist and designer with a substantial TikTok following, discovered squeegee painting--an unconventional technique that uses a squeegee to spread acrylic paint across paper to create an abstract design---after seeing photos of other artists' works on social media. In this guide filled with personal insights and colorful examples, she presents the basics of squeegee painting in a friendly, accessible manner. After a brief overview of supplies and basic techniques, the book walks artists through the process of completing 22 easy-to-customize paintings. Each project includes a list of the paints and supplies used, as well as written and pictorial steps that work well in tandem; the written instructions describe the squeegee process and provide helpful tips while the pictorial instructions clearly demonstrate the proper placement of the paint on the paper to achieve the desired effect. Several of the paintings use markers of varying widths and colors to embellish the finished artwork, which creates a pop-art feel instead of an abstract one. VERDICT Artists and crafters of all skill levels will be intrigued by the surprising effects that this simple technique can create. The projects' minimal, easy-to-acquire supplies provide a low barrier for entry as well.--Nanette Donohue

De Souza Rego, an artist and designer with a substantial TikTok following, discovered squeegee painting—an unconventional technique that uses a squeegee to spread acrylic paint across paper to create an abstract design-—after seeing photos of other artists' works on social media. In this guide filled with personal insights and colorful examples, she presents the basics of squeegee painting in a friendly, accessible manner. After a brief overview of supplies and basic techniques, the book walks artists through the process of completing 22 easy-to-customize paintings. Each project includes a list of the paints and supplies used, as well as written and pictorial steps that work well in tandem; the written instructions describe the squeegee process and provide helpful tips while the pictorial instructions clearly demonstrate the proper placement of the paint on the paper to achieve the desired effect. Several of the paintings use markers of varying widths and colors to embellish the finished artwork, which creates a pop-art feel instead of an abstract one. VERDICT Artists and crafters of all skill levels will be intrigued by the surprising effects that this simple technique can create. The projects' minimal, easy-to-acquire supplies provide a low barrier for entry as well.—Nanette Donohue