There are many different ways to achieve a "marbled" effect on paper or fabric. Deborah marbles with acrylic paint on a bath of water that is made thick by the addition of carrageenan (the powder form of a type of seaweed). Each of the paint colors is dropped onto the bath spreading out in a circle like oil in water.

Stone patterns are created by laying a base color first. Subsequent paints are added which pushes the base layer into a vein. Colors are often added in a specific order depending on how much spread you want to create (how much you want to push around the colors that are already there).