EASY WATERCOLOR PROCESS LESSON
Honestly. It’s like the kids have never seen this before.
The ooh’s and ahhh’s that result in painting over an area of white oil pastel is worthy of admission.
I needed a one-lesson project in order to keep my first grade classes in sync with each other. I whipped out my half-sheets of watercolor paper and a few jars of liquid watercolor paints and offered a quick demo on watercolor resist.
Although this is an easy project, the results are worthwhile only if you use watercolor paper and not regular drawing paper. The thing is, with regular drawing paper, the watercolor paint will soak into the paper and will not offer a resist worthy of the accolades. With watercolor paper (school-grade 90 lb paper is perfect), the watercolor paint sits on top of the surface, avoiding the areas of oil pastels but blending with their watercolor friends.
Both mingling and resist happens. It’s a beautiful thing to a seven-year old.
You can see in this cute pig art lesson that I used watercolor paints on regular drawing paper. See how the colors are not as vibrant? That’s because the paint soaked into the paper.
As for liquid watercolor paints, if you haven’t tried them, you simply must. They are wonderful.
Don’t worry so much if the colors get muddied or blended. As an art teacher, it’s important to instill a sense of fearlessness in your little artists about using mediums with enthusiasm. If we harp on the children for the small infractions of life, we may unknowingly create an environment based on tattling and the need for approval.
“Mrs. Palmer, Jon didn’t wash his brush!”
“Is this right, Mrs. Palmer?”
Think about it. Is a muddied yellow paint really worth becoming upset over?
Of course. You may feel differently. If so, ignore the above.
EASY WATERCOLOR PROCESS LESSON GALLERY
Sometimes, it’s just about the process.
The freedom to experiment with color, pattern, water, gravity and the occasional splatter.
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This is going to be my first art project with my 6 yr. old grandson! His mom has entrusted him to me for art lessons this year. And now that I have found Patty and Deep Space Sparkle, I believe I actually can do it! Thanks!
Thank you! Going to do this with my 1st and 2nd grade after school art classes.
Love this lesson & your words: “If we harp on the children for the small infractions of life, we may unknowingly create an environment based on tattling and the need for approval.”
Can my students use the water color paint that they bring in their school supplies at the beginning of the year?
You’ll need to decide if the quality is good enough. I like the Crayola and Prang Watercolor Pan sets. That’s what I used 🙂
Do you let them do as many sheets as they like, or let them only do one/couple in say a 60 min lesson? Just wondering how other teachers manage this aspect, sometimes if I let them do as many as they like they rush through them and in a sense waste, plus it creates storage issues 🙂 But when I say they can only do one, that also has its own set of drawbacks.
I give each student one piece of paper for exactly the reason you outlined…students will go through a lot of paper if they have an abundant supply!
Also, do you provide a theme for what they draw or just let them do whatever they feel like that day?
Great question. It depends on your teaching preference. I typically provide the subjects and techniques because that’s what my curriculum details. Because I taught art instruction, lessons are usually structured.
Your ideas look great. I need more ideas please
Hi Jan, I’m so glad you’re feeling inspired! Inside Sparklers Club we have so many wonderful lessons that use watercolor techniques for all age groups. Email me if you’d like to join the waitlist for the membership enrollment in January hannah@deepspacesparkle.com
We also have a youtube channel! If you haven’t checked in there yet here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYL_pWOSf1FnQSwF11T-vBw
Patty has a great assortment of projects and lessons (including watercolors) that I think you’ll really enjoy 🙂