Winter Birch: A Watercolor Masking Technique

Using masking tape or painter's tape your child or students can create an evening winter scene of birch trees and snow.  The tape is used to mask the shapes of the birch trees and moon, while white crayon or oil pastel is used to draw snowflakes.  A blue watercolor wash is used over the picture.  After pulling off the tape (try to give the wash a few minutes to start to dry so as not to run) black or brown lines can be added as detail to the trees

Vocabulary to Introduce:

masking technique
watercolor wash

Materials:

-watercolor paper

-masking tape or painter's tape

-blue watercolor or watered down tempera paint

-scissors

-white and black crayon or oil pastel

Preparation:

Pre-tear or cut as many trunks and branches as necessary so that all you will need to do is hand them to the child or students to place on the paper.  Masking tape can rip the paper if it is pulled to quickly.  It sometimes helps to stick it to an article of clothing before handing it to the child or instructing them to do it if you can trust them not to fold the tape in on itself.  If you desire, tape off the other colors of paint so that they are not tempted to use them or place bowls  with the thinned tempera between seats placing  a paper towel beneath it to daub excess paint from the brush.

Our YouTube Video demonstrating the process:

Modifications:

For older children you can allow them to cut or tear the tape themselves.

"Confetti Heart" Inspired Valentine's Day Card

The following art lesson draws on Jim Dine's "Confetti Heart" for inspiration.  Jim Dine is an American pop artist that was born in 1935.  Pop art was an art movement that emerged in the 1950's and featured the use of familiar everyday images as a subject.  This lesson uses a stencil to create the image of a heart on folded card stock with a crayon.  The card is completed by painting confetti-like lines with tempera paint in bright colors. 

Vocabulary to Introduce:
heart
pop art

Materials:

-card stock (for heart stencil and folded card)

-black crayon or oil pastel

-tempera paint (red, green, blue, yellow, pink, orange, black)

-paper plates

-cups/bowls for water

-paper towels

Preparation:

Place small amounts of the tempera paint on the paper plate (save the black to be added at the end).  Fill a cup or bowl with a small amount of water with a paper towel underneath to dry the brush off with each color change. 

Our YouTube Video demonstrating the process:

 

Age Modifications:

For younger children

Precut the heart stencil using the negative space to allow them to draw the heart.  If you are using the heart itself, place tape on the back of it to keep it from sliding away from the child while tracing the shape.

For older children

Allow them to draw and cut the stencil themselves using a folded square of card stock.

Winter Silhouette

The following lesson is a painting that uses tints of blue to create a winter sky.  Black paint is used to create tracks in the snow that lead to the silhouette of person sledding.  This is a great way for children to explore adding white to a color while creating a beautiful and simple piece of artwork.

Vocabulary to Introduce:
tint
silhouette

Materials:

-tempera paint (blue, white, black)

-brush

-masking/painters tape

-paper plate (for tint mixing)

Preparation:

Using scissors cut a curved line for the horizon from masking or painters tape.  Place this in the bottom third portion of the picture.  This aids in maintaining a clean line for the impression of snow while the curved lines of the sky are painted.  On the paper plate place three varying amounts of blue paint.  Next place white paint of varying amounts in two of the blue paint portions for the students or child to mix on their own.  Add a small amount of black for the silhouette of the sledder, the tree, and the footprints.  Place a small amount of water in a cup for rinsing brushes on top of a paper towel next to the paper.

Our YouTube Video demonstrating the process:

Symmetrical Fish

This is a simple and fun lesson to teach young children about the primary colors and symmetry.  

Vocabulary to Introduce:
primary colors (red, blue, yellow)
symmetry

Materials:

-tempera paint (red, blue, yellow)

-white paper

-scissors

Preparation:

Fold enough sheets of white paper for each student/child in half.  Draw half the fish on one side of the paper.  Be sure to mention to the students they must hold the paper together when they cut (I have had students open it up and after cutting the side with the fish drawn were totally puzzled as to why there was nothing on the other side) and when they cut it will create the same shape on the other side.  You can place a paper plate of each color with a paint brush or if you are working with very young children you can place drops of paint for them asking them for placement.

Age Modifications:

Depending on the age of the child you are working with you can vary the difficulty by either allowing them to draw the half of the fish themselves on the paper or allow them to trace a half stencil to create it.

Our YouTube Video demonstrating the process:

 

Watercolor Flowers

Georgia O'Keefe is a well known American artists whose unique perspective became a signature in her paintings of flowers.  Her pictures capture these subjects from an up close perspective.

Vocabulary to Introduce:
perspective
water color 

Materials:
-watercolor paper
-watercolor
-brushes
-bowls for water
-paper towels 

Preparation:

Cover the tables and place a sheet of watercolor paper at each child's seat.  If the students are sharing watercolor place one between every two seats with two brushes.  Place a bowl with a minimal amount of water in case they spill out for every two students.  I usually place a paper towel under each bowl so that they can wipe any excess water from their brushes.


Our YouTube Video demonstrating the process:

Red Fuji Crayon Resist

Katsushika Hokusai was a Japanese painter and printmaker.  He is famous for a series called "36 Views of Mt. Fuji" in which each picture depicted Fuji from a different perspective.

Vocabulary to Introduce:

printmaking
resist 
perspective

Materials:

-watercolor paper
-watercolor
-crayons (or oil pastels)
-paint brushes
-bowls for water

Preparation:

Cover the tables with a plastic table cloth or newspaper.  Lay the paper out at each seat with red, green, and white crayons (or oil pastels) laid out for each child.  Fill the bowls with a minimal amount of water but place them off to the side if possible.  Tape off the colors of watercolor you do not want the children to use.


Our YouTube Video demonstrating the process:

Mondrian Masking Lesson

Piet Mondrian was an abstract painter from the Netherlands.  He is well-known for his grid-like paintings using black lines to form squares and rectangles combined with the sparing use of primary colors.  Choose a more complicated example for older children.  The painting we used as an example is "Composition in Red, Yellow, and Blue."

Vocabulary to Introduce:

square

rectangle

horizontal line

vertical line

primary colors

abstract art

Materials:

-watercolor paper

-watercolor

-masking tape or painters tape

-water in bowls to wash brushes

Preparation:

If you know your children will be tempted to use colors other than the primary colors for this lesson and you choose to stick to the example, tape off the remaining colors with masking tape.  Fill bowls with a minimal amount of water to prevent major damage in the event of a spill.  Pre-tear the pieces of tape for the lesson.  Painters tape pulls off easier than masking tape and decreases the chance of ripping the paper.

Age Modifications:   

-Older children can create a larger, more complicated grid of lines.  Either black oil pastel or black sharpie can be used to draw the lines.

-For younger children the lesson can be completed by either cutting strips of black paper to create the lines and allowing them to paint the primary colors in or using sponge cut squares and rectangles to print after allowing the students to use a paintbrush

Our YouTube Video demonstrating the process:
to add black lines.

 

Wassily Kandinsky Printing Lesson

Kandinsky was a Russian law professor that gave up a successful career to devote himself to painting after seeing Monet's "Haystacks."  This lesson is inspired by his picture, "Farbstudie Quadrate."

Vocabulary to Introduce:
circle
concentric circles
printing
expressionism

Materials:

-watercolor/mixed media paper

-tempera paint

-bottle or jar caps of various sizes

-sharpie or black marker

-ruler

-paintbrush

Preparation:

For young children draw the squares using a ruler and black marker.  Place tempera paint on paper plates or in bowls and place caps with desired colors.

Age Modifications:

Older students can complete the lesson by folding their paper in order to create the squares. This lesson can be completed using watercolor or water soluble oil pastels.

Our YouTube Video demonstrating the process: