What kid doesn't love to paint? I know mine do & watercolors are a perfect medium to work with. Not only do they clean up easily & are inexpensive, it's easy to try different techniques.
Here are a few basics...
1. Tape your paper down {masking tape works best to keep your art intact}. When you use water colors the paper tends to curl up, make sure you tape all the edges down to keep that from happening . Use watercolor paper or paper made for paint and markers.
2. Lightly wet the entire surface of the paper. This will help your water colors "flow". Use a good amount of water when painting, water colors are not meant to be bright and bold. Make a mistake, simply dilute it with a little water & paint over it...just be sure to not use so much water that your paper begins to tear. Less water = brighter colors, more water = lighter colors.
3. Watercolors are a great way to practice mixing colors. Paint stripes of two different colors near to one another, see what happens when they meet & the colors begin to blend together. Go beyond the basics of red & yellow make orange...or blue and yellow make green. Experiment with your colors!
4. Use salt. This is a fun and easy technique that kids love to watch. While the paint is still wet, sprinkle with salt. Try different types with varying coarseness. Allow your paint to dry completely, then brush the salt off. We used table and kosher salt...
5. "Secret messages"...as my 7 year old dubbed them. Use a white crayon to write a message or draw a design before wetting the paper. The crayon will repel the paint.
6. Try blowing the paint around with straw...or use a sponge after painting to pick up color & leave a design. Be creative, water colors are very forgiving :)
**watch for an upcoming tutorial on how to make your own gallery wall-- just like mine. It's a perfect place to post all your kids' art work**
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