(Art by Victoria)
Here’s a super simple craft that’s fun for all ages. Make paint with water pages!
Here’s how:
- Draw a picture with a permanent pen or dark crayon. If you like, you can draw it in pencil first and then go over it with a dark permanent marker.
- Fill in sections of the picture with dots, lines, cross hatches or other designs with watercolor pencils. Alternately, draw a line inside the marker lines with watercolor crayons (watercolor crayons are bolder and don’t require as much of a pattern to spread the color). You don’t need to color the entire sections in — just a pattern or lines are fine.
- Paint each section with a wet paintbrush to reveal the color.
Note: This is an example of “you get what you pay for.” Cheap watercolor pencils are rather pitiful for this so if you get a chance to pay a couple of extra dollars for nicer ones then I’d recommend it!
You can tell in the art above which sections were drawn with the cheaper pencils and didn’t blend as well (like the stems and leaves), as opposed to the ones that turned into vivid paint (like the flower center and the pink petals). All of the sections were basically colored in the same with just cross hatches, and good pencils will blend and disperse so the pattern virtually disappears.
You can find watercolor pencils and watercolor crayons (which are great fun!) at craft stores like Michael’s (look for 40% off coupons online to help cut the cost).
For younger kids, do the art up for them (write their names in big block letters, make flowers, etc.) and then do the patterns for them or have them color inside to make the patterns. Then give them the paintbrushes and water so they can magically paint while you’re cooking supper or otherwise otherwise occupied nearby.
Happy Friday!