Project #17

Primary Watercolors

If you want to see where I got this project, follow this link: Fine Lines
 
This project can be altered to fit different age levels. 

For example: use the marker for older students, use less tape for younger...

Lesson focus:
Mixing primary colors to create secondary colors.
A study of Mondrain  

Follow these links for Mondrain:
Making Art Fun 
Squidoo
 
Supplies:
Bristol board or watercolor paper, cut to smaller sizes
chunky paint brush
watercolors or Tempra, pressed or liquid (red, blue, yellow)
sponge, stryo plate, 4 cups
narrow masking tape
coarse salt (optional)
fine black permanent marker (older)


I suggest to do at least for blocks for this project.
They will fit together to make a collage' of primary colors.

The process:
Cut the board into four equal pieces.

Press two pieces of masking tape on the board going from top to bottom and one piece going through the middle. Rub them down to seal the edges (my tape was too wide, so I cut it in half).

Set up the paints.
Prepare the red, blue and yellow paints by separating them from the other colors (if pressed) or pouring them into the three cups and watering them down to the consistency you like.
Fill the fourth cup with clean water.
Dampen the sponge and place it on the stryo plate.

On a workable surface, begin by wetting the paper with plain water. Now you are ready to paint the sections of the boards. 

Must explain somethings before you begin painting:
The brush must be clean before you change colors.
Use the sponge to help in keeping the brush clean and to help control the "strength" of the color (more water will lessen the strength)
Change the water often.

This water needs to be changed...if too yellow gets too much other color, start fresh.

Begin painting by dabbing the wet paper with color in part of one section. Clean your brush and add the second color the same way.
Let the colors blend at the edges so you can see them "melting" together to form the secondary colors. Let the colors go off the edge of the paper. Don't worry if you can see the colors bleeding, it will not ruin the project, it adds to it.

(Sorry about the camera strap!)

Sprinkle the salt on the wet paint, if you desire this effect.
I will try table salt, that is all I have on hand. We will see, I don't think it work, though...

Hey, it did work! I just sprinkled it from the shaker.

When they are completely dry, slowly peel off the tape. I find that if I pull the tape closely to the board, it doesn't tear as much. If the paper is tearing too much, you can also pull towards the left and then the right, alternating back-and-forth.
 

For older students, have them trace the edge of the taped space with a fine black marker.

I followed the color line, you could choose to make straight lines.

You could display them like so: