Rainy Day Watercolour

This is for those April showers we are supposed to be having.....yesterday in Calgary we got snow!
I always love how a pop of colour on those grey days can cheer you up.

MATERIALS REQUIRED:

- watercolour paper, at school I use a nice 130lb Fabranio we get in bulk
- green painter's masking tape
- disk tempera paint or watercolour paint
- water spray bottle 
- foam plate for palette
- sand from the playground or garden centre, optional
- kleenex
- my template, optional
- glue
- coloured paper
- craft foam or vinyl, optional
- small button

PROCEDURE:

Place your paper on your art board.  Tape off edges with Painter's masking tape.

Gather your painting supplies.

Brush some water over your entire paper.

While the paper is still wet start adding colour.  The colours you need for stormy skies are black, blue, and purple.

You want very diluted colour so this is where the foam plate comes in.  Add paint and then extra water to get a nice wash.


Paint over entire paper.  You want variation in your colour so some areas have more grey (diluted black) or blue than others.

You can even splatter on some diluted paint.  You want the paper to stay moist so use your water sprayer if it is getting dry.

Not finished yet.......

Crumple up a kleenex and begin lifting off some of the paint to create clouds.

Storm clouds are dark on the bottom and lighter on top so you can add a touch more grey if needed.  Use your spray bottle to keep the paint moving if needed.

A further effect you can add is using sand.  Unlike salt it will not bloom but the paint will collect around the particles leaving a nice texture, like raindrops.

Sprinkle a little on the painting and leave until fully dry.

While the painting is drying you can work on the umbrella and person.



You can use my template or sketch out the pieces freehand.

The umbrella was traced on watercolour paper and then painted.  You can see the pencil lines try the paint.

Cut out when dry.

Glue a button on the top of the umbrella.
You can also add a few lines.

Cut a handle out of black paper.

Use a bright colour for the slicker, a neutral for the head and hand.

I have some nice yellow vinyl for the boots, you could also use craft foam or just paper.

Glue all the pieces into place.

Paint a little puddle for your person to stand in.  I used the tape again to maintain that white border.  At school I will just make sure not to remove the bottom tape till it is completely finished.

That's it.

Papier Mache Caterpillar

Grade 1 starts their "Life cycle of the Butterfly" unit next week.

We are making the clay butterflies but I needed something for the caterpillar stage.


I thought we could make a papier mache one.





SUPPLIES REQUIRED:
- paper tube from a paper towel roll or wrapping paper
- small balloon
- masking tape
- bubble wrap, optional
- paper towel cut into strips
- white glue
- recycled container
- water
- acrylic or liquid tempera paint
- packing peanuts
- coloured paper

PROCEDURE:

Blow up the balloon.  You don't want it too big about the size of a baseball.


Tape onto the end of the paper tube.

Stuff some paper towel into the other end to close the hole.

You can wrap the tube with some bubble wrap or newspaper.  This is just to add some bulk and decrease the amount of mache you have to add.

Mix some water and white glue in your recycled container (1 to 1 ratio).

Dip your paper towel strips into the glue mixture and start layering on your balloon and paper tube.  Criss cross the layers for strength.  Add a dry strip every once and a while to soak up the excess.

When you have about 2 layers all over the base set aside to dry in warm spot.  It will take about 2 days.

Rotate after the first day to get the underside to dry.

Paint the background colour for the body of your caterpillar.

Paint on your details.

I needed to add feet.  I had lots of these packing peanuts so I putting them to good use.

Glue feet onto bottom of the caterpillar.

You can add some paint to the feet.  You need to add a drop of dish soap to the paint to get it to stick to the plastic surface of the peanuts.

Cut 2 eyes out of coloured paper.  I also cut out a mouth and a few teeth.

Glue into place.

That's it.  Now I have to come up with the chrysalis stage, stay tuned.




See you next time.