Creativity Camp: Faux Watercolor Painting

Hello! Welcome back to our Creativity Camp. I hope you are enjoying this series, and that you and your kiddos are feeling inspired! Today, we are beating the rainy day blues with some colorful faux watercolor paintings. All you need is some watercolor paper (or heavy paper), tissue paper, tape, washable markers, and a water spritzer. Follow along!

Wrap your watercolor paper with the tissue paper, and tape on the back. 

Use the markers and tape to draw circles in all different colors around the paper. Leave a little bit of white space for a more interesting composition.

Once you have finished, it is time for some color theory magic! Use the water spritzer to lightly spray the colored tissue paper.  Watch the colors merge and change!

Try not to over-wet the paper, or it will muddy the vibrancy of the colors. Tap it down, and allow your piece to dry. 

Once the water has dried, you get to unwrap your painting like a present.

Surprise! Check out your abstract watercolor painting! The areas where the tissue paper was lifting off the paper remained white. 

This is an easy technique for such sophisticated results. You can frame it as is, use it as a background for drawing, or use shaped punches to make scrapbooking or card making elements. I decided to frame mine, after she signed of course. Pretty good for a five year old!

If you give this project a try, be sure to share with us @etsydallas #EDCreativityCamp. See you next week!  

Book Review: Water Paper Paint

  Today, I'm sharing a post from my own blog about an art book that my daughter and I have been enjoying.  Check it out!

​My daughter and I are always looking for fun and easy ways to get creative together. She is a five year old with a vision, so teaching her new ways to experiment and blossom is extra rewarding. We YouTube a lot, but there is no better inspiration than words and pictures right in front of us to sound-out and emulate.

Today, we cracked open the beautifully designed, inspiration of a book, Water Paper Paint by Heather Smith Jones.  Her eyes lit up with possibility page after page until she finally landed on our exciting quick project, creating an abstract painting using straws to blow watercolor around the paper.  This was also an opportunity to teach some basic color theory, as the watercolor inevitably streamed into previous colors.  This is the equivalent of magic to a kid, "Blue and red made purple, Mama!"

If you are looking to begin painting with watercolor, this book is a great place to start. I have been painting quite awhile, and even found it to be enjoyable. It reminds me how fun it can be to just sit down and play with a medium. The author's written voice was knowledgeable and approachable. The images are a trove of colors and variety, teaching confidence building techniques with simple instruction. This book would be especially interesting for those who are into art journaling. It is not a serious book with overwhelming words and in depth information. It is a book of watercolor exercises, encouraging success through practice and repetition.