Here’s a favourite idea from our kids painting archive, introducing children to watercolour painting and trying out a whole new – and rather exciting! – way of using it.
Watercolour painting with kids
Watercolour painting can produce beautiful effects, and the technique we’re trying today uses a wet on wet technique for really exciting movement of the paint.
The basic wet on wet technique is just what it sounds – using wet waterpaints on a paper which is also wet.
We used a wide paint brush to sweep plenty of water over our paper and then added watercolour paint with a smaller brush. The children dabbed, made wide strokes and swirled the watercolour paints and watched the magic happen.
‘Look, mummy – the paint moves!’
As the wet watercolour paint hits the already wet surface it spreads and swirls and creates interactive pictures the children can add to but can’t completely control. Paint magic!
Have you tried this watercolour painting technique with your children?
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Jude says
13/09/2011 at 7:31 pmBeautiful – personally I find it completely addictive!
Mrs. O says
13/09/2011 at 9:08 pmWow, looks cool! Will be adding this to our homeschool art class this year! Thanks for sharing.
maggy, red ted art says
14/09/2011 at 3:20 pmJust beautiful, what is there to say! 🙂
Thank you for sharing on Kids Get Crafty!
Maggy
sarah says
15/02/2018 at 5:21 pmWow! That is so cool. I love it!!!
I have a 9 year old girl and she loves to do art and so when she saw it she loved it.
thank you for letting us see it.
Jamie @ hands on : as we grow says
14/09/2011 at 7:30 pmThat is an incredible idea! I love this technique and we are definitely putting it on our to do list. Thanks so much for your brilliance as always!
Brooke @let kids create says
14/09/2011 at 7:52 pmI love watching the colors run, really beautiful!
Mia says
14/09/2011 at 8:24 pmVery nice! What brand of watercolour paints do you use? The colours look very vibrant.
Cathy @ NurtureStore says
14/09/2011 at 8:36 pmMia – they are just a supermarket own brand set (from Sainsbury’s) but you’re right they do have a really good range of colours.
Kat says
15/09/2011 at 5:34 amGreat fun ~ do you use heavy watercolor paper?
Cathy @ NurtureStore says
15/09/2011 at 11:13 amHi Kat, no we didn’t – just some computer printer-type paper that we always have available for the kids to use for their projects.
Rashmie @MommyLabs says
16/09/2011 at 5:14 amThe result and as as the process is so beautiful. And so much fun to watch…We will try this soon. 🙂
SnoopyGirl says
16/09/2011 at 2:03 pmVery pretty.
April says
16/09/2011 at 9:28 pmI love water color painting, such a wonderful thing to do. I just got a wonderful new set, can’t wait to paint!
Katie E. says
18/09/2011 at 12:48 pmVery cool – I need to try more crafty things with my girls.
Pumpkinbear says
18/09/2011 at 9:40 pmSo fun! We’re huge fans, though, of professional-quality artist’s watercolor paper. Printer paper works, of course, but watercolor paper is really a wholly different experience.
Stephanie says
19/09/2011 at 5:59 amI’m going to have to try that with my kids. Thanks for sharing!!
Ticia says
19/09/2011 at 2:57 pmAnd they turned out so pretty. What a great idea.
creativejewishmom/sara says
19/09/2011 at 10:46 pmgorgeous results and sounds like a great painting project! thanks so much for sharing on Craft Schooling sunday!
Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas says
24/09/2011 at 7:15 pmThis is a MUST DO for me. How fun to see the colors seeping and swirling like that. My girls would love it.
Thanks for sharing your fun with us on the Sunday Showcase. We hope to see you link up what you’ve been up to this week.
Bernhttp://momto2poshlildivas.blogspot.com/search/label/Sunday%20Showcase
The Missing Alphabet says
11/04/2013 at 10:23 pmLove this! I found my way here by way of the Artful Parent Blog Tour, and have really been enjoying looking around! I plan on coming back often. 🙂
If you have a chance, you might enjoy stopping by our site and checking out our blog and new book. The Missing Alphabet is Book for parents that is meant to connect the dots between the innovation we all agree we need in this country and the creative thinking children can develop now…and that’s a goal that is
largely missing in schools today. We also offer a field guide of activities for parents and children to explore together in the home, at the museum, and outdoors. Hope to see you there!
Ruma says
17/01/2015 at 4:26 amI love this idea!! Thanks so much for sharing.