Wild and Puffy Paint
Transform a few ordinary ingredients into an extraordinary creation.
I think of children’s art projects rather like I do their cartoons or books- it better be at least somewhat enjoyable for the adult otherwise it is probably no good for the children. No need to worry with this. Here's a great little craft for those of you entertaining kids this summer.
A special thanks to Jackie of I Heart Arts and Crafts for her tutorial featuring a super tropical looking jellyfish. Her site is certainly geared toward moms, but any teacher, grandparent, or nanny can easily find some inspiration.
I am always looking for new ways to use my wild inks beyond the traditional calligraphy or watercolor painting. This style not only captures the natural shades beautifully, but tends to concentrate them. You’re welcome to use commercial watercolor paints or even diluted food coloring, but part of the lesson for me is showcasing the story of each color as much as the color itself. This doesn't have to be complicated. With the younger crowd, I simply use the plant name when referring to the paints as I go, for example, “That madder root with yellow dock made such a rich orange.” Sometimes it becomes a more botanical discussion, but mostly it connects us with our medium and adds value to the finished piece. An analogy might be building a house from lumber harvested directly from one's homestead acreage versus using whatever materials Home Depot is offering. It's not a right or wrong thing, merely a difference of depth.
Let’s Get Setup!
-Go Outside. Okay, this is not required, but when the weather is absolutely fabulous, you should really take this outside.
-Get out your salt and find something to catch the excess you’ll be pouring off. I also have downgraded cookie sheets for containing messy projects (think playdough, slime, or the dreaded glitter), but even a big sheet of paper would help. I used a rectangular plastic bin for pouring off the salt to be reused for each painting.
-Choose your glue. Traditional Elmer's School Glue with a nice pointy lid does fine. Remember you’re basically drawing with the glue so make it easy on yourself. We shared a container, but if it's an option, give each artist their own glue. You wouldn't want to share a pencil in a sketch class would you?
-Choose your paper. Jackie's tutorial used a really great turquoise cardstock that was bright, but not so dark your colors get lost. I used heavy watercolor paper and artists had the option of doing a background wash before we started. Canson XL 140# is my go-to paper, but any heavy weight paper would be fine.
-Choose your paints. I'm using Westwood Color Inks and I obviously think you should too! Each bottle has as much character as color, and it comes with the dropper top making it ideal for this project. That said, don't get too caught up with paint and equipment- a cheapo pan of watercolors or diluted food coloring with a little paint brush or pipette is fine.
-Grab support supplies. A cup of water for rinsing brushes and a roll of paper towels accompany most of our paint projects.
Let’s Paint!
1. Draw your design with glue.
Pour salt over the glue design.
Do this generously, but gently. I let it sit for a moment or two before pouring off. To avoid a big wasted heap of salt at the end, do one piece of art at a time so you can keep using up the same pile.
2. Add paint to your design.
It is very amusing to watch the paint travel though the salt. You can give each drop time to spread or get in quickly with multiple colors to see how they mix. You don't need much paint for this, and actually, don't use too much paint for this. Things turn to gel and patterns can lose all definition if you get carried away.
3. Repeat if desired.
I wasn't sure if another round on the same sheet was a good a idea, but it worked fine. The only problem encountered was a small, but particularly saturated clump from my 4 year-old's piece falling off into the bin of recovered salt. Oh well.
4. Let it Dry
Things will look rather different after the paints are done mingling and the piece is totally dry. Above is my 4 year old’s “Truck Driving Through Storm,” complete with our own charcoal-ink clouds painted on at the end.
5. Take it to the next level.
Some opportunistic families, teachers, or nannies might want to take extra steps to enrich this craft. You could:
-Incorporate a botany lesson, particularly if you’re using a plant based paint.
-Discuss art history such as early art materials or techniques of the old masters.
-Make your own inks and have a truly personal color palette.
- Do the activity with mixed age groups.
-Choose a theme or particular subject matter (tropical fish, flowers, trucks, landscapes, sunsets, astronomy, etc). The possibilities here are endless and can happily overlap with other school subjects.