Fun with Watercolor Resist -- Covid-19 Art Activity

One of my goals is to get back to doing some crafts and nonreview posts. With all the stay at home orders and trying to flatten the curve it seems like the perfect time to do these kind of posts. We are all staying at our home. Many times a day the three of us are on our separate technology (my laptop, Steve's desktop or work laptop and Hazel's iPad) or on separate phone calls. I have been working on bringing some organization to my craft room with the hope of being able to actually use it for our crafts rather than just for storage. I am also really getting rid of craft supplies that we know we won't use. Hazel has outgrown so many that we never got to. I also have been making face masks. I donated about 40 of them to local hospitals. Now I'm making them for family and friends. I keep adjusting my pattern. Let me know if you would like me to share with you what I am doing. I know there are so many tutorials out there I wasn't going to unless someone asks. I have combined several things I have seen and have worked out what I think works the best. I am also sewing buttons on 2-inch and 3-inch pieces of ribbons for the healthcare workers. Apparently some of them are having issues with the elastics bothering their ears since they have to wear them so long now. It is an easy thing to make and a great way to give back. Have you found ways to give back and support the people going to work to support us? I would love to hear them.

Hazel has one hour a day of lessons with her teacher and classmates using Google Classroom. Then she has her work to do and turn in. Her art teacher assigns a new project every week as well. The one due this week was to make two different watercolor resists. I thought it would be fun to do my own while she was doing hers and fun to share with you as an activity you can do with your kids. The teacher sent the kids videos of the two techniques and they had to make under the sea paintings using the techniques. To make all of them you need crayons and watercolors with a jar of water and various brushes as well as preferably watercolor paper (however printer paper will work). One of mine I also used salt. 

The first technique was to color a picture with the various colored crayons. Then to fill in the empty space with paint. I did the sunset over the sea this way. I colored the sun and made the horizon line and waves as well as some sun rays in the sky. Then I painted the blue and black for the water and mixed colors for the sky. I am happy with how it came out. Hazel used this technique to make Rainbow Fish. It is a nice nod to her childhood.

I also did this with my full moon painting. I drew the tree, ground and moon, but then I painted over all of them. I also sprinkled this one with salt after I painted the sky to make some dots. I decided to paint the black with some purple and am happy with how it came out.

I love how the black/dark grey paint gave the tree and ground a bit more depth and texture. 

The other method was to draw a picture with a black crayon and then paint it with the colors you wanted. Hazel used the teacher's example as a guide and drew her own fish with scales and a treasure chest and coral. Then she used the same techniques that her teacher did for the water and seaweed. I love how it came out. I imagined painting a lion this way. My first drawing of a lion did not work out but I then looked at a photo of a lion's head and came up with this one.