Kids will use watercolor pencils or washable markers to create leaf-themed works of art.
By Pamela Julian Manney [Pamela is an art educator at Port Huron Area School District in Port Huron, MI]
What You Need:
Day One
- pencils
- one piece of 80-90 lb white paper – 12″ X 18″ (student grade watercolor is the best but sulphite will also work)
- variety of leaves (or patterns)
- watercolor pencils or washable markers
- brushes
- water/containers
Day Two
- construction paper – variety of colors
- glue
What You Do:
- Trace 7 to 9 leaves onto the 12 x 18 white paper.
- Using the washable markers, outline (with a thick line) the outside and inside of each leaf, focusing on the veins of the each leaf. Stress the use of a THICK line.
- When all lines are complete, dip the paintbrush into water and spread over the marker line. The marker will run and create different color values. I like to ask the students to go from light to dark. The lightest being in the center of the leaf.
- Continue to finish all leaves.
- Spread the color into the background around the leaves.
- Let dry.
- When dry, cut away some the the outside border of the 12 x 18 leaf watercolor. This creates a irregular line around the whole picture. (see image).
- Glue down on colorful construction paper.
