Watercolor

 Description: In this activity, we explored four different techniques for painting with watercolors. First, we learned about a famous watercolor artist and how he became well-known for his unique style. As a class, we worked through a step-by-step drawing of a still life scene, including the walls, floor, and a table with a flower vase on it. Once the pencil drawing was complete, we used a black Sharpie to outline all of our lines, which helped keep the watercolors inside their designated areas as we painted. Then, using the watercolor techniques we had learned earlier, such as wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, gradient washes, and color blending, we painted our still life, making sure to incorporate at least three different techniques into our artwork.

Extension activity: To continue developing our watercolor skills, students will create a landscape painting using the same techniques learned in the previous lesson. They will choose a landscape, such as a beach, mountain, or forest scene, and incorporate at least three watercolor techniques (wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, gradient washes, or color blending) into their composition. Before starting the painting, students will sketch out their landscape lightly with a pencil and then outline their lines with a black Sharpie, just like in the still life project, to help control where the paint goes. Once the outlines are set, they’ll begin painting their landscape, experimenting with different effects to create texture in elements like the sky, water, or trees. After finishing their painting, students will reflect on their choices and write a brief description of the techniques they used and how they applied them to their landscape.