Art Lesson : Watercolour Techniques

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Students will:

•  learn about different watercolor techniques.

•  practice using different watercolor techniques through specific art exercises.

•  develop a familiarity with and a confidence in using watercolor as a medium.

MATERIALS:

• Watercolor paint sets

• Watercolor paper (any size)

• Paintbrushes

• Cups of water

• Paper towels

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Student should have sheet of watercolour paper, a set of watercolour paints, a paintbrush, a cup of water, and some paper towels. Have students fold the watercolour paper into fourths or more to create individual spaces for each technique. Unfold the paper and lay flat.

2) For the wet-on-wet technique. Have student use the paintbrush to cover the top left area of the paper in just water. Have student go over the area two or three times to ensure saturation since watercolour paper can be very absorbent. While the paper is still wet, have  student choose two colours from their paint sets. Have student dip their brushes in the chosen colours and then add the paint to the wet surface. This can be done with brushstrokes, dabbing, or any combination of application techniques students would like to try. Have student observe how the paint behaves and what kinds of lines, shapes, colours, and textures emerge.

3) Move to a new area of the paper. Have student to use the other techniques by following the instruction on the video.Then, have student use paintbrushes to brush water and watercolour paint over the top of the wet/ dry surface  Observe what happens. Encourage students to try different amounts of water in  different areas of the space, and look for similarities and differences in how the colors react. Also encourage student to add details with paint once their designs have somewhat dried.

4) Move to one of the two remaining areas of the paper. Have students choose one paint colour. Have student cover the entire area with one colour of paint. As with the wet-on-wet  technique (see video), encourage student to saturate the paper. While paper is still wet, Leave the salt on the colored area until completely dry and Practice the techinique by creating their artwork.