Supplies: canvas or heavy tag board to paint on, watercolor
paper, watercolor paints (liquid works best), tempera paints, black
construction paper, pencil, scissors, something round to trace (for the sun), glue,
salt.
Key Art Terms: tints, analogous colors, horizon line,
silhouette, perspective, warm colors, cool colors.
Artist to discuss: Claude Monet
I did this project with 1st – 3rd
graders over two days, as the watercolor paper takes awhile to dry. It is important to make sure your watercolor
paper is either the same size, or wide enough to cover your canvas edge to
edge. I used 8 x 11 canvas and paper.
1.
First, I handed out watercolor paper and had
students sign their names (they will look very similar a day later!) I
gave each set of partners liquid watercolor paints in three colors: blue,
green, and purple (cool colors) plus a small container of salt. We turned the paper vertical
and I encouraged them to use horizontal brush strokes and to avoid blending all
the colors together. Encourage students to paint all the way to the edge.
2.
TIPS FOR ADDING SALT. Students should sprinkle
the salt as they paint, not at the end! For the salt effect to work, the paint
must be nice and juicy. Also, if they use too much salt, it won’t brush off
later. When done, set aside to dry.
3.
Next, I handed each student a 8 x 11 canvas,
which we turned vertical. They traced a circle with a yellow colored pencil
(no ugly graphite lines to try and hide later), and painted the center of it with light
yellow paint. Instead of giving them another color, I just added a little more
yellow for the next step and they painted around the sun with dabs, dots, or
swirls. Then I added a little pink (making light orange), and they did it
again, getting further out from the sun. I switched to adding a little red, and a
little more, and a little more until they painted the last color all the
way to edge of the canvas and below the middle where the waterline will be. This
is a good way to learn about mixing tints and analogous colors!
4.
We set the canvas sunset aside, and I handed out
small squares of black construction paper. We looked at Claude Monet’s seaside
paintings and talked about what a silhouette
is. I showed them how to draw a simple sailboat, but let them choose their own
design. We cut our sailboats out and set them aside. Make sure there are pencil lines on only one side! As the “clean”
side will face out on the painting.
5.
The next day, students brushed the salt off
their watercolor paper, and we gathered up all three pieces. We talked about
the horizon line and perspective (waves look smaller far
away, and bigger close up) before tearing our paper into strips. I encouraged
them to have a flat horizon line (waves are too far away to see in the
distance) and to make wider rips for the paper up close. Make sure they have
the paper facing the right direction before they start ripping.
6.
Once the paper was ripped, I handed out glue. They
must glue working from the horizon line down! The ripped edges should
face up, to look like whitecaps. It is important to remind them to glue their
boat in before they reach the bottom of the canvas, as the boat should be
tucked between two waves so it looks like it is actually in the water, not
hovering above it.
7.
Lastly, we trimmed a few edges and signed our
masterpieces! I was amazed. This was a zero-failure project. Every single
painting looked great and had individual style!
12 - 6 pm 
