The Princess and the Pea crayon resist

Welcome to another Coronavirus stay-at-home project!  This project is for my 3rd graders, but any students Kindergarten and up can participate!  I love to combine reading/literature and Art.  I found a beautiful reading of Hans Christian Anderson's Fairy Tale "The Princess and the Pea" on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waw0U9tKpW0

Students should watch the video before starting the project.  Then gather the materials and begin to create!

Materials:
paper (watercolor paper is best, but any available paper will work)
pencil
optional: Sharpie marker
crayons
watercolor (washable) markers and/or watercolors
paintbrush
water

Step 1:
After listening to the story, use the pencil to sketch a headboard and then stack as many mattresses as possible on top!  In the story, the queen stacked how many on top of the pea??  That's right, 20! WOW!  Be sure to leave some room at the top to draw the princess on top of the mattresses.

Step 2: Once the sketch is complete, outline the pencil either with a Sharpie marker or crayon.  Do not use the washable markers for this step!  

Step 3: Use crayons to add detail to each mattress, the headboard, and the princess.  No need to color in completely unless you are only working with crayons (I know some of you may not have watercolor markers or watercolors).

Step 4: Now we are going to perform some magic.  Did you know that watercolor/washable markers will bleed if you paint over them with water??  Basically, they become watercolor!  Isn't that cool?!  So if you do not have actual watercolors at home, you can try a new way to watercolor.  Start one section at a time.  Color in the area.  It doesn't have to be colored completely, because the water will help to fill the nooks and crannies!  Now as soon as you color one section "wash" over it with the paintbrush dipped into water.  Add more water as necessary.

You can see (above) I colored the center of the flowers only.  When I washed over the area with water, the color spread to fill in the area around the flowers, so the flowers are dark blue but the mattress is light blue (see below).  

Continue until all of the mattresses and the princess have been "painted". 

Step 5: If desired color the background.  What is happening around the princess on the bed?  Is there a carpet under the bed? Is there a picture on the wall?  Be as creative with the surroundings as you wish OR watch the video again for suggestions OR paint/color it plain like I did.

That's it!  You now have a beautiful Princess to hang on the refrigerator or front window for neighbors to see AND a story to tell! 

 For my students: Be sure to share a picture in the Google classroom.

Stay safe.  Hope we will see each other again soon ❤

Radial Symmetry Design: Part 2

Welcome back to my 4th grade Radial Symmetry design tutorial.  This week we will outline and color to our pencil design.  I know that a lot of your only have basic materials at home with you during this time of homeschooling. DO NOT STRESS!  You can use any or all of the following materials to give your art piece eye-catching details.  So take a deep breath and let's jump in.

Materials:

Crayons

Markers

Colored Pencils

Sharpies

Watercolors

Step 1: Outline

There are a few different ways that you can do the outline.  I chose to outline with a fine point Sharpie marker.  The Sharpie clearly defines the open areas where I will be adding color and pattern to make the design come to life.  

Another option would be to outline with a black crayon.  If you like doing Crayon Resist with watercolors, outlining with a black crayon would be a nice choice.  Be sure to use firm pressure while outlining.  This will apply enough wax from the crayon to resist the watercolors and keep areas separated.

Step 2: Step back from the basic design.  Are you happy with the look?  Does it look too simple?  What could be added?  As you are mulling these questions, I would suggest using a pencil to add any new touches, just in case they turn out to be something you would rather not keep in the design.

I think it may need a little more of...something

I think that is enough for now!  Time to finish the outlining.  

To complete the outlining, I used a little of this and little of that.  The curly bits needed the touch of an ultrafine Sharpie.  Using a thicker Sharpie or a crayon would destroy the delicate nature of the curls.  For the spots and butterfly-like lines, I used a black crayon (see close-up above).

Step 3: Color and pattern

The sky is the limit on this part.  Remember the radial symmetry.  If a color is applied in one part of the radius, then be sure to apply the color to the matching bits.  With the same thought in mind, if you apply a pattern to one area, be sure to match it in the others.

I started with crayon, coloring a section then stepping back to take a look.  The petals began as a curved Fuschia line in each section, then changed to the Fuschia outline with hot pink in the center.  Next dots,

then lines and a few solid areas, still using the crayons.

Another step back made me realize that it needed a little more balance between the center and the stripes on the outside, so I added the hot pink to the outside.  Now for some paint!

I used watercolors.  What I find fascinating about watercolors is how you can change the saturation of color by "repainting" using only water on the brush!  So cool.  It softens areas where the color was a little too dark and deepens color in other areas.

A touch of pinky-orange on top of the hot pink crayon filled in areas the crayon missed and softened the overall look of the petals.

Purple on top of purple crayon pretty much covered up the spots!  Easy peasy, lemon squeezy...paint over it with only water on the brush and then dab with a paper towel.  Viola!!  The spots pop out.  

Final touches, then paint the background and it is finished.  

I can hardly wait to see your finished Radial Designs!  I know they will all be stunning.  

NOTE for my 4th graders:  Don't forget to post your completed project to your Google Classroom assignment page for a grade!