Mixing Colors --Hints for Beginning Artists

When we mix paint, the rules we have always heard about color mixing start to get a little complicated. Different types and brands of paint have different properties, and only by getting in there and getting your hands colorful can you begin to mix with confidence. However, a little advice may save you some time while you are learning.  Unless otherwise noted, you can try these ideas with watercolor, acrylic, or oil. They are techniques that have worked for me and for many other artists.

1. You may know that orange is the opposite of blue on the color wheel. Theoretically, you should get black when mixing the two. In the real world, you will probably get a greenish color. One solution is to mix a little red into the orange, making a red-orange. Then, begin to add blue in small amounts, until you reach the dull, muted stage that you are trying to reach. Still too green? Add a touch of the red. If you're actually just trying to mix a black, read on for another idea.

2.  I often make a black by mixing Ultramarine Blue with Burnt Umber. In most brands and media, the Ultramarine Blue seems stronger, and I usually use more Burnt Umber than blue. I have found this to be especially useful in oils. If you're have trouble with it, there is nothing wrong with adding a little tube black to bring the color down to the value you need. I've done it before and I'll do it again. Just think twice before using large amounts of black all by itself. Then, if you still want to do it, don't let me stop you.

4. For a nice purple, mix a rosy red or a magenta with Ultramarine Blue. With Davinci oils, Red Rose Deep and the aforementioned blue make a beautiful purple. With Blick Studio acrylics, I've mixed the blue and Quinacridone Violet with good results.

5.  If you need to mix a pile of dark and a pile of light, begin by mixing a small amount of dark into the light mixture. Please do not just start throwing the light into the dark, because the dark will swallow up the light.

6. Warm colors seem to advance. Cool ones seem to recede.

7. Consider balancing the brights with some darker, duller tones. Many new painters tend to use bright colors exclusively, marking themselves as inexperienced. A work is actually be more compelling and attractive when muted tones enhance the bright colors. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. Some abstracts use bright colors, but if you look carefully at the most compelling abstracts, you may find that there are indeed some muted colors, dancing with the bright ones.

Printing, Painting, Symmetry, and Color Theory in One Project

Here is an easy project that is fun and educational.  It uses the three primary colors:  red, yellow, and blue. It involves symmetry, painting, printing, and color theory.  I love seeing the looks on the faces of children who try this for the first time! Here is an example of the project:

Materials:
1. Paper,  preferably 12x12 inches or larger, and preferably white or lightly colored. (See notes below directions.)
2. Tempera paint in red, yellow, and blue.
3. Ruler, credit card, or whatever you have that will help to spread the paint
4. Water and paper towels for clean up

Directions:

1. Fold the paper in half, making a crease down the middle.  If you have several children, you might have them write their names along the crease on the back (which would be the outside of the paper when it is folded).

2. Open paper.  Apply a dime-sized puddle  of each of the three primary colors of paint in the center of the paper.  The paint will be on or near the crease.  Really large paper can take a little more paint, perhaps the size of a quarter.

3. Close the paper.  Carefully place hands on each side of the paint spots.  If the paper is light, you should be able to see the paint through it.  Squish the paint upward.  Do NOT plop hands down in the middle of the paint and push outward, or the paint will quickly come out through the sides and lower corners.

4.  Keep watching the paint through the paper. Squish around here and there, careful to keep the paint inside the paper, but not getting upset when accidents happen.  If you have more than one child, you will almost certainly have a bit of a mess, but nothing that can't be cleaned easily.

5. Open the paper and see where the paint is still thick and wet.  Close the paper and use a straight edge such as a ruler to spread the paint as much as you like.

6.  Leave the project open to dry.  Do not close it and forget about it, or the project will dry closed and the  two halves will stick together.

7. Optional idea:  When the project is dry, you can refold it and cut around the design, effecting a symmetrical cut.  Then, mount the piece onto black paper for a striking look.

Helpful hints:

1. If you use construction paper, begin working with it as soon the paint is applied.  Unless the paper is very high end, construction paper will absorb the paint quickly and the paper will be weakened.

2. Unless the child has a strong grip on color theory, I highly recommend using only the three primary colors when first doing the project.  I have seen amazement on the faces of children and adults when they see the colors that result from squishing just the three primaries.

3. Blue is a strong color.  Use a little less of it.

4. Yellow is the weakest color of the three.  Use more of it.  In the above example, I should have used more yellow and less blue.

5. I tried using metallic tempera, and it is very sticky.  If you use metallic, be careful or you will tear the paper.

6.  Do not walk away when the paper is closed.  If you forget to open it for drying, your project may be ruined.

7. The above example was done with an 18x24-inch sheet of strong manila paper, similar in consistency to a business folder.  Low end watercolor paper would do well, also.  If you only have thin paper, you can still do the project; just be careful when handling the paper.  If it does tear, it is not the end of the world.  You can always let it dry and use it in a collage.  Have fun!

Springtime Fun with Dessert Paintings

Note:  Scroll below for examples of this art project.
This project is fun for children; They love it.  Before launching into the artwork, you will want to view works by Wayne Thiebaud, well-known painter of mouthwatering, delectable desserts.

Materials:
watercolor paper
crayons
watercolors--pan sets are fine.
container of water.

Procedure: (Scroll down to see the examples.)

First, perform an image search for Wayne Thiebaud.  A few of the images will be by fans, but there will be plenty of paintings by Mr. Thiebaud.  When you are nice and inspired, begin the drawing.  For the long ice cream cup, you can draw a long letter "U," and add a stem and foot. Crooked, somewhat horizontal lines will indicate layers of ice cream. As you view the pictures I have included, see how you can use geometrical shapes to make the candy, cakes, and ice cream.

When you are satisfied with the drawing, use a crayon to trace the lines.  This will help the child to paint more neatly.  A dark crayon will add contrast, which is often lacking in childrens' watercolor paintings.

Place a drop of water in each watercolor pan.  Then, paint your drawing.  Below are some tips to help make the process more rewarding and less frustrating.  Remember that they are only tips.  Above all, have fun.

Tips:
1. If you want strawberry pink ice cream, wet that area of the paper first, then add a very small amount of wet red paint.  The water will help you to spread the paint, and will dilute the red enough to make a pink.
2. Remember this:  where ever the water goes, the paint will follow.  So if you prewet an area, keep the water in that one little area that you are about to paint next.
3. Do not work a wet area for too long. You may need to step back and wait for it to dry before continuing. Otherwise, you risk weakening the paper and causing tiny bits of the paper to come up, or you may even tear the paper.
4. If you have two colors adjacent to one another, you may want to wait for the first one to dry before adding the neighboring color.  This will help keep the two from running together.
5. If you are having trouble spreading the paint, you are not using enough water.  I remind children that watercolor needs water, hence the name.

 The two images above are the same artwork, first after crayon and then after painting  with watercolor on watercolor paper.  The image below was painted in water-soluble tempera on yellow construction paper.

 The artwork below was painted on semitransparent rainbow colored paper, using tempera.  I attached a white sheet to the back to make the artwork more visible.  Even further below is a detail of this one.

Hand-painted Stationery

This project would be fun to do with your child, side by side.   It uses brushes and watercolors. You can even use the pan sets that your kids might have around the house. 

Materials:
Watercolors--in tubes or pans.
Heavy-weight paper--at least cardstock
Old plastic shower curtain or something to protect the table
Containers for water
Large plastic lids or watercolor palette

Procedure

Cover the table with the plastic, fill the water containers, and lay out the paper.

First, dampen the paper.  Expect some curling and buckling.  Don't worry about it right now. 
Add just enough water to your paint to make it easy to push around.  Below, I am covering
the entire sheet with a background of yellow.  In the areas where you plan to put actual words,
you'll want to keep the paper light, and the patterns to a minimum. 

Next, I decide to add a top border. Right now, the paper doesn't look like much, but as
the late Helen Van Wyk used to say, does a bowl of cake batter look like the cake?
Do not succumb to frustration.

When lifting your brush out of the water, you will need to make use of your paper towels.

Hmmm....This border is beginning to remind me of mildew, so I'll put in some red, and work
with it.  I will not succumb.

Below, I have played around with the red, and now I'll add some blue.  Later, I decide to
paint a heart in the lower right-hand corner.  Don't be afraid to experiment. 

When you have finished, go away and let the paper dry. You may want to place it on a towel. 
The paper will now have a different texture. It reminds me of parchment.
If it is entirely too curly, an INTELLIGENT ADULT can put it inside a pillow case and go over it with a cool iron.  While it is still warm, place it on a flat surface, and put a heavy book on top.  Be sure to unplug the iron.

Results are below.  The one on top is the illustrated project.  Please comment with any questions.

    

Kids' Illuminated Initials

This idea comes from the old illuminated manuscripts.  A Google search will bring up a lot of information on that.  You may especially be interested in the Book of Kells, a beautiful old gospel manuscript.


Here are the steps for the project:

1.  Go to MS Word or other software, find your favorite font, and type the capital letter of your choice.  It is probably pretty small at first. You need to highlight the letter and change the font size to about 500.  Adjust as needed. Then (if you are in Word), highlight the letter and right-click, then click "Font."  In the pop-up box, check "Outline."  The letter should then be an outline, and not solid black.  Most other word processors allow this also, but I'm not sure of their methods.  Alternatively, you can carefully draw the capital letter yourself.
Hint:  If you very lightly draw the skeletal part of the letter with pencil, you can use that as a guide as you make it fatter.  Then, erase the guideline inside your fat letter.

2. Now that you have your letter, add the rest of the child's name, as shown.

3. Now the child will add her favorite objects to the artwork and color the piece.

My imaginary Jake likes sea creatures, so we have added them to the art piece. Here are some ways to make the drawing easier:
1. For the fat fish on the left side of the "J":  Very lightly draw a circle.
2. To the circle, add an eye and a mouth, as shown.
3. Put some spikes on top and a small shape on bottom.  Add a fin behind the eye.
4. Put a tail on the back of the circle.
I have found an illustrated example of how to draw a fish at this link. The fish looks a lot different from mine but I hope your fish looks like no other, no matter whose directions you use.  Make it your own.

For the starfish, you can just lightly draw five lines that meet in the center. Then, flesh them out by drawing lines around the outsides of your five lines.  Then, erase the initial guidelines.

If you have questions about this project, please use the comment section.  Thanks for stopping by!

Chunky Beads for Kids from Air-Dry Clay

  Here is something really fun to do with light-colored air-dry clay.  You will be making chunky beads with wide enough holes to be strung on almost anything you may have around the house.

  Note: Look below directions for another picture.  I used Prang metallic watercolor to paint these beads.  For a bolder color, use regular watercolor, tempera, or acrylic CAUTION: Acrylic, once dry, does NOT wash out of clothing!  And it can dry very quickly.


Materials:
1. Air-dry clay
2. Texture sheets, netting, or anything with texture that you can press into the clay without mashing it flat.
3. Watercolors
4. Drinking straws, cut into two or three pieces to make it easier to work with them.5. Yarn, twine, fishing line, or something similar for stringing.
6. A large-eyed needle or a piece of pipe cleaner that can be attached to the yarn and bent to grip it.

Procedure:
1. Pinch off a small ball of clay with a diameter of about one inch. Roll it in your hands to smooth out the cracks.  You may need to add a very, very small amount of water. Experiment with the shape. You might want a round bead, or you may want your bead to be more cylindrical.  Try to make some of each.

2. Pierce the bead with a piece of drinking straw, pushing it all the way through. 

3. Take your texture sheet and press it gently into the clay. Set the bead aside and repeat the process with each bead.

4. Give the beads a few days to dry. Then, use watercolors, tempera, or acrylic to paint the beads.

5. When the beads are dry, string them onto the yarn or whatever you have chosen.

Here is a closer view; I apologize for the blurriness: