My goal with this flying heart balloon painting was to keep things really simple so kids could experiment with their wet-on-wet painting.
This fourth grader, Lola, did an impeccable job, using the colors to make shadows. I’m in love with that center balloon, which blends fuschia and red.
MATERIALS
• Watercolor paper
• Pencil
• Crayons
• Liquid watercolor paint
• Heart stencil, optional
1. Students could free draw a random arrangement of hearts, or use a stencil. Small triangle ends are drawn at the bottom, with strings below. Highlight reflecting triangles are added in the corners.
2. The art is traced with a dark crayon, pressing heavily to make a definite edge.
3. The balloons are painted with liquid watercolor paint. While still wet, additional colors are painted over the first along one edge of the balloon. Remind students these are shadows so they all need to be on the same side of the hearts.
4. The background is painted.