Happy holidays from CSMA! Since we don’t have snow here in Silicon Valley, let’s make some of our own. If you enjoy making art, check out our upcoming art classes for the whole family.
In this simple family-friendly art project, you will create beautiful watercolor resist snowflakes. Resist is a technique that uses different art materials to prevent color from reaching the surface of the paper. In this case, the oil pastel is protecting the paper from the watercolor. This project is completely open-ended, so each family member can make it their own!
Materials:
-A few pieces of white watercolor or cardstock paper
-Watercolors
-Brushes: one for each color
-1 White crayon or oil pastel
Step 1: Drawing the Snowflake
Using a white oil pastel, draw a snowflake design onto the white paper.
Step 2: Paint
Begin painting, by starting in the middle of the snowflake and painting outward creating a burst effect. Continue painting until you have covered the oil pastel drawing. You can use as many colors as you’d like. To create sharp colors and lines, dampen brush with water before selecting a color. To create softer shades, dampen the paper with a sponge or brush before applying the watercolor. Get creative and have fun!
What would painting stripes look like? What about using an unusual color? Add some salt to the wet paint to create a sparkling effect, then let dry and dust off. The possibilities are endless!
Take it a step further using different household materials to create more resist snowflakes.
Stickers & Tape – lay down stickers or tape to create a snowflake design, pressing down the tape to ensure it is fully adhered to the paper, then paint over it. Once the paint is dry peel the tape off and see what you have created.
Glue – allows for intricate designs to be created. Using light pressure, squeeze glue onto your paper in a snowflake design. Let glue dry completely then paint over it. You can also use rubber cement and peel it off after your painting has dried.
Created by Andrea Minobe
