My Watercolour Adventure

The picture seen above represents my second watercolour attempt. I used dry watercolour paints for this art piece (the first flower I painted was from watercolour crayons). I painted the flowers above to show the difference between wet on dry, dry on dry and wet on wet watercolour techniques. Students were expected to be able to create water colour images emphasizing particular elements and principles (i.e., wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, and dry-on-dry). Before students began their paintings, we discussed the painting I had done and what differences students noticed between the two types of paintings. This strategy was useful in showing students how the different techniques they would be learning would assist them in creating their individual artwork. I also had students relate the watercolour painting concepts back to their chemistry unit.

I recently decided that I would like to teach watercolour techniques as part of my three week practicum in October. In order to prepare, I will experiment with watercolour paints to create illustrations. I am hoping that my watercolour paintings will improve with each attempt, but my main reason for working with this media is to learn as much as possible to effectively teach my watercolour lessons. The flower on the right was my first attempt using watercolour crayons. I had read about blotting techniques and once I had drawn what I wanted to paint, I dipped my paint brush in water and blotted the excess water on a piece of paper towel before I blended the colours. I am very pleased with my first attempt and I look forward to continuing with this new art form.