Dinosaur Tracks: Kindergarten

My kindergarten was busy tracking dinosaurs today in art class!! I started by reading Mine-o-Saur in the reading area(great book if you have not read it!!). Once they returned to their seats I provided handouts with a variety of dinosaur footprints. After making their selection they drew the dino prints across their paper. They then used two colors of fluorescent oil pastels to color the prints. Finally they did a wash over the whole page using two colors of fluorescent watercolors.  I think they turned out dino-tastic!!

Repurposing Markers

So after my last post on MARKERS ( http://www.artwithmre.com/2017/09/markers.html ), and the amazing response/discussion on Facebook that came out of it......I thought I'd share about my repurposing of markers into liquid watercolor (I thought I'd done this recently..but I couldn't find it...only a post from 2011 when I first tried it - http://www.artwithmre.com/2011/05/as-seen-on-blogspot.html ).

So a couple years ago I started repurposing markers WITH my students.  I brought in empty water bottles(washed & dried)...and filled them about half full with tap water.  The students and I took our box of dying/dead markers...and started coming up with color combinations we wanted to try. We made predictions of what colors we thought they'd make.  It was science, writing, and art all rolled into one fun experiment!!

You can easily drop 6 markers into a standard water bottle...possibly more depending on the thickness.  We noticed our colors were pretty light the following week.  So I told the students we'd allow evaporation to happen...and that should make a more concentrated color.  We left them for over a month before we tested them again.  The color was deeper/richer when we retested them.  Then I just decided to leave them...and see what would happen.  

A few grew mold.....but most became great liquid watercolor to use in our classroom!  The best part...they were already in a bottle!! Easy to pour..easy to store!!!  

Paper Marbling With Shaving Cream: Step by Step

Here are the supplies you'll need.  Shaving cream, craft stick, tempera or liquid watercolor paint, brush,  plastic lid cut in half, and paper to print on..  You can also use an aluminum pan/mat/flat Styrofoam tray instead of placing the shaving cream on the table...but that isn't necessary.

If you cut a lid in half...it will act as the perfect squeegee for removing the foam and paint later on.  I find the larger the lid, the better!!!!  This isn't a must have, but I like it because you can reuse them!!!!

There should be about an inch or so thickness to the shaving cream, and should be spread out to fit the size paper you are planning to print on.  Using your brush(or a craft stick)...drop paint onto the foam surface.

Take your craft stick and drag it through in one direction...not going too deep with the stick.

Take the craft stick through the opposite direction.  You can do this to your personal liking...trying to get the feathered look. Be careful not to over do it...or you'll just have a muddied look to your print.

Place paper on top of foam surface and press gently into the surface.

Lifting it off...you may think...OH NO..IT'S A HOT MESS?!?!?!?!  Don't worry...the magic comes once you squeegee that mess off!! ha ha  

Using your half lid...scrap off the foam/paint going from bottom to top.  Shake off the mess..and scrap the rest off.  Should be able to do this in 2 or 3 passes depending on the size of your lid and paper.  

You can theme your colors any way you like to fit with the next step of whatever project you're going to create.  Vague...yes...but this process can take you into many other projects: book making, collage, mixed media, paper weaving, etc.

You can use the same surface again to create another print.  The results are inconsistent though.  I dropped more paint onto the surface...re-drug the craft stick through...and reprinted.

It is a little muddied, but still beautiful.

Clean up isn't bad with this....and your room will smell soooooooooo good!!!!! ha ha 

I HOPE THIS STEP-BY-STEP HELPED!!!!!!  

HAPPY MARBLING!!!!

Peacock-A-Palooza Part 3: Line Drawing w/ Mono-Print

I'm in love with this project!!!  So simple...so easy!  You can use Andy Warhol's early years as an advertising artist as your inspiration!!  A simple line drawing using Sharpie.....and the color overlay using a mono-print technique.  Just remember to cover the plexiglass with a clear liquid soap so that the liquid watercolor does not bead up.  

AS SEEN ON BLOGSPOT

 It's that time of year when you begin going through your supplies & getting rid of the bad...preparing for the next school year(well..at least for me it is....neat freak/o.c.d.ish).  I actually enjoy going through markers...I find it relaxing.  Anyways..I've seen several people leaching dried out markers to make a liquid watercolor.  I have never heard, seen, or tried this before?!?!  I just had to give it a go!!

(I love the AS SEEN ON TV products too!!!)

As I was checking the markers, I placed the dried out ones in a bowl of water.  Some of which I mixed...yellow & green, black/blue/purple/grey, pink & purple..etc.  I also decided to keep the lids...because I know I can come up with a 3-D project to use them(just haven't thought of one yet).  I did this one Friday, and let them set over the weekend.

I removed the markers(threw them away...didn't want to wash them off and dry them..how ungreen of me I know?!?!).  Kind of looks like Kool-Aid?!?!  Glad I don't have Life Skills students coming in today!!

This is my test piece.  The colors are not super vibrant.  Maybe I used too much water?  I'm thinking about letting them set out for a few more days & seeing if through evaperation the remaining color becomes more concentrated?  Any suggestions from those of you who have tried this before??  Also...how do you  store it?