Watercolor Magic

Watercolors are one of our favorite art supplies over here at Pure Art Co. and we wanted to share a project idea that’s fun for all ages. Even the tiniest tots can easily partake with simple scribbles and broad brushstrokes, while older kids (and adults!) can flex their creativity with more intricate, complex designs. My daughter made the one of the Pure Art Co. logo above, and I’m definitely hanging it up on my office door!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Watercolors (check out this option in our shop from Honeysticks, made with food-grade ingredients!)

• Paintbrush

• Crayons: any color will do, but lighter ones look especially cool (we’re using Honeysticks Originals and Crayon Rocks, both available in the Pure Art Co. shop)

• Watercolor paper

• A cup of water

• A dry paper towel

Draw a design onto the watercolor paper with crayons. Get creative! You can do anything from a nature scene to shapes to your name. At this stage, the harder you press on the crayons (e.g. the more crayon wax you transfer onto the paper), the more clearly it will show up after you paint over it with watercolors.

Once you’re happy with the design, dip your brush in the water and choose a color from your watercolor palette. You’ll see that the crayon wax repels the watercolor, making for a cool contrast effect. Using a white or light-colored crayon will make the design pop more against the paint. If the watercolors come out too dark, dip the brush in water and stroke it over the paint on the paper until the color is diluted. If you want the paint to look darker than what you have, keep layering more on until you’re satisfied.

After you finish with the watercolors, take the dry paper towel and blot at the crayon sections, soaking up paint that the crayon wax has repelled. And then you’re done!