Watercolor Resist River Paintings make a simple and beautiful process art project to go along with a River or Ocean theme. Simple step-by-step directions show how easy it is to adapt the project to make it your own.
“Process art” is a term often used when teaching kids to explore art and creativity because it emphasizes the “process” of making art rather than the result of the final product. Since kids learn through play and open-ended activities, process art is important because it allows them to experiment and discover what they like or don’t like.
My kids have experimented enough to know they love painting. For a while it was even a daily request. They’d paint sheet after sheet of paper, filling all the white space with either one color or a mix of colors–keeping our painted paper supply nicely stocked for future projects!
So I thought it would be fun to introduce a few new ideas and to their painting process and create some watercolor process art to compliment our themed study and the watercolor illustrations of a current favorite book: “The River” by Hanako Clulow.
Supplies for Watercolor Resist River Paintings:
- blue or teal liquid watercolor paint
- paintbrush
- white crayon or white oil pastel
- Heavy paper (white card stock or watercolor paper)
A Note About Liquid Watercolor
Liquid watercolor is a concentrated liquid paint that typically comes in a bottle. You can use watercolor paint as-is for a strong color, or dilute it with water for a lighter color (more water=lighter color). Liquid watercolor is a popular choice for watercolor art projects because the paint produces a rich, vibrant color.
Any kind of watercolor paint will work for these river paintings, but we loved using liquid watercolors.
Creating Watercolor Resist River Paintings
First, draw lots of white wavy lines or circle “bubbles” across the paper with the white crayon/pastel to mimic movement in the water.
Then paint a watercolor wash over the paper with any shades of blue/green/teal. Watch how the paint “resists” the crayon marks to leave a neat design.
Let your “river painting” dry and display as-is, or use it as a water background for your Create-a-Fish project!
Such a fun process, with unique results! Try water-themed version such as these river paintings, or adapt to make the project your own!
