Watercolor Resist with Crayons for July 4th
Watercolor Resist with Crayons art is a go-to for an easy and fun Fourth of July craft project. I’ve always loved how the crayon drawing “pops” out when the paint as added.
This project is suited for any age group from very young to those that have seen many July 4ths! Everyone will have a “blast”!
It only takes paper, crayons, and a box of watercolor paints to make it happen no matter where you are- a campground, family reunion, or at home.
Wax resist watercolor painting for beginners (or olders!)
A watercolor wax resist painting sounds fancy, but it is so simple that a small child can do it.
The basic idea is to put wax on the paper where you don’t want color. Wax resists watercolor so when you paint the paper, anywhere on the paper where there’s wax the watercolor will not add color.
In our project, a crayon is our source of wax. So we color a design (add wax to the paper) and then paint over it with our watercolors. Boom. So simple, but it makes a cool picture.
As you make your design, keep in mind that where you color, the crayon color will show through.
Supplies for Watercolor Resist with Crayons for July Fourth
Protect your work surface and clothing...
Start by laying out newspaper or craft paper to cover your surface to protect it from paint that may go astray! It may be wise to put a paint apron or old t-shirt on to keep paint off your clothing too. Better safe than sorry.
Watercolor paper
We will be using watercolor paper for this craft. Watercolor paper is heavier and made with a surface that holds the paint well. Thin copy paper shreds and curls when wet which is frustrating.
This watercolor paper comes in a pad for kids’ projects and is reasonable in price, especially if you get it on sale.
Watercolor Paint
I recommend purchasing and using a brand name box of watercolor paints (such as Prang) for your watercolors. The watercolors that we used in the video were an off brand and the colors were not bright and vivid.
Instead of vivid red, yellow, and blue the colors look more pastel, so the red looks pink. Live and learn, sigh. I took one for the team. Your paintings will come out with vivid colors with Prang!
Sketch out a design for your crayon watercolor
This time we went ahead and drew our picture onto the paper with pencil. The composition or layout of your design is usually better when you think about it a bit and then pencil out what you are going to color.
But there is always the fun of spontaneous creation and that may be your M.O. (mode of operation). In that case you color directly onto the paper. Do what fits you or fits the child best.
Fourth of July fireworks drawing
This design features a rocket shooting across the page!
If you’ve been following Welcome To Nanas, you will recognize that a rocket is a cylinder. We had a how to draw lesson on a cylinder! You can find that here: How to Draw a Cylinder.
There are stars and explosions all over the paper that makes it look like a real fireworks display!
You can draw whatever you like of course- firecrackers or fireworks in the sky.
This does not have to be for July 4th, you can draw other things as well- a design, kites, sea shells, etc.. Be creative.
Crayon and watercolor
Next you will go over your pencil drawing with crayons.
Remember that the wax of the crayons resists the watercolor paint that we will use next. Everywhere there is wax, the color of the wax will show through.
Black & White crayon watercolor
The two colors I chose were black and white. The black looks like a color book outline through the watercolors. I especially want you to see what the white wax looks like in the picture after painting!
It’s easy to see the black crayon wax being placed on the paper as I color. I don’t think about crayons being wax very often, do you?
But it is not very easy to see where the white crayon wax is being placed as I color. Take care to get all the lines colored that you want done with white wax in this step.
You can use any color of crayons, just remember, that is the color you will see “pop” through the watercolor in the next step.
Cover the paper with water
Get a glass of clean water and open up your box of watercolor paints next.
There is a brush that comes in the watercolor set that will work fine, but if you have a set of brushes choose a large one for this step.
Completely cover your drawing in water. You want the entire surface of the watercolor paper wet so that the watercolor paint can easily spread over the paper. It isn’t a problem if you miss a few spots so don’t let that worry you.
Drop paint into the water and let it spread...
Choose the colors of paint that you want to use in your watercolor resist with crayons project.
This is not going to be a precise “painting”. You are going to drop paint into the water and let it spread and swirl in the water.
Don’t try to “paint” and move the color into exact places. Enjoy watching the paint move around and blend.
Crayon Resist Technique- add the paint
Using your wet brush, load the brush with your first color. Touch the paint brush tip down into an area that you would like to be primarily that color- perhaps yellow in a star.
Keep adding paint into the drawing in the areas you want this color, adding color to your brush as needed.
Then, clean your brush out well in the glass of water and move to another color of watercolor paint and do the same thing. Touch the areas of the picture you want this second color and let it spread.
Repeat this until you are done adding color to your painting.
I recommend only using about 3-4 colors or it will get “muddy”, too much color blending that gets kind of brownish looking.
Crayon and watercolor
The colors kind of blend and move around and will dry that way after you let the project sit for a while.
Do you see how the wax “pops” through? I especially like how the white shows up through the paint. I plan to make an entire wax and watercolor resist painting using only white crayon soon. It looks cool.
What do you think of Watercolor Resist with Crayons?
What did you think? Now that you know the process perhaps you want to try another painting and experiment a bit with wax and colors of paint? I sure do!
Crayon resist art- how about more?
If you like this technique, here’s another post that uses the wax and watercolor resist technique. Plus one more that uses the watercolor on a wet surface technique.
If you are a YouTube fan watch the video there and subscribe! YouTube video for Watercolor Resist with Crayons for July 4th
Enjoy!
If you try Watercolor Resist with Crayons for July 4th, let me know! Go ahead and leave a comment, rate it, and tag a photo with #WelcometoNanas wherever you post.
Come join the fun at https://welcometonanas.com
Watercolor Resist with Crayons for July 4th
Equipment
- Brushes
Items Required
- Watercolor paints in a box (like Prang)- this has a brush in it
- Watercolor paper
- Crayons
Instructions
- Start by laying out newspaper or craft paper to cover your surface to protect it from paint that may go astray! It may be wise to put a paint apron or old t-shirt on to keep paint off your clothing too. Better safe than sorry.
- This time we went ahead and drew our picture onto the paper with pencil. The composition or layout of your design is usually better when you think about it a bit and then pencil out what you are going to color.But there is always the fun of spontaneous creation and that may be your M.O. (mode of operation). In that case you color directly onto the paper. Do what fits you or fits the child best.
- Next you will go over your pencil drawing with crayons.Remember that the wax of the crayons resists the watercolor paint that we will use next. Everywhere there is wax, the color of the wax will show through.You can use any color of crayons, just remember, that is the color you will see “pop” through the watercolor in the next step.
- Get a glass of clean water and open up your box of watercolor paints next.There is a brush that comes in the watercolor set that will work fine, but if you have a set of brushes choose a large one for this step.Completely cover your drawing in water. You want the entire surface of the watercolor paper wet so that the watercolor paint can easily spread over the paper. It isn’t a problem if you miss a few spots so don’t let that worry you.
- Using your wet brush, load the brush with your first color. Touch the paint brush tip down into an area that you would like to be primarily that color- perhaps yellow in a star. Keep adding paint into the drawing in the areas you want this color, adding color to your brush as needed.Then, clean your brush out well in the glass of water and move to another color of watercolor paint and do the same thing. Touch the areas of the picture you want this second color and let it spread. Repeat this until you are done adding color to your painting.
Video
Notes
Supplies for Watercolor Resist with Crayons for July Fourth
- Watercolor paints in a box (like Prang)- this has a brush in it
- Brushes
- Watercolor paper
- Crayons
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