EXPLORING WASHABLE PAINT – Blending, Colour

Students will be able to:

• use paintbrushes to create a variety of effects with washable paints;
• blend paint colours to create a range of values and hues;
• build on their own and others’ discoveries to generate new ideas;
• explain their process;
• express opinions about the works;
• support their ideas with evidence found in the paintings.

Set up a work area that students may visit when they are finished other work early, or need a brain break. Have students:

• set a personal challenge and then meet it, e.g., 
  - Make a strip that starts with red paint at one end and blue paint at the other and they gradually blend together.
• post their experiments with a brief explanation of their process on a central bulletin board so they can learn from each other;
• find exmples of artworks that have similar effects as those they have created and add them to the bulletin board.

1. Place students into groups so they can share ideas.
2. Cover tables with newspaper to keep the tables clean and provide a space to try out paint colours and dab off excess paint.
3. Use the Get Ready to Paint guide available this website to organize paint kits for each group.
4. Cut Bristol board to desired size, e.g., 25.4 cm x 25.4 cm (10" x 10").
5. Print copies of the Clean-Up sheet - one for each group. (Downloads - Washable_Paint.pdf)

1. Explain that washable paint is semi-opaque so it can be used in a variety of ways.
2. When first applied it is transparent, but as you add layers of paint it becomes more opaque. 
3. Ask students to share what they know about painting in general.
4. Point out the parts of a paintbrush:
   - The bristles - the hair of the brush;
   - The ferrule - the metal part that holds the bristles together; 
   - The handle - the wooden or plastic part that you hold when painting. 
5. Ask them to try to keep the paint on the bristles, not the ferrule.
6. Remind them that they can use the handle of the brush to make marks with too.
7. Explain that today's class is for experimenting with washable paint and brushes. 
   - It's a time to play with ideas and see what happens.
   - They should try to get as many different effects as they can, share ideas and learn from each other.
8. Prior to beginning the painting lesson ask students to number off.
9. Give each table a clean-up sheet that indicates the job each number must do. (Downloads - Washable_Paint.pdf)
10. Before starting the challenge go through each job, for example, 'Hands up if you are number 3 and 4? Your job is to wash the brushes and return them to the bucket at the back of the room.’
    - This will ensure that everyone participates in the clean-up and that they know exactly what they have to do when you call for clean up at the end of the class.
11. Ask one student from each table to get a paint kit. 
    - Ask this student to be responsible for returning the kit in good condition at the end of the lesson. 
12. Introduce the challenge.

1. Place students into small groups. 
2. Ask them to: 
   - Talk about how various parts of the images make them feel. 
   - Compare their work and describe to each other what they did to get certain effects.
   - Consider how doing these experiments might help them if they were painting a picture.
3. Ask some students to share their ideas with the whole class.

1. Have students cut their experimental painting into rectangles about 8.5 cm x 10 cm (3.3"x 5") to form a set of 6 cards.
2. Ask them to look at each one individually and answer these questions on the back:
   - What does this card remind me of? Why?
   - How could I use this effect in a picture? Why?
   - What else could I do with this technique?
3. Provide students with envelopes for storing their cards.
4. Encourage students to add to their collection with other experiments, and to use the cards for inspiration throughout other painting lessons.