Lesson Four: Watercolor Resists

"You'll never be bored when you try something new. There's really no limit to what you can do!"   -Dr Seuss

This week, I wanted students to build on what we learned about last week but also to give them a chance to try a new method of art and explore their creativity. We started by reviewing last week's lesson (the color wheel) and going over what primary, secondary, warm, and cool colors are. I mentioned the medium we used today: watercolor, and asked if anyone has used it before. Then, I prompted students to think about the type of paint we used last week (tempera) and asked them how it is different than watercolor paint, and why sometimes we use watercolor paint instead. The students were very quick and insightful in their answers- saying that watercolors aren't as heavy or 'goopy' and can be used for a smoother look. We looked at some examples of watercolor paintings and identified differences in this type of medium.

If  you look really closely at the 'salt resist' side, you'll see tiny
white dots where the watercolor paint is resisting or bouncing
away from the salt granules.

After our review, I introduced our new art vocab word for today: resist. We spent some time defining what 'resist' means- I gave the example of two magnets with north ends facing each other never touch and are resisting each other. We decided that 'resist' could also mean 'bouncing off' in terms of objects and art. I introduced the two types of watercolor resists that we worked with today: wax/(crayon) resists and salt resists. When we use a resist in watercolors, it means the paint will resist or 'bounce off' the medium that we use (either crayon or salt). I gathered the students to the carpet and modeled a simple method of both a wax and a salt resist so students could visualize what happens.

Then, I introduced our assignment for today: painting watercolor fish using both wax and salt resist methods. I showed some examples of what their finished product could look like and had students identify where they saw a resist method in the example (wax resist on the fish). We identified the different parts that need to be drawn on a fish (gills, tails, eyes, etc) and how we can draw patterns on them as well. I sent students back to their desks with the assignment to think about the type of fish they want to draw while I passed out their materials. Then, each student used their crayons to draw their fish on their paper. I reminded them to press hard so that the paint would completely resist the wax, and to add detail that we can see. I put some examples of fish on the board, but I was very impressed in the creative liberties the students took. They each had a unique fish in different sizes and in different patterns. Some drew multiple fins, some drew gills, some drew scales, etc. Once they were all finished drawing their fish, I modeled mixing water with the watercolor paints and painting over their crayon fishes. I asked students to pick either warm or cool colors, and try to use only those for their fish. Again, students were creative in using multiple colors and patterns with their paint as well as their crayon drawings. I loved watching their faces light up as they saw the paint resist the wax on their own painting.


Next, we discussed where fish live. We decided that fish live in either saltwater (ocean) or freshwater (ponds, streams, lakes, etc). Since we wanted to include a salt resist on our paintings, we decided our fishes would be swimming in saltwater. I explained that in order for the salt resist to work well, the paint/paper needed to be fairly wet. I modeled this by painting my paper with lots of blue paint as well as plain water. My mentor teacher- Vicki Gehring- had the great suggestion to have the students first paint their entire paper with water before adding any paint in order to keep it wet. As the students started painting, I went around and sprinkled salt on their 'water' and they watched the paint bounce away from the salt granules. Looking back, it took a while for the salt resist to take effect, so I might look into getting bigger salt granules that would have a faster and more evident effect. Even with the 'water' part of this assignments, the students were unique in how much water they added to the paint, if they added any other cool accent colors, and their brushstrokes. Every single artwork looked different!

One thing that struck me as I was teaching today is that controlled classroom chaos isn't always a bad thing. These 2nd graders were talking and sharing with their peers around them as they worked, and even though it was loud, they were still learning and being creative. I was a little bit wary of how noisy it was and having students walk around to look at other students' work or ask me a question, but that just means they're engaged! Of course, there needs to be a management plan in place that students and teachers can refer back to when things get really out of hand, but as long as students understand what is expected of them and are working, there's no harm in a little chaos.

After we cleaned up and laid our paintings to dry, we reviewed the lesson. I asked students the types of resists that we worked with today, the type of paint we worked with, and what surprised them and what they learned. It was evident in their answers that they really grasped the idea of how we can create watercolor resists using wax and salt, and why we might use watercolor paint for certain projects. I'm excited for next week to see more of their creativity shine through!

**I've posted a link to my lesson plan for this week under the 'Resources' page of this blog.