Watercolor Splash Art

You like my extremely crooked picture?  I may or may not have taken it in the middle of a small meltdown. I have those periodically. 

Toward the end of the cold season I like to surround myself with bright, happy art.  This is probably why I love kid art so much.  It's whimsical and carefree and it reminds me of a time and a place where things were significantly simpler.  I'm always trying to merge my art with Jonah's art so that we have a cohesive display going on instead of something that looks like you threw Pier One and Toys R Us into a blender and slathered it on the walls.  

Today I have a simple watercolor project for you to try, and there are two variations for it. Hopefully you'll find one that appeals to you.  It is definitely a kid-friendly project.  Jonah and I have been playing with watercolor for years because of its versatility and limited tool requirements.  We hope you'll like it, too!

Let's get started!

What You Need

• Project 1

• Watercolor Paints

• Watercolor Paper

• Paint Brush

• Rub-On Quote or Alphabet Transfers

• Paper Towel for blotting your brush

• Project 2

• Watercolor Paints

• Watercolor Paper

• Paint Brush

• Alphabet Stickers (Check out these)

• Paper Towel for blotting your brush

Directions

Project One

Ready the watercolors!  People do this in different ways but I have found the best way to get really saturated colors is to put a few drops of water in each well and let it sit until it becomes gelatinous (ew, doesn't sound appealing but it is).  Start out with a big splotch of one color, the more imperfect, the better.  Then, blot your brush and add more colors to it, blending where you like.  

I like to add splatters to my splotches (try saying that three times fast!).   To do that, I load up my brush with watercolor, dip it into water slightly (just to add more liquid) and fling it toward my paper. It makes me feel like Jackson Pollock.  Plus, the dashes and dots add a lot of texture and dimension to your finished piece.

Now, after you have it fixed to your liking, let that baby dry! This is always the hardest part for me.  But you definitely want to allow this time to dry thoroughly or it will ruin the entire project.  When your piece is completely dry, take out your rub-on transfer* and trim it to fit your project, removing the tissue backing.  

*Rub on transfers can be found at Hobby Lobby or Michael's.  I have lots leftover from my scrapbooking days; they were OMGNEWANDSHINY from 2005-2008 or so.  The aisles of Hobby Lobby were once packed with them but that trend seems to have died.  This gives me the sads because I have found them to be quite useful with a variety of media. Nonetheless, you can still find a small selection at HobLob.  Follow this link. Ebay is also a fantastic resource!

Position your rub-on directly onto your splotch.  After you get it in the exact spot you desire, start rubbing over the outside of the image to transfer.  Most rub-ons come with an applicator, which is basically a plastic popsicle stick. Anything hard will work though.  In this case, I used the opposite end of my paintbrush to transfer the design.  Some you have to rub harder and longer than others (errrrr.....).  This white one was a bit of a pain, but the black one (further down in this post) transferred much easier.  

Here is the finished product after the rub-on was successfully transferred!

 It's still crooked (sad face). The other is a variation that I really liked.  I plan on hanging them amid my kiddos' art in the hallway. 

Project 2 

This is a variation of the first project, only instead of applying the quote/lettering over our watercolor splotch we're going to put it under this time.  As I'm sure any of you who are artsy already know, it's called making a relief.  In this project we'll start by choosing some letter stickers to spell out a quote, moniker, or name (or whatever else your artsy little heart desires).  I chose letters to spell out the name of our upcoming little one, Finn. 

Place the stickers directly on to your watercolor paper, making sure they are pressed down firmly.  We're going to be painting over the top of them, so we want them as flush as possible to prevent the color from bleeding under the edges. 

Using the same technique as before, start making your watercolor splotches directly over the stickers.  I chose to omit the splattering from this project and used the colors of Finn's nursery as my palette.  After your splotch is complete, let it dry completely. 

After it has finished drying, peel off your lettering to reveal the magic that is relief painting!

Here it is framed to hang above our little nugget's crib! 

Did I seriously get that one crooked, too? Mom fail.

These projects are really easy for making your own DIY art.  They are very much beginner level and are a great way to get into the wonderful world of watercolor.  I am an acrylic lover at heart, as it was the first medium I fell in love with, but watercolor has really come to the forefront of my preferences.  I once thought that all watercolor paintings were pastel renditions of flowers and pastoral settings, but a quick Google search proves that watercolor has evolved so much.  Often, I carry a set of paints with me to the park and I work on smaller projects while the kids play.  Cleanup is so much easier than traditional acrylic and it is very easy to tote about town.  I hope you will post some of your awesome watercolor creations!  

xo, Karee