Aerial View Watercolor Lesson

Supplies:

watercolor paper, watercolor paint, brushes, crayons, watercolor frisket (or rubber cement), water cup,

paper towel, salt, straws (optional)

Demonstrate Watercolor Techniques on watercolor paper (divide into sample squares)

Wax Resist—crayon (white or light color best)

Frisket Resist—must be dry before painting over it / remove after paint dries

Texture Lines—use handle of brush, depress paper, pigment will settle darker in these areas

Salt—on wet painted area, salt will gather pigment forming sand like texture

Wet on Wet—pre-wet area then drop color in for flow, or use a straw & blow wet paint

Dry Brush—good for grasses and bushes

Gradation —wet area, drop color in stripe, add water to brush for each new stripe row

Imagine: students are asked to close their eyes while being prompted with questions below

What does a bird (or drone) see when flying overhead?

What does your house look like? —shape

What roads lead from your house? —lines

—a foot path to a favorite place you go —curvy lines

—driveway to the streets that take you to school —connecting lines

—route you take to your friend’s house or dog walk—include friend’s house / landmarks

Where is the nearest waterway? —pool, stream, river, lake, ocean

Where are the nearest mountains? —what do they look like from the sky?

Draw: using pencil, students draw on watercolor paper—outline only (fill in with color later)

Draw what you visualized —your home looking from a bird’s eye view

Draw your house first —placed just off center in the page (⅓ rule of composition)

Detail your drawing with crop row textures, plants, trees, people!

Develop distinct areas divided by roads, paths or waterways...

When finished each area will be filled in using a different watercolor technique

Paint: one area at a time

Paint frisket areas first—protects area from watercolor 

Use a different technique in each area

Make your house the “center of interest” by painting it a brighter or a contrasting color

Evaluation: (rubric 0-5 scale / 20 points possible)

5= mastery, excellent solution to the problem, exceptional skills and craftsmanship

4= good, followed directions, met expectations, demonstrated skills learned, good craftsmanship

3= average, met minimum requirements, lacks skill level for this project, average craftsmanship

2= below average, didn’t meet lesson objectives, didn’t follow directions, poor craftsmanship, unfinished?

1= no effort, poor participation, missing work? 

(5)  ___ Watercolor Techniques—5 techniques are used in painting

(5)  ___ Design—center of interest (house) is clear / well developed abstract design  / color, texture

(5)  ___ Creativity—aerial view is well thought out with many personal details

(5)  ___ Execution— neatly done, followed directions, finished on time

(20)___ Total Points