i recently coordinated a project that required the artistic abilities of myself and my 2 kiddos. they love to paint, so i let them, and we're all pretty happy with the final product.
step 1 - the little man
he's 3, the youngest "collaborator", so he goes first. i provided him with a canvas, a paint brush, and a tray of "cool" paint colors that he chose himself. i limited my input to directing him to paint the white areas, and he really stepped up to the challenge. he had a blast, and really did not think he should have to stop.
i know some people tarp off an area when they let their little ones paint. i think it's more work that it's worth. i put him in a t-shirt that was already stained, and that's as far as my prep went. acrylic cleans up easily with a sponge.
step 2 - big sister
after step 1 was dry, i let the 10-year-old have her turn. she got a palette of "warm" colors and she was free to doodle on the already-painted background. i told her that some of her work would get covered up, so it was more about having fun than painting a picture.
and step 3 - making it work
would i have hung it on the wall as-is? yes, probably. i'm a mom, so all the stuff they make is precious. but this was a set project, so there was my part to finish.
i was inspired by an image i found on pinterest, which seemed appropriate given the project.
i drew it out and then painted the sky and grass areas white before the blue/green. the space between the hearts was a particular kind of torture. then i went back in with a fine brush to do the black outline and then the white highlights.
i'm pretty proud of my fine brushwork. it's definitely a developed skill and i'm finally comfortable with most any project requiring it.
jo
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