I’m no professional, but you know what I prescribe for stressful days when life feels crushing?
Breathing. Prayer and Scripture. Friends. Therapy. The outdoors. And low-stress painting!
I can help you with the last one!
Here’s a little color mixing experiment you can do with simple watercolor supplies. I found this idea for mixing greens in the Watercolor Fix-it Book by Tony Van Hasselt and Judi Wagner. To break out of the “tray” or “bottle” of greens and get more natural colors, try something expected. Directions below!
Supplies
First grab these supplies (Amazon links are associate links*):
- watercolor paints (I use this Koi brand tray set, and my kids use a tray set from Michael’s)
- tray for mixing (you can use the lid of your watercolor tray or another plastic container lid)
- brushes + water
- thick paper or watercolor paper. I am using this watercolor paper* from Amazon. It’s thin and doesn’t take much water or scrubbing, but it works for the kids’ projects.
- optional: Nupastels or chalk pastels for layering
- optional: fixative spray for sealing
Instructions
- Start by choosing a color that is NOT green. Mix in a good amount of water and transfer the color to a mixing tray.
- Add a pre-mixed green to your NOT-green color.
- Test the color with a little swipe on your piece of paper.
- REPEAT the same mixing process with another NOT-green color.
- Repeat until your paper is filled with a variety of greens!
Observe:
Which green did you like the best?
What color combinations surprised you?
We recorded a little live (unedited complete with squeals and screams in the background 😏) video as we did this one:
This is a great way to to learn how to create the greens that will give variety and depth to your painting!
We repeated this same experiment, but with oranges and blues and here are some of the results below.
Tag me on Instagram or Facebook if you try our little experiment. And if life is heavy, know that you are not alone and that God loves you!
“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.”
2 Corinthians 4:8-10 ESV
COPYRIGHT/USAGE: All writing, artwork and photos are copyright Marydean Draws. Please do not repost or resell on another website. I’m happy for you to use my coloring pages and other printables for home, school, and ministry. If you share content, please link back to the original post. Thank you!
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Great instruction!
It is even pacifying even to follow the process. Also, this demonstration can be a time saver. One can do it in green and know how it works,then see the orange–but not necessarily do it, if interested in other evolutions of color.
Thank you!