This watercolor heart art is a fun and easy painting idea that kids will love! It uses an oil pastel resist technique that provides a barrier between the hearts and background, making it easier for kids to paint. This would be a great Valentine’s Day art project idea and would be suitable for kids in Kindergarten and up.
There are so many fun watercolor techniques for kids to try! Take a look at my collection of watercolor painting for kids for more fun and creative ideas.
We have used an oil pastel resist technique many times to create different art projects. Take a look at this winter birch tree painting and this watercolor butterfly painting for some more ideas that use this technique!
For more great Valentine’s project ideas check out my collection of creative Valentine’s Day arts and crafts for kids to make!
Create your own watercolor heart art painting
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Supplies
- Watercolor paper
- Watercolor paint
- Paintbrush
- Black oil pastel
- Pencil & scissors
- Water dish
- White paper to cut out heart templates
Instructions for your watercolor heart painting
1. First draw and cut out some heart templates with at least two different sizes. Kids can fold a piece of paper in half, draw half a heart along the fold, and then cut their hearts out.
2. Trace the hearts onto a piece of watercolor paper with a pencil first. Make sure to have some hearts overlapping. Using at least two different sizes of heart templates will add interest to the artwork.
Take a black oil pastel and trace your pencil lines, being careful not to smudge the pastel as you trace. Pressing hard and drawing a thick line will help the resist technique to work effectively.
3. Have kids choose the colors they would like for their hearts. Some kids can choose to use only a few colors, while other kids will choose to use a wider variety of colors. You can use a watercolor paint set or liquid watercolors for this step.
4. Start to paint the hearts, being careful not to smudge the oil pastel. Remind kids to clean their brushes before using a new color.
You want each piece of the heart to be painted a different color, so one heart can be painted two or even three colors depending on how the hearts were drawn. Continue painting the hearts until all of the hearts have been painted. Let the paint dry completely before moving on.
5. Have kids choose two or three colors for the background. Because there is a bigger area to paint here, have kids paint the background with clean water and a clean brush first. This will help the paint mix together on the paper and create a nice blending together of colors.
You want to make sure the paper is wet not soaking and then start to paint with your colors. Go slowly and carefully so you don’t paint inside the hearts. Once the kids are finished painting the background, let the paper dry completely on a flat surface.
This watercolor heart art is a great painting idea that kids of all ages will love making!
More heart art ideas kids will love
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Watercolor Heart Art Easy Painting Idea for Kids
Kids will use an easy watercolor resist technique to make this colorful watercolor heart art!
Materials
- Watercolor paper
- Watercolor paint
- Black oil pastel
- White paper
Tools
- Paintbrush
- Water dish
- Pencil & scissors
Instructions
- First, make and cut out heart templates in at least two different sizes.
- Use a pencil to trace hearts onto watercolor paper. Make sure that some of the hearts overlap. Using at least two different sizes of hearts will help to add interest to your artwork.
- Trace over your pencil lines with black oil pastel, being careful not to smudge the pastel as you trace the hearts.
- Start to paint inside the hearts, one section at a time. Each section will be painted a different color so some hearts may be painted with two or three different colors. Remind kids to clean their brushes before switching colors.
Let the paint dry completely before moving on. - Have kids choose two to three colors for the background. First, paint the background with a clean brush and clean water. Starting with wet paper will help the colors to blend together and create soft lines.
- Paint the background with your chosen colors, being careful around the black oil pastel. Remind kids to rinse their brushes between colors. Once the background is completely painted, let it dry completely on a flat surface.
