Kids will love creating their own winter silhouette art using easy and fun watercolor techniques. Use icy winter colors to create a beautiful swirly sky and then paint in simple winter silhouettes on top.
This art project uses salt with a wet on wet technique that produces different patterns and blending effects. Kids will love to watch as the colors blend together and the salt creates interesting patterns!
For more watercolor painting ideas that use the same technique take a look at these easy watercolor flowers and this mixed media heart art.
If you are looking for more winter project ideas take a look at my collection of beautiful winter art for kids to make!
Create your own winter silhouette art
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Supplies
- Watercolor paper
- Watercolor paint (you can use a watercolor set or liquid watercolors.)
- Paintbrushes
- Paint palette and water dish
- Painter’s tape and wooden board (optional)
- Coarse salt
Instructions for your winter watercolor painting
1. Start by preparing your watercolor paper by taping it down to a wooden board. This is an optional step but really helps to keep the paper from buckling and moving around. If you don’t have a wooden board you can try taping your paper down to the table.
2. Have kids choose 2 or 3 watercolors for the sky. In one example I used blue and purple and in the other example blue and pink.
Start by painting your paper with clean water. Next, start painting the sky with the watercolors. Paint one color at a time and let the wet paper mix and blend the colors together.
This is called a wet on wet technique and is an easy one for kids to explore. You can learn more about watercolor techniques for beginners here.
As you paint the sky, think about making wavy or swirly brushstrokes to create even more interesting patterns.
3. While the paper is still wet, sprinkle on coarse salt over the sky. Kids can sprinkle the salt on over the entire paper or in just a few areas. Each painting will be unique!
Let the paper completely dry. Once your paper is dry, gently brush the salt off into the sink.
4. Use a pencil to lightly draw out your silhouette design. Kids can draw in any design they like!
A tree with branches or an evergreen tree, add in a snowman or a winter animal and a crescent moon. A simple drawing works best, however.
5. Use black watercolor and a smaller brush to carefully paint in your silhouette design. If you find that the black paint is too transparent, you can always paint in a second coat.
Let everything dry completely and then carefully take off the painters tape.
This winter silhouette art is a great watercolor painting idea that kids will love to make! The swirly winter sky and simple black silhouettes will make each painting unique.
More watercolor painting ideas kids will love
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Watercolor Winter Silhouette Art Project
Kids will use easy watercolor techniques to make a gorgeous winter silhouette art project. A fun watercolor painting idea with a winter twist!
Materials
- Watercolor paper
- Watercolor paint (you can use a watercolor set or liquid watercolors.)
- Painter’s tape and wooden board (optional)
- Coarse salt
Tools
- Paintbrushes
- Paint palette and water dish
Instructions
- First, tape your watercolor paper down to a wooden board using painters tape. This is an optional step but will help to keep the paper from buckling and moving around. If you don't have a wooden board you can try taping your paper down to a table.
- Have kids choose 2 or 3 colors that they want to use for the sky. Paint your paper first with clean water.
Using one color at a time, paint the sky on the wet paper. Let the wet paper help to mix the paint together and produce different patterns and color blends. - Once kids are done painting the sky and while the paper is still wet, sprinkle coarse salt on the paper. Kids can sprinkle the salt all over their paper or just in a few different areas. As the salt dries, it will create even more interesting patterns in the sky!
Let the paper dry completely and then brush off the salt carefully into the sink. - Use a pencil to lightly draw in the silhouette elements. A simple design works best.
- Paint the winter silhouettes with black watercolor paint. Using a smaller round brush works well for this part.
- Let everything dry and then carefully take off the tape around the paper.
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