Are you interested in painting with your children, grandchildren, students or young friends? You can use our Step by Step guide to make it easy, fun and rewarding. No prior experience is necessary to do great paintings. The important thing is not what you can do but how much fun everyone has doing it.
Trying painting with kids will get them away from the TV, computer and video games and into the wonderful world of art. Painting is a very worthwhile pursuit because it builds self-confidence and concentration as well as being very relaxing and enjoyable.
We have written this blog with lots of details to help you avoid mistakes and learn from our experience so that you only have fun and gain experience from your efforts. We are a group of artists who have been painting together for over 20 years with kids ages 4-14. We have organized our information into easy to follow steps for beginners which is the method we use ourselves when we paint with kids.
You can use any kind of paint or even finger paints if you like – watercolors, acrylics, oil or tempera paints are all good choices. You can use paper or canvas boards or even large sheets of paper if you want to move the painting around after it’s done. Just remember that if you work on
The truth is that there are a lot of different ways to paint with kids and most of them should appeal to you. You may not know that this is the best way for you and your child, but it might be.
To get started all you will need is: paper, paint, brushes, and a desire to paint with your child.
The first thing I let my children do is prepare the surface they will be painting on. I have them tear the paper into small pieces so they can use blotting paper to “paint”, dabbing their fingers in the paint and then onto the paper. This helps them get a sense of what it feels like to make marks with the paint on the paper, and helps remove some of the stickiness so they aren’t frustrated when they put a brush in their hand. I also give them each a piece of scrap paper as an impromptu palette where they can mix colors as they wish by laying colors side by side or over one another. Mixing colors can also help them understand how colors change as you lay one color over another.
Once we’ve had some mixing time I then give them brushes and have them try painting on their own or with me guiding their hand on a larger sheet of paper or directly on the
As an artist, I always strive to create artwork that is meaningful and beautiful. But there are also times that I just doodle. For example, when I am waiting at the doctor’s office or sitting in a long meeting. Doodling is great for relieving stress and frustration, and it has been said that doodling can improve memory and concentration.
I have used these doodles as a basis for paintings with my kids (and in fact many of them were done with my kids). My children are three and seven years old, so you can imagine that their interest level is pretty high when it comes to painting. They love to paint in “real” paints. However, I try to keep it simple so we can all be finished before they lose interest. With that in mind, here are some basic steps to painting with kids:
1. Gather your supplies:
-a canvas
-paint (in this case I am using acrylics)
-brushes (I use fairly large brushes)
-a palette knife or foam brush
-painting smocks (for the younger artists)
2. Lay out your materials prior to painting, so everything is ready to go:
3. Set up the workspace:
Any child who is old enough to hold a paintbrush, can learn how to paint. The key is to find a style that fits their personality.
Here are some tips for painting with kids:
1. Let them choose the theme. Let them choose what they want to paint.
2. Get their input on the supplies you have available. Do they want to use watercolors or oil pastels? Do they want to finger paint or use brushes?
3. Set up a comfortable work area for them and let them go to it!
4. Let them do as much as possible on their own – but if they need help, be there for them!
5. Paint along beside them and give encouragement!
6. If they want help, offer it but don’t force it on them! They will ask!
7. When it’s done – show your child how proud you are of their work!
There are several ways to use watercolor paints with kids and I will try to cover them all. All the ways work best with a small group of kids. If you have more than 6 or 8 kids in the group it becomes hard to manage and the kids may become over stimulated.
Here are some options for painting with kids:
The first thing to do is get some paints. You can get cheap paints at the hardware store and it’s really up to you what kind of paint you use. I used acrylic paint, but watercolor and tempera paints would work just as well.
TIP: Buy a couple of jars of cheap paint for yourself and let the kids use that for their practice painting. That way you will save the expensive stuff for when you want to do something special and your kids won’t be upset if they ruin the expensive paint.
The next thing you are going to need is a few brushes. I like to let the kids choose their own brushes because they will be more likely to use them if they like them, and they are usually not expensive. You can also buy some inexpensive brushes if your child wants them or needs them.
Wash out any old food coloring bottles that have dried up inside, and have your child cut off the top third of the bottle. You can cover them with construction paper or contact paper if you want a nice finish on it, but it isn’t necessary, especially if you are working with younger children who might be tempted to poke holes in it with their fingers! Your little artists will love having a place to hold their paint and move it
“You’re never too old to enjoy coloring pages” is a common phrase among parents, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. The best way to keep your kids relaxed and comfortable is to get them involved in arts, crafts and music.
A great way to pass on your creative talents, develop their motor skills and help them learn while they are having fun is by making your own coloring pages. Best of all, you can make a huge variety of different ones that will help you bond with your children as you share this fun-filled activity together.