This page was started as a result of a Getty Teacher ArtExchange post searching for watercolor ideas. The challenge is now out to all art teachers to submit your middle school and high school lesson ideas. Users of this site are invited to vote for their favorite WOW lesson. Send your idea along with one digital image by clicking the Submit a Lesson link.
Paintings went on the Drying Rack
Submitted by: Barbara Yalof
Fun with Glue - Watercolor with glue out line
Barbara go this idea from Arts & Activities
Materials:
• Good-quality Watercolor Paper
• White Glue
• Watercolor Paint
• Extra-fine black pens
Any subject can be used. Barbara chose to use flowers from life as well. Students draw directly with the glue - making flowing contour lines (no pencil lines). When the glue is dry - fill in with wet in wet watercolor. Optional - accent with fine point black markers. Outline both sides of glue and interior shapes made by watercolors.
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Watercolor Batik: You could do it this lesson with White Glue
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Submitted by Connie Ferguson Watercolors a la Dürer: (See lesson plan to on IAD). Students studied the print Rhinoceros
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Submitted by Ken Schwab Figure Abstract - 1960's Peter Max - Students made several contour drawing figure studies then combined them into one composition. After studying the work of Peter Max and the Beatles Yellow Submarine Also use Oscar Martinez for inspiration
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Endangered Species Montage Students research an endangered animal of their choice. After finding several views, they created a composition combining at least three views - including one focus down image for interest. Compositions were rendered in Crow Quill Pens
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Submitted by Woody Duncan Textured Watercolor Collage - -Adobe Churches Complete lesson plan on Woody's site. Students drew Adobe churches
on quality water color paper. torn paper collage elements were added. Modeling Paste
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Submitted by Samantha Shelly "Leaving the White" This is a project I call "Leaving the White" Students have previous knowledge of watercolor techniques Painting must include Students are to come up with design that overlaps shapes. (abstract, landscape, etc) Each individual shape uses a watercolor technique. Using visual balance, leave some shapes completely white try to stick with a color harmony. (sometimes you have to deviate) (See detail image)
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Submitted by Holly Kincade This is a watercolor project that I have done with my middle school students... Masking areas of watercolor with tape to do a wash for the sky. Added texture and interest is achieved with salt to give a snowy effect. The salt also adds a little glimmer. Dry Brush techniques are discussed for texture on the trees. From Judy: Make connections to Grandma Moses and Currier and Yves.
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Submitted by Linda Hoffett
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Submitted by Carol O'Neil First I ordered 200 lb. Watercolor Paper
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Lesson Ideas posted by Getty TeacherArtExchange list members:
From Marian Coleman: We do 3 technique sheets (washes, special techniques and how to create whites) and then an 11 x 14 (28 x 35.5 cm) landscape watercolor. Students do a basic composition using photos on 11 x 14 (28 x 35.5 cm) white drawing paper. Then they transfer to good paper using the window. They must use their techniques in the landscape.
Watercolor collage is great too. Create different colors/textures on watercolor paper, cut or tear and create the subject. We've done natural subjects such as animals, fish, birds, flowers etc. Keep the subject simple for best results.
From Randy Menninghaus:
Out of focus water colors. You have to have access to a slide projector... and some images. I had slides I had taken of various subjects, a window with vegetation around it, a simple landscape, some of my irises in my garden. I imagine if you had any image it would do.
Students had to do three pieces of postcard sized water color paper brushes, water, watercolors, paper towel. Dim lights. Tell them to work fast.
1. Day one show image out of focus. Give them 8-10 per image. Do at least two images. first Instructions. Use wet on wet to capture the sense of the image. No black in trays!
2. Day two tighten focus a bit. Do the same ten minute per image. More than one image. Begin to loosely define the image.
3. Day three tight focus. They see image. Refine the details. Don't start over, just resolve what you have - ten minutes each - do all images.
Water color postcards: Create a list of water color techniques - sponging, salt, wet on wet, gradations, dry brush, saran wrap scrunched on wet wash, tissue lift off. Do sampler. Final image, cut up your samplers and create a small collage landscape using the bits of the now dry samplers. I had two examples pre-made.
Draw a face: Can be a self portrait. Using Tracing Paper
Wet on wet images: Tape paper down. Dampen. Using soft puddles color do a wet on wet. Let dry. Look at them. Work into them using pen and ink. Any subject matter... Landscape doodle... still life, flowers.
From Ellen Sears: Several years ago we did some experimental watercolor - special effects, washes... two sheets of paper, then numbered and cut into strips and wove - also made baskets with lids (think rectangular prisms.)
This year my 7th graders did crayon rubbings on 18 x 24 (46 x 61 cm) paper - both sides - water color, salt, scrapings, more rubbings, stampings... tore the paper into 'pages' (9" x 6" / 23 x 15 cm) ) - piano hinged for the binding and added small origami books, scraps of sketches, lots of stuff to the pages - then searched for descriptive passages in text - retyped, cut apart and collaged in the books. We got in a lot of techniques, color theory, textures... and they were beautiful... so if everyone is tired - this may be a nice way to get some watercolor in.
From Wendy Free: The theme from my final project is machines - from simple (see-saw, wheelbarrow...) to complex (submarine or computer). Students will decide upon a subject by choosing a machine that is really important to them (shower) that they appreciate or use everyday OR one that is visually appealing to them (race car) OR one that they think is super-cool. They will procure photos from Google images or bring them from home. There are several choices for methods of representation which I have examples of (I got them from art.com by doing a search for bicycle. There are LOTS of different methods of representation shown) - from showing the machine in a scene, drawing a close-up of one or more parts, abstracting, distorting, embellishing design features... Students will be asked to incorporate design features into their composition which communicate characteristics of their machine. they will do a sketch and final enlarged copy in pencil. Color swatches come next with watercolors. Students will create a mixed color scheme that includes a full range of values. They will use those colors to paint their final composition and incorporate at least one watercolor technique we have learned this year (wax resist, blotting, etc.). Finally, we will use Ultra fine point Sharpies and colored pencil as needed for fine detail and emphasizing outlines. The kids say they think its a cool last project!
Michael Craig-Martin's artwork somehow inspired the machines project; I have his pencil sharpener print...
Some other cool machine image artworks: http://www.xs4all.nl/~aboiten/ad389.htm (toward the bottom)
One of my students suggested this Sci-Fi artist (he did ALIEN)
http://www.hrgiger.com/frame.htm
Some good info about machines: http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/InventorsToolbox.html
From Vicki Ranck: Another idea is to take pictures of local landmarks for the students to work from. It makes the learning real. Not to mention if you got twelve good ones you could maybe get a calendar printed up.
From Judy Decker: Not an easy project for end of the year... "What's the Bigger Picture?" This will require students to do research on local history. Select a landmark - or an area of the city - and research what was there before - Find out some history of the community.
This idea has a picture within a picture. The smaller picture will be a focal point - rendered more carefully and maybe accented with Crow Quill Pens
Pat Stier - interesting landscapes that could be done with watercolor collage.
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/steir_pat.html
The smaller painting could be raised up 3-D from the bigger painting if desired - with the larger painting forming a frame.
This will be a lesson about changes in the community and a reflection on the past. This idea actually brings together five separate ideas that were shared.
The mat to frame it might even be old Gregg's ads collaged. The Lima News (Archives) would be a good source for those. I could take my digital camera in and photograph them - print them out on a color that would accent the painting - or maybe "parchment" paper.
If anyone uses this idea - I would like to have a sample to show with the description - then YOU can be in the contest. I have no need to do my "invisible art" - I worked at Gregg's for 6 years in advertising. The closing of the store brought me back to education.
My definition of WOW for this one is Words on Watercolor.
Lesson Plans for Watercolor:
This lesson uses many experimental techniques.
Georgia O'Keeffe Watercolor Flowers See Ken Schwab's student work and Sue Galos'.
Sue Galos - Watercolor Lessons
- or with white 
by Albrecht Dürer (engraving that Dürer did from a description of a rhinoceros). Student drew an animal of their choice on 
, they added patterns and words to their compositions. Colors were chosen subjectively. This is a high school sample of work. Lesson is adaptable to middle school. (
textures gave interest. After the collage was complete, student painted with watercolors. The modeling paste gave some nice results. This lesson was done with 8th grades and is adaptable to high school.
. Volunteer students came after school and we wet the large sheets with water and squirted liquid watercolors on them and sometimes added salt for crystallizing.