Building Creative Skills: How to Introduce Watercolor Painting to Young Children

Introduction

Art is a highly creative discipline that is also very valuable for kids to learn. It offers a child the opportunity to think, create, and express themselves fully with the help of pencils and beautiful colors. Painting is one of the forms of art that requires the child to use beautiful liquid paints and make something with their imagination or take inspiration from the surroundings. In addition to fostering creativity, art also reinforces eye-to-hand coordination and problem-solving skills.

Introducing kids to watercolor painting at a young age allows them to learn the basics of painting early. It also gives children the opportunity to understand the technicalities involved in painting and further the craft. Children generally enjoy seeing different colors mixing up together to form new colors. Also, the process is extremely therapeutic and detail-oriented which may highly benefit a child.

What is Watercolor Painting

Watercolor painting is a type of painting that requires a kid to use water-based colors. Such painting is generally done on regular paper, canvas, fabric, or other similar surfaces.

Watercolors are generally made from pigments that are finely grounded and suspended in water as well as a binder. The solution and the texture of these colors is very uniform. The pigment of the color is mixed with a binder, and the child has to take the pigment and mix it with a little bit of water before painting. The painting is done with regular paintbrushes.

How to Introduce Watercolor Painting to Kids

If you're planning to introduce watercolor painting to your kids, then here are some tips that can make learning more comfortable for your child.

• Teach them Basics

The first step towards teaching your kid watercolor painting is to introduce them to the basics and the foundational knowledge. Start with something as simple as making them learn how to hold a paintbrush. A good grip ensures that the paint stays in the right place. The second step is to understand how much color is to be mixed with watercolors. If a child adds more water, the color will have noticeably light washes. On the other hand, adding a smaller amount of water would give more pigment to the painting.

• Use-Age-Appropriate Material

While selecting your stationery, try to keep it simple and prioritize age-appropriate tools such as brushes and colors for your child. There would be a lot of interesting options such as different types of brushes and expensive colors. But as a parent, you have to try to choose something that your child will be the most comfortable with. Try to opt for painting brushes that are softer and easier to hold. Also, while choosing the paper for the painting, opt for the one that is more absorbent and thicker. This helps in absorbing the excessive water and paint and is the best for a child who is just starting to paint.

• Keep It Fun

During the early sessions of painting, try to keep the process very fun and short. Do not indulge in making complex sceneries with your child who has just initiated the process. The initial days should look like lessons on mixing different colors to form a new color. Encourage them to learn how to use colors in a playful manner. This is to generate a basic level of curiosity among your child and create their primary level, association with art. Art should always be a medium for your child to express themselves freely and not any kind of competition to win.

• Be Process Oriented

Painting with watercolors requires one to be more invested in the process rather than the output. The whole beauty of a painting lies in its process. This is an idea that you should try to instill in your child's mind. Make the canvas a playground for your child to experiment with colors and patterns. Create a learning environment where there is nothing such as failure, but only new learnings. Try to encourage them by celebrating their small achievements and listen to each of their ideas and recommendations very carefully.

• Use Imaginative Stories

To encourage your child to develop independent and authentic paintings, you can take help from some imaginative stories. Stories can help in pushing the mind to generate different ideas. Any cue from the story can be the point of inspiration for your child to paint something new. Try to teach your child how painting can be used to convey one's emotions and not just tangible objects in the environment.

• Take them Outdoors

Try to take your little painter outdoors and encourage them to be surrounded by the environment. Taking inspiration from nature is a great way to make incredible paintings from watercolors. Also, watercolors are extremely effective in making landscape paintings that a child may make while being outdoors. Encourage your child to take time, observe, and reflect before painting something. The positive aspect of painting close to nature is that it helps in breaking boredom and the change of scenery can help in the generation of new ideas.

Conclusion

Watercolor painting is one of the many types of paintings that a child can learn. The whole journey can be an extremely rewarding experience for both the parents and the child. Nurturing such creative qualities in a child from an early age can help them open and be more artistically intellectual from an early age.

References

https://bethanyinstitutions.edu.in/blogs/blog-role-of-art-in-child-development-and-its-impact-on-education/

https://mideerart.com/blogs/educational-toys/watercolor-painting-teach-children-tips-fun-creativity