Watercolor Spider Web

Materials

Watercolor paper with webs drawn on

White oil pastel

Watercolors

Water

Large paint brush

Table protectors

INSTRUCTIONS

1. First, draw a spider web on your paper with a white or light-colored oil pastel. I will Lightly draw the spider webs with pencil, but would like for the students to dry and go over my lines with a white oil pastel. Tell them to press hard. If someone isn't getting it, you can do it for them. They may want to go over their lines a few times.

2. Paint over and around the spider web with your watercolor paints. Make sure students really "wake up" their paints. This means adding a lot of water and scrubbing the paints with a brush to liquify them. Urge students to use more than on color and paint to the edges.

3. Sprinkle salt on the watercolor paint while it’s still wet. This is an optional step but is especially fun for kids and creates a lovely mottled effect as the salt absorbs the liquid around it.

4. Let dry, rub off the salt, and display.

5. I will have students make or draw spiders on the webs if they want.