Before we dive into color, we'll take a moment to learn about watercolor crayons/pencils (and how to use them).

What are they?

• Watercolor or water-soluble pencils and crayons are are specifically manufactured with a binder that dissolves in water.

• They’re a unique cross-over between drawing and painting—you can draw with them as you would any pencil or crayon, but if you run a wet brush over your drawing, the color is dispersed and turns into a watercolor wash.

• They have the advantage of being easy to use, relatively cheap, and don't leave you with a mess to clean up.

Please read this brief intro to Watercolor Crayons & Pencils, then complete exercises #1-4.

All exercises should be completed by 6pm, W (4/28) --- we will discuss #4 in-class

Post them to the Critique Padlet: https://austincc.padlet.org/courtneycone/bdo9922j07fqd7rq

Exercise #4: 16 Techniques/Experiments

There are MANY different techniques for using your watercolor crayons/pencils. For this assignment, I want you to spend some time playing around with your crayons/pencils.

• You will make 16 “experiments” on your sheet of paper (at least 11x14”).

• You’re free to divide up the space on your page however you wish—you can make a grid, draw 16 shapes in varying sizes, etc.

• For each “experiment” you will try a different technique, such as: wet-on-dry, wet-on-wet, resist, drip, gradated values, salt, alcohol, white ink pen, saran wrap pull, paper towel prints, etc. You may also combine different techniques (you’ve already used) as a new experiment.

Note-- this assignment is experimental, I'd rather see you try a wide variety of things (even if some don't work out as expected). The goal is to learn about your materials and to explore different ways to use them.

To get started, click the links below to read/watch/learn about a variety of techniques.

Choose any of these techniques (from basic to experimental) you want to try for this assignment-- pick anything that looks interesting.

• 7 ways to mix pantry supplies & watercolors: https://theartofeducation.edu/2015/02/18/7-deceptively-simple-watercolor-techniques-that-will-amaze-your-students/

• 50 WATERCOLOR TECHNIQUES & PAINTING TUTORIALS FOR BEGINNERS & EXPERTS: https://watercolorpainting.com/watercolor-techniques/

• BASIC WATERCOLOR TIPS & TRICKS TO UPGRADE YOUR ART: https://watercolorpainting.com/watercolor-techniques-upgrade-art/

• Salt Technique: https://www.scratchmadejournal.com/blog/painting-with-salt-watercolor-tutorial

• Rubbing Alcohol Technique: https://watercolorpainting.com/alcohol/

Note-- some of these are written for watercolors, but they can be applied to watercolor crayons/pencils.