BACKGROUND:
Wax resist is a cool artistic technique in which use you wax crayons and then color over the wax with watercolor paint. The wax creates a barrier on the paper that the watercolor paint can not get through. Some artists specifically use white crayons or white wax to keep areas of their work blank. However in this art lesson plan, we’ll be utilizing colored crayons to create our colorful spring bunny and scene. Wax resist will still work the same, though, and the crayon colors will show through the watercolor paint.
OBJECTIVE:
Define and demonstrate implied texture. We’ll do this by drawing the bunny’s fur and pieces of grass with our crayons, before going over the picture with watercolor paint. Use the wax resist method to create a picture of a furry rabbit.
Anchor Standard #2
-Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
Anchor Standard #3
-Refine and Complete artistic work.
Anchor Standard #5
-Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation.
Anchor Standard #6
-Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Create a picture of a bunny with a landscape in the background with a pencil. Use crayon to trace over pencil lines and add texture for fur, grass, and other details. Use watercolor paint to fill in all other areas of the picture to use the wax resist method of painting.
Step 1:
Using a pencil, draw the rabbit head and body. Your teacher will show you the best techniques for drawing your bunny. Then, draw a background. Feel free to add in whatever details you would like, such as flowers, clouds, sun, etc.
Step 2:
Trace over all pencil lines with crayon, and color in only small areas with crayon. Don’t color in anything too large such as the background or body of the rabbit. We will add finer details to some of these areas and then paint them using watercolor paints.
Step 3:
With crayon, add texture lines for fur on the rabbit and small lines in the background to create blades of grass.
Step 4:
Before moving on to paint, cover your tables in newspaper or some other type of mat, as this can get messy. Then, use watercolor paint to fill in the rest of the picture with color. Notice how the wax from the crayons shows through the watercolor paint. Let your pieces dry on a drying rack and you are finished!
CHECK THIS OUT:
Though his bunny artwork may look a little different from ours, Hunt Slonem is known for painting bunnies–as well as butterflies and tropical birds–in his distinct neo-classical style.
FUN FACTS:
While your students are working on their pieces, teach them these fun facts about bunny rabbits!