Autumn Inspired Watercolor Mixing

We had so much fun this week experimenting in color mixing with watercolor paints. I read the book The Color Tree by Denise Bennett Minnerly to initiate our conversation about primary and secondary colors again. Next, students drew three trees across their page using black oil pastel. We talked about making branches that look like the letter 'y' and how to create texture on the bark of the tree by using different lines. Students then used primary colors to create leaves in the tree tops. After the primary color leaves were in place they used the wet-on-wet painting technique to create secondary colors by first wetting their paper with just water on their brush then adding two primary colors to the wet area. The result was a beautiful watercolor mix of secondary colors at the bottom of the tree where the painted leaves collided.
This is such a beautiful time of year even when it's a bit rainy (which makes for great rainy day art projects!). I hope you all get to enjoy the colors that nature is offering right now!