The perfect project for MLK Day or a peace unit, these gorgeous doves that we found over at Mrs. Art Teacher! are actually pretty easy to create. They'll take a couple crafting sessions since you'll have to wait for the paint to dry, but the finished product is certainly worth it!

Materials

watercolor paper

watercolor paints

paint brushes

table salt

plastic wrap

black and white card stock

black permanent marker

Making the Doves

What's cool about this project is that your kiddos will get the opportunity to explore several watercolor painting techniques; wet on dry, wet on wet, and salt texturing!

Watercolor Painting Techinques

Wet on Dry. The background paper and any paint previously applied to the paper is allowed to dry completely before more paint/colors are added. With this technique there is less bleeding between colors and the colors used are more vibrant.
Wet on Wet. Paint is applied to background paper that has been brushed with water or already has a layer of wet paint on it, allowing for a softer, more diffused look as the colors mix together.
Salt Texturing. With this technique, salt (table or sea) is sprinkled over the painted page when the paint is almost dry. Once the page is completely dry, the salt is then brushed off revealing a fun textured look.

The background for the project was created using all three of these techniques and, after adding the salt, students were invited to carefully cover the paper with plastic wrap.

Once dry, with the saran wrap removed and the salt brushed off, students added dove cutouts then printed quotes about peace on or around the shape.

Here are close-ups of the finished projects...

Aren't they beautiful!? For this and lots of other great project ideas, be sure to visit Mrs. Art Teacher!

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