Kids love to create with watercolors, so they’ll love this art lesson. Watercolor Art for Kids by Joan Miro is a fun lesson that can be done with your kids at home or in the classroom.
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Joan Miro is a very talented artist and should be on any art history list when teaching children.
He has created a great range of art and his style has changed over his career, this is a great lesson for kids to see that sometimes it takes time to develop who “YOU” really are, and that’s okay.
So whether you’re homeschooling or a group of kids, here’s some background on Miro’s life and art, then I’ll walk you through a fun lesson that kids of all ages will enjoy.
About Joan Miro
Joan Miro was a Spanish painter, primarily known as a “Surrealist” artist. However, he did not start out that way.
Miro was born to Michel and Dolores Ferra in 1893 in Barcelona, Spain. He inherited his talent from his father, an artisan in many fields including watchmaking and jewelry.
Miro had no talent for studying at school, but he began drawing at a very early age.
He painted landscapes from the places he frequented and in 1912 he attended the Gali School of Art in Barcelona.
His works after graduating were close to the Fauvist style popular at the time, in which bright colors were used in new ways, and this was something he always did in his works, even as his style changed.
He began traveling to Paris in 1919 and befriended many artists involved in the Dada movement, an art movement that was not “standard” but aimed at finding a unique and unconventional style.
He had his first solo show in 1921, and his style at this time was very similar to Picasso and Cubism. You can see how talented he really was when he was able to adapt to what was popular without any problems.
In 1923 he began to compose works that more reflected his own style and from then on his work became increasingly better.
His works are abstract, colorful, full of shapes and graceful images.
As you watch, you will find yourself searching for many hidden things in it and this gives the viewer some interesting moments.
It was this that led him to the Surrealist movement (and his works were fantastical).
He was highly regarded along with many other Spanish painters. Miro did well after his popularity declined. He died in 1983.
Joan Miro Watercolor Art for Kids
You will need:
- watercolor paper or mixed paper
- pencil and eraser
- Watercolor with different brush sizes
- thin black felt tip pen or ink pen
Step by step instructions
To create a Miro style piece, it’s best to try not to think too much about what you’re drawing.
doodle on paper
I explain this to the children I teach by suggesting the idea of simply taking a pencil and lightly scribbling on paper.
Let your child start with a light pencil and be careful not to focus too long on the drawing, going into any realistic details or you will lose the rest.
Draw lightly and erase if necessary.
Try drawing broader, more general strokes but enjoy the results, and don’t try to draw any particular subject.
Then go back and see what you learned, and if you feel like you need to add some more lines or curves in some places, go ahead.
Add watercolor
You can then add color by coloring it to your liking.
Watercolor the gaps and cover the entire page if you like.
I believe watercolors are best for this purpose, because they have a fluid look. You can play with them, making them lighter or darker with more water or more pigment.
Too much white left over takes away from the Miro style.
I also asked them to go over those pencil lines with black paint for a nice finishing touch. Ink can also be used.
Use a very thin brush and paint black lines over the pencil lines. Or, after the paint has dried quite a bit, use a black marker or thin pen to draw them over.
Kids will come up with all sorts of designs. This is a really fun way to create some beautiful and easy to do art.
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Categories: Activities for Kids
Source: fetb.edu.vn