Spring Art & Homemade Water Colour Test

Well here it is everybody!  I finally completed my homemade marker water colour test with our spring art that we did this past week.  Let's start from the beginning.  For my spring art this year I had my students draw their spring flower with pencil on 90 weight water colour paper (I cut it in half).  They then coloured their flower with oil pastels.  When this was done students painted over their flowers with water colours.  Before the paint dried we put coarse salt all over the paper which gives the background quite a neat looking texture.

 

I then decided to try the same art with my homemade water colour markers.  I have to admit I didn't think it was really going to look all that great, but I have to say that I am pretty impressed with the results. It is a bit lighter then I would have preferred but I believe that if I soak more markers in one jar maybe the colour might get more vibrant.  That will be an experiment for another day! FYI the coarse salt also seemed to work its magic on the marker water colour.   See the pictures below for the results:

     
             Water Colour Paint Used                                      Homemade Marker Water Colour Used

Happy spring!

Lauren :)

Pinterest Tested - Water Colours!

A sweet colleague of mine was recently visiting my classroom and noticed my students throwing out our dried out markers.  She told me to stop immediately.  She said that she read on Pinterest that you could make water colours very easily out of dried out markers and water.  Well since I am so frugal and love Pinterest I thought I NEED to try this.  I immediately hit up the sight and found the link.  I was a bit skeptical at first but my goodness gracious we made water colours!!!  And we are now addicted to making marker water colours!!

Here is the original link I found: http://amanda0480.blogspot.ca/2011/05/recycling-old-and-crusty.html

All I did was use one marker and I stuck it in a small amount of water in a baby food jar.  I left it for about 4 days and when the kids and I tried it out they worked like a charm!  The colours aren't as deep as food colouring or actual water colours but for the frugal teacher this is a pin win!  I am heading to Michaels this weekend to get some good quality water colour paper and will post pictures of our marker water colours this week!

Lauren :)