Kid's Creation: Drybrushing
by
Jewellmartin
2 Materials
$1
1 Hour
Easy
Drybrushing is a skill that some adults haven't quite mastered. But my almost 7-yr-old granddaughter wanted to learn to drybrush. She loved the painted jar full of flowers her family gave me for Mother's Day.
Having supplies ready helps.
First we got the materials together! We needed two styrofoam plates for the paint, a jar, two colors from Apple Barrel Matte Latex Paint, two brushes, and masking tape. Later we used a few inches of ribbon and a silk flower.
My granddaughter "Estelle" did every bit of this craft, under my direction. She found a plastic jar in my stash, although usually we would use glass. She picked two colors out of 36 Apple Barrel paints I found online from Walmart.com. They were 50c each!
Taped jar -- ready to paint.
Estelle taped the sides of the two stripes she wanted. She measured 1 tsp. of Apple Barrel Matte Latex Paint in English Blue (navy) onto one styro plate. I gave her a 1" foam brush for the navy. Then she measured 1 Tbsp. of Apricot in the same line of paint onto the second plate.
I explained the drybrushing technique. Estelle dipped the top edge of the foam brush in the navy. Then she practiced painting in the clean part of the plate until she got almost all the paint off. Then to the jar.
Drybrushing the navy stripes.
She carefully painted the navy stripes. I told her that thin coats were best since each coat needed to dry before the next could go on. She figured out if she painted a coat on one stripe then flipped to the other, then she could always have a dry side to go to. She liked the way her stripes had stripes in them, and the stripes changed a little with each coat. She liked how it looked after three coats and she was ready for the orange.
Applying the Apricot in broad strokes.
Estelle really like using the stiff plastic-bristled brush with the orange color. She liked the stronger brush strokes made by the stiff bristles. She decided to make the broad strokes more translucent than the opaque navy (her words). She still made strokes on the clean part of the orange plate and dry brushed the paint on the jar, but she used 4 or 5 coats on each side. When the stripes were dry, she removed the masking tape. She declared her jar finished.
A bow on the drybrushed jar.
She decided her jar needed some embellishment. Out of the tiny gift wrap closet, Estelle chose a piece of plastic ribbon about ten inches long, plus a silk flower. I tied the bow on roughly, and she tucked the pink daisy with the orange center behind the knot.
Estelle's drybrushed jar.
Estelle kept holding it up to the light, admiring the contrast in the colors. She decided to take it home to hold her Missions money. She wants to give money for the homeless children in Dallas Tx., and for VBS children on the Mexican border.
Lagniappe -- something extra.
Estelle wanted another little project to use up the rest of the paint on the plates. She found some seashells in my soap dish, and she painted three coats on each shell. When they dried, she drew a little design on each with Elmer's Glitter Glue. These she left with me.
One last look.
I would say Estelle learned Drybrushing. She's already asked what she can paint next!
Comments
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2 of 12 comments
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Estelle did a great job on her missions bank! The instructions were very informative and the pictures really made it easy to follow, as well as making the project come alive! Looking forward to seeing your next project. Kudos to you both!
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Thanks, @Jcarrizales. It's easier to be the photographer when someone else is doing the crafting. Kudos greatly appreciated!😇
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