Sailboat Reflections

Kindergarten and first graders made these adorable sailboat paintings using liquid tempera paints. Students were given a 12x18 sheet of paper that was folded in half "hot dog" style. I demonstrated how to draw a simple sailboat and stressed the importance of making sure the bottom of the boat did not go too far past the fold line (otherwise the paint would transfer onto the sails once folded). Students then used a light blue tempera paint for the sky and a teal for the water. Once dry, students painted details on the sails and added black for the pole and bottom of their boats. Next, students folded the paper along the original fold line and rubbed on the back so that the wet paint would transfer onto the bottom half of the page creating a reflection in the water! This technique creates a very fuzzy, impressionistic look!