Rainy Day Wax Resist Art Tutorial

Not a lot of time for art today? That's OK. This simple project can be completed in moments and makes for a perfect painting activity for multi-age art time! 

What you'll need:

• a piece of art paper (watercolor paper is best, but is not essential)
• a white oil pastel
• water color paints in dark, cool hues
• a wide-tipped paintbrush
• sponge brush
• water
• spray bottle and coarse salt (optional)

Directions:

Using a white oil pastel, draw a horizontal line across the middle of the page. This will be the horizon line of the scene. Press firmly as you draw. You won't be able to see the line, but that's okey-dokey. 

On the bottom half of the page underneath the horizontal line, draw several concentric ovals. These will be the splash patterns of the rain. Next, draw horizontal dashes from the top left-hand corner area to the bottom right-hand corner area. These will be the rain drops.

Dip a sponge brush into water and use it to cover the entire page with a light water wash.

Then, use a wide-tipped paint brush to make patches of color all across the pages. Try not to leave any white space. Fill in the entire page with different patches of blue, purple, and even black watercolor. This will reveal the wax drawings underneath. 

If you like, you can, then, spray the page with a light mist of water and sprinkle it with coarse salt. 

Allow the entire painting to dry completely before dusting the remaining salt off. 

And there you have it! A simple art time project that can be pulled together in minutes.