Crayon Batik + Fluffer Nutter Hot Cocoa

This is a fun and easy art lesson you can do at home on a weeknight, a Sunday afternoon over hot cocoa, or even with your students.  My 6th graders are working on this project next week.  I love to cultivate a love of crayons – too often they are dismissed as elementary, and I believe they deserve a ranking of at least under graduate.

Step 1: Create a drawing using crayon.  Fill the entire page, corner to corner, edge to edge with crayon drawing.  I left the eye slits on the cat face exposed white paper, this way when I painted, they black paint would fill in, making the eye slits appear black.  Anything you want to stay white must be colored with a white crayon.  Also, try using a variety of colors and pressures.  The hard coloring vs. light coloring will be an important factor for resisting watercolor.  More on this resist technique is coming up.

Step 2: Cover entire paper in black watercolor paint.  You try other darker colors as well, but black will create the most vibrant contrast.  The paint will not stick to the waxy crayon, but rather resist and bead up on top of the crayon.  The paint will fill in small areas left untouched by crayon.  My students always ooh and aaah over this resist technique – it truly is magic!

Step 3: Blot any excess puddle of paint off of paper with a rag or paper towel.  Then, crumple the paper into a ball.  This crumpling is what will give the look and feel of fabric for the batik style.  Notice the outline on the table – if you are a neat freak, put newspaper or the likes down before starting this project.  Otherwise, watercolor paint is very easy to clean up.  A wet rag will suffice.  

Step 4: Open the artwork up, smooth onto table top.  Add more paint.  The paint will collect in the creases of the paper and create the look of fabric that has been dyed with the batik method.  Allow to dry.  Once dried, you may color over it again, using light crayons to bring out highlights.

Hang in window or display on fridge.  I, personally like the window display because it gives this artwork the look of stained glass.

I suggest you make some decadent cocoa to go with your art-making project.  I seriously wish I could serve cocoa or something of the likes to my art students, I think they would be able to concentrate better with a fresh snack in their bellies.

Fluffer Nutter Hot Cocoa – serves 1

In a mug: mix 4 teaspoons cocoa mix (such as Ovaltine Rich Chocolate mix), 1 teaspoon peanut butter, and 1 teaspoon marshmallow creme.  Fill mug with milk product of your choice.  Microwave about 2 minutes or until hot.  Stir well and serve with a marshmallow.

Note: there will be peanut butter chunks at the bottom, so if you prefer smoother cocoa you may want to heat in a saucepan on the stove top, whisking to create a smoother texture.

My opinion: Crayola Crayons truly is the best crayon brand.

You can’t beat Prang Watercolors either!