“….As the child’s conception of line, shape and color grows…their capacity for selecting and organizing these elements also increases.”
– Nancy Smith
Overview
Grade Level
3 & 4 year olds
Media Theme/ Big Idea
Painting Explorations: Tints
Essential Question
What happens when we add white to a color? What is a tint?
Materials and Tools
- 18” x 24” white paper 80#
- Red paint in soufflé cup
- Blue paint in soufflé cup
- Yellow paint in soufflé cup
- White paint in soufflé cup
- 1” brush
- Water in deli cup
- Sponge
- Tray
Activities
Step 1: Invitation to Explore
- “What colors did we create/make last week?”
- “What do you see on my tray this week?”
- “We have yellow, blue, red and white!”
- Review removing the lids off of the soufflé cups.
- “What happened when we mixed white with blue?”
- “What happened when we mixed white with yellow?”
- “What happened when we mixed white with red?”
- “What color should make now?” Model making green, orange and/or purple.
- Review brush washing song every time you change colors!
- Review drying the brush on the sponge
- Model adding white to each of the colors.
- “What colors are we making?”
- Light yellow…”What can we call this color?” Lemon yellow.
- Light orange….peach.
- Light purple…lavender or lilac.
- “What do you think we call these colors?” Tints or pastels.
Step 2: Work-time
- Invite 3-4 students to the art center.
- Encourage them to stand or sit, whichever is more comfortable for them so that they can use their whole arm as they move the brush on the paper.
- Each student has her own tray with a cup of red, blue, yellow, and white paint, a brush, deli cup with water and a sponge.
- Remind students to wash their brushes between dipping into each color.
- Encourage students to try mixing white into each of the primary colors.
- Encourage students to mix colors to make green, orange and purple and to add white into each color combination.
- Comment on the many colors the students are creating and how they are moving their brushes to create patches/areas of color.
Step 3: Reflection
“Which is your favorite color? Does anyone have a questions or comment for the artist?”
Vocabulary
Paintbrush, handle, bristle, mixing, add, blend, light, dark, lighter, darker, top, bottom, corner, middle, tint, pastel, lavender, lilac, peach