Friday, April 13, 2012

{kid craft} fingerprint painting

I'm a little behind on my kid crafts, at least when it comes to editing pictures and posting some sort of comprehensible text to go with them. So I thought I'd try posting something in the morning instead of at night when my brain is already half asleep. After spending about half an hour on a certain social network, I remembered why I don't usually do this in the morning anymore. Oh, that and I usually work.


Anyhow. Big brother's best friend turned six just before Easter. (Six! I still can't get over the fact that these little guys turn 6 this year and will go to school!) We of course had to make a birthday card. Since his friend is planning on a police themed party and we're getting him this really neat kit for identifying finger prints, I figured a fingerprinted card would be a good match.

The idea, like a lot of cool others, comes from Steph at Modern Parents Messy Kids. Within a nanosecond of reading the post I had ordered a copy of the book she mentioned: Ed Emberley's Complete FunPrint Drawing Book. You know how kids manage to get muddy fingerprints all over your house? Well, this book lets them actually use that talent on paper and turn it into artwork by showing them what lines to add to their fingerprints to make them look like anything from an angry pig to a police helicopter.


We pulled out the watercolors for this project. Ink pads work, too, but I figures watercolors would make for an easier cleanup. For us, painting the color on the fingertip with a brush worked better than dipping your finger in the paint directly, which lead to a smudgier print.


Then it's just a matter of making the prints, depending on the design you want. This is going to be a police car, in case you didn't notice.


The watercolor dries pretty quickly, so no need to wipe that paint of your fingers before grabbing a pencil and adding the remaining elements to your car.


Quick check with the book. Looking good.


Look, a helicopter! With an apparently brand-new, never seen before rotor system, but hey, you can tell it's supposed to be a helicopter. My kids not being quite the artists (neither are their parents and the genes unfortunately didn't make it to them from their grandfather), this is already an accomplishment. It's drawing with instant gratification. I like that.


More police cars on the way.


After the cars and helicopters were done, the book was quickly checked for what matters most to my boys, you know, right after things that go: cats and fish. Both are covered. So big brother did the cats. In case you are wondering, the second one from the left is not a bunny. It's a cat with double ears. Of course.


I love all the different instructions, but I like the critters best.


How can you not love an angry pig?!



Happy painting,
Swenja

1 comment:

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