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WATERCOLOR BUTTERFLIES


Bright, beautiful Butterflies make a great subject for Square1. Here’s a project inspired by the blog, Deep Space Sparkle that should take 1 to 1 1/2 hours. 





SUPPLIES

  • Square1 Art paper
  • Liquid watercolors in various colors (Art Closet)
  • Watercolor trays, 1 for every 2-3 children (Art Closet)
  • Paint brushes (and Q-tips for younger grades (Art Closet)
  • Small cups for water, 1 per child (Art Closet)
  • Paper towels to blot wet brushes, 1 per child (please bring a roll from home)
  • Black crayon, 1 per child (Art Closet)
  • Small popsicle sticks for younger grades, 1 per child (Art Closet)
  • Butterfly Handout, make copies for the children (Art Closet)
  • Butterfly poster (Art Closet) 
If you have time, you can show this butterfly video or ask your teacher to show it before the lesson. Click on: Monarchs roosting in Mexico for the winter.



LESSON 

Good morning friends! What can you tell me about Butterflies? Who here has ever seen a butterfly? Where did you see it? What did they look like? Where do they live?  What do they do? What else do you know? What else can you tell me? Today we are going to paint our own butterflies, but before we do, let's learn a little bit more about them. 
  • Note: Engage the kids by having them tell you what they know about butterflies. Praise their knowledge and gently add to it. Repeat what they have said for the rest of the class, and try to add to what they say. They may tell you things, or you may want to acknowledge or ask questions about: color, pattern, symmetry of design, the life cycle of a butterfly. Sum up a few of their main points before you move on. 

READ A Butterfly is Patient by Diana Hutts Aston. Kinder classes can read The Hungry Caterpillar or selected pages from A Butterfly is Patient (books are in the Art Closet). 

SHOW the butterfly poster or last 2 pages of “A Butterfly is Patient” as reference when you talk.

DISCUSS the variations in the butterflies (feel free to to ask children questions or add your own knowledge about butterflies). 

  • Compare and contrast wing shapes, colors, and patterns (explain that a “pattern” is a repeating line or shape).
  • Point out circles, lines, and stripes
  • Talk about symmetry and how everything on both sides of the butterfly looks the same
  • Point out the spectacular colors in butterflies: cool blues and greens, vibrant purples, bright yellows, warm shades of orange. You can use all of these colors in your butterfly paintings! 
SCRIPT  

Butterflies come in many different colors. Some are blue, some yellow and black (point to examples as you talk). You know what else I've noticed? Butterfly wings come in different shapes (point some out), and there any many different patterns on those wings. Can anybody tell me what a pattern is (take their responses)? A pattern is something that repeats in a predictable way, like circle-square-circle or red-blue-yellow, red-blue-yellow. (Point out a pattern on one of the butterflies and ask the kids to give you an example.) Some have stripes, some have dots, some have....(point and discuss). What do you see? Why do you think they have all these different colors and patterns? 

Butterflies are also symmetrical. Does anyone know what that word means? Symmetrical means that something is the same on both sides. If you draw an imaginary line down the middle (show with your finger) what's on this side (point) is the mirror image of what's on the other side (point). See how on this side there are 2 orange dots (or whatever is there)? It's the same on the other side (show them a few examples until they get it). Cool, right? 

These are important things to notice about butterflies, because today we are going to paint our very own butterfly art projects. Are you ready? 


PAINT 
  1. Ask students to place a small popsicle stick in the center of the page and trace around it with pencil to create the body (older kids can free draw). This will give the kids a good idea of how big to make the wings in relation to the body.
  2. Using a pencil, draw the top wings first and then the bottom. Ask the kids to trace over their lines in black crayon. The wax in the crayon will create a barrier, so the watercolors won’t bleed into each other. The kids can either free-draw the wings or use the butterfly handout as a guide. Encourage the kids to draw big! Remember to keep details away from the edges. Using their knowledge of symmetry, the kids can then draw matching patterns on BOTH sides of the wings.
  3. Once the kids are done drawing patterns, they can start painting their butterflies. When painting design details, the Q-tips might be helpful for the small hands of kinder and younger children. Encourage them to paint every part of the butterfly in any color they want!
  4. Ask the kids to paint the background in a contrasting color. 

TIP Remind the kids to clean their paint brushes in water and blot on a paper towel in between colors. 

Afterwards, you can review what the students have learned or have an impromptu gallery showing where students get up and walk around the room to view other students' work.

EXTEND THE LESSON by setting up a makeshift feeder (with sugar water or fruit) outside the classroom to attract butterflies! HERE's a quick tutorial on how to make one.

EXAMPLE OF BUTTERFLY HANDOUT (available in the Art Closet)







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