Here is an idea for making collage artwork that is similar to the pictures created by Eric Carle. We love Eric Carle books at our house! Here is a link to an explanation of how he makes his pictures.

I saw a set for sale several years ago with pre-printed paper for making collage pictures like Eric Carle, and I thought, “We can do that ourselves!”

To make collage artwork with watercolors, simply cover a sheet of paper with paint!

Gresham decided that he wanted to make a dinosaur, so he used a lot of blues and greens. We used watercolor paper from an art store (that was probably left over from when I was in high school!). If you don’t have watercolor paper, I would recommend using as heavy a paper as possible.

Our finished sheet of paper! (I had to help him get the paint all the way to the edges.)

Next, cut out shapes for the animal that you want to make. We did a T-rex. This part was Mom’s job, but Aidan (age 7) is ready to try this project completely on his own. He is planning to use brown paints and make another dinosaur. I think that older kids could take this project even farther, making a more complicated collage!

Finally, glue the pieces together to make your animal! I love how the paint strokes give the finished project an interesting texture.

If you want a “bumpy” look, you can put rock salt on the watercolors as they dry. The salt absorbs some of the water and creates an interesting pattern in the paint. Simply scrape the salt off once it’s dry.

Here’s another Eric Carle project – make your own Brown Bear, Brown Bear book.

Linked to Works for Me Wednesday

11 Comments

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  1. Lindsay @ BytesOfMemory Jan 10, 2011

    ooo very neat!! We will have to do this!! I love the different brush strokes in there!

    Reply
  2. mz liz Jan 10, 2011

    Can I come over to your house and play instead of going to work?

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  3. alecia Jan 11, 2011

    stopping by from HHH>>> wow, that's awesome my kids will love this!

    Reply
  4. Gina @ Chic Homeschool Mama Jan 11, 2011

    What a cool thing to do with the sheet of color. I will have to try this one with my kids. They will love it.

    Reply
  5. MarytheKay Jan 12, 2011

    Oh wow! This is amazing!! My 6yo daughter would LOVE doing this--thank you!!

    Reply
  6. Sharon Jan 12, 2011

    LOVE IT!!!

    Reply
  7. Kathy Jan 12, 2011

    I tried this with my grandaughter and she loved it. She painted the paper. I did the cutting. We used a very simple stencil of a butterfly. Fun for all!!!

    Reply
  8. Melanie Jan 12, 2011

    What a great idea! I just have to tell you how much I appreciate your blog subtitle! I think my mom (who only had girls) thought there was something seriously wrong with my boys because they didn't like to sit and color ;)

    Blessings,
    Melanie

    Reply
    1. Sarah Jan 15, 2011

      That's so funny! Yeah, boys are a different breed! Aidan enjoys coloring in moderation now, but he didn't get that way until at least age 5. Closer to 6 probably. Thanks for reading!

      Reply
  9. chelle Jan 12, 2011

    I like it!...diff on the list to do one day

    Reply
  10. Kathy Jones Jul 20, 2011

    I did this with Alyssa, age 2 1/2, and she loved it!!!

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