Watercolor Sea Horse Art Lesson

Depending on the age of your students you can provide a stencil or have them draw their own sea horse on watercolor paper.  Once they have the shape cut out of watercolor paper they use drops of different colors to create a light dappled sea horse.

I will demonstrate putting dabs of yellow here and there with a paintbrush, then a yellowish green, then a regular green, then a blueish green and finally some blue.  They will randomly dab the colors on in a pleasing pattern of their own choosing until they feel it is finished.  They don't have to use these colors, but they will be using at least 4 colors that mix well together.  For example - oranges and yellows, blues and greens, pinks and purples etc...

When it is mostly dry they can do a splatter color to add even more pattern/texture to the design.  I use a toothbrush for this.

Finally when the sea horse is dry they can add glitter and sequins wherever they want - but it is an accent, not for covering the whole painting.

It's fun the let students paint with some freedom!