Seven years ago I put together this rainy day art project. It may not be raining where you are, but many of us are looking for new activities while staying at home. As we’re heading into summer, school is letting out and day camp is becoming a thing of the past. I know a lot of you are looking for projects to keep the little ones occupied so I thought I’d repost this for our current quarantine era. This is probably most suitable for older kids (elementary or middle school), but you can make it more or less complex depending on your child. For especially little ones, consider cutting out the silhouettes beforehand to make it easier, and try using colored chalk or crayons instead of charcoal. One final note: I used a large sheet of art paper but you could absolutely use something smaller for a cute, framable 8x10 or 5x7. Make a whole set in coordinating colors to gift to the grandparents and you’re well on your way to becoming “mom’s favorite”.
Here’s the post with the original text…
Last weekend was dreadfully rainy. To cope with my cabin-fever, I worked on an art project. Luckily for you self-proclaimed "non-artists", the process behind this piece was so straightforward (not to mention it didn't require a lick of drawing), I thought I'd share it with you as a simple how-to. I imagine this would be really fun as a rainy-day project for kids. Let me know if you try it and what you think!
What You'll Need:
Paper
Tape (preferably artists tape or masking tape)
A photo of your profile (I snapped a quick shot on my computer and printed it out on cheap paper in black and white -- nothing fancy!)
Contact Paper
Scissors
A patterned stamp (or you could forgo the stamping process and use decorative paper instead)
Stamping ink
Charcoal (could be vine charcoal, compressed charcoal, chalk, or pastel... each one will have a unique look to it)
Paper towel or a chamois cloth for blending
An apron (charcoal = messy!)
Fixative or spray sealant
Step 1: Tape your photo on top of the contact paper and cut out your profile. Cut any additional shapes you'd like to include out of the contact paper.
Step 2: Tape down your paper along the edges (so it doesn't move around on you), and stamp away!
Step 3: Peel the backing off of your contact paper pieces and adhere the sticky side to your stamped paper (keep in mind wherever the contact paper goes, that area will remain white.)
Step 4: CHARCOAL! I find it works best to use the side of a compressed charcoal stick and try to work from the center of a contact paper piece outward (so you don't accidentally pull up the contact paper... if it happens though, just tell yourself that's part of the beauty of the artistic process -- the unknown!) Blend the charcoal as much or as little as you like, using your paper towel or chamois.
Step 5: Remove your contact paper pieces, carefully pulling from a corner.
Step 6: Admire your work!
After removing the tape from the edges, don't forget to seal the finished piece with a sealant, in a well-ventilated area (outside is best!)
Et voila, c’est finis!
