Watercolour and Resist

Exhibition:  Heaven Can Wait

Artist:  Roy Caussy

Overview

There are many varying ways an artist can approach the way they create their works of art.  Roy Caussy describes his approach as intuitive, subconscious and inhibited, which allows the freedom of his imagination to guide his decision making.  When we allow our creativity and imagination to lead us, we are creating a process art experience.  This means that the emphasis is on the process of creating, not on the end result.  We are free to explore materials, colours, construct our own interpretations and can express ourselves freely.  This art project guides the participant through a process art experience using resist materials and watercolour.

Objectives

• Build creative confidence through a process art experience

• Engage in creative thinking and self-expression

• Explore resist materials and techniques

Materials

• Watercolour paper

• Water

• Paintbrushes

• Resist materials; Crayons or oil pastels

• Objects to trace (optional)

Instructions:

Remember that this is a process experience.  There are no expectations for what the end result may look like, rather the emphasis is placed on exploring our creativity by allowing the materials and our imagination to guide our decision making.

Step One

With your piece of paper in front of you, begin drawing/mark making with your resist materials (crayons, or oil pastels).  Younger participants can trace found objects.  Tracing can be a good starting point and arranging the shapes on a page flexes our design and layout muscles.

Step Two

Once the resist material has been laid down, you can start applying your watercolour.  You will notice that wherever the crayon was laid down on the paper first, the watercolour is blocked or resisted.  

Step Three

You may choose to go back and forth between the two mediums as a way of experimenting. 

Step Four

When you are satisfied with your visual composition your artwork is complete.

Variations

Explore using other resist materials such as tape, or masking fluid.

For older participants: Introduce the term popular culture relative to art making.  Have participants include a pop-culture reference within their artwork.  This could be drawn using a resist material or a cut-out from a magazine and incorporated in to the composition through collage.