Wax Resist Watercolor Postcards

I love taking some art supplies when we go on our family vacation each summer.  This year we combined watercolors with a little wax resist to create postcards to mail back to our friends.  It was a hit!  (An added bonus: it gave our budding first grader a chance to practice his writing skills too.)  We drew things we saw at the lake or on hikes using crayon.  Some of our favorite subjects were water lilies, kayaks, turtles, ducks and misty white waterfalls.  Once your subject is drawn (using a good amount of pressure on the crayon to build up a waxy layer) paint in the water using a wet on wet technique.  Just brush a thin coat of water over the whole area where you want paint color, load the brush with watercolor and dab it onto the wet paper.  Then watch the colors spread and mix creating beautiful reflective water without sticking to the wax crayon, it’s like magic!

Materials:
Watercolor Paper Postcards (you can buy them precut or cut your own 4”x6” rectangles)
Crayons
Paint Brushes
Shallow Container for Water
Watercolor Paint
Pen
Postcard Stamps