TIP #27: Solve the Paint Set Problem
You might have a paint set problem and not even realize it!
Paint sets offer so much convenience it can be hard to be too critical of them. Can you imagine having to squeeze out all those colors onto palettes for a class full of kids? And how about cleaning those palettes afterward?!
But there’s one big problem with paint sets. They make it very tempting for kids to paint only with those colors just as they are in their paint set.
Take the color green, for example. When kids want to paint something “green”, they’ll immediately reach for that green in their paint set. They won’t stop to consider if it’s lighter or darker, or more bluish or yellowish.
While a little bit of that “paint set green” is fine, too much of it becomes a missed opportunity. With such a great variety of colors in the world, why limit ourselves to so few? When kids are taught to recognize nuance in the colors they see, the quality of their paintings will soar.
Here are 4 ways to solve the paint set problem and help your students become aware of the subtle differences in the colors they see.
1. Go on a nature walk.
Sticking with the theme of “greens”, point out each green you see and talk about how it compares with other greens. Talk about the contrasting values (lightness vs. darkness) you see… how one green is lighter or darker than another. Point out greens that have lots of yellow and those that look more bluish.
2. Bring nature to them.
Collect some samples of different greens – leaves and plants are great for this. Bring them into the classroom for students to compare.
3. Share photos.
You can either take some photos yourself or share some images with lots of greenery online or in magazines. Try to find a full range of greens to compare.
4. Collect man-made items in a variety of greens.
Have students each bring in some small “green” items from home (remember to label these with their names). Then compare them and talk about their differences.
You could even take this a step further and have students paint a monochromatic still-life using a few of those items. Set up an interesting arrangement and paint it with the appropriate shades of green.
Mixing greens:
Green is a secondary color made by mixing two primaries, yellow and blue. Have kids experiment with mixing different amounts of yellow and blue to see how many different greens they can make.
Next, have them try adding a tiny amount of the other colors in their paint set to these mixtures, too. Not so much that the green turns to brown… make sure it still “reads” as a form of green. Then, try mixing a very small amount of those other colors with their “paint set green”, too. They’ll be amazed at how many greens are “in” their paint sets now!
But why stop at green?
Have kids play with mixing a variety of colors. Reds, oranges, yellows, greens, blues, indigos, and violets all exist in an abundance of variations. Don’t let kids limit themselves by painting only with the individual colors in their paint sets.
See my blog post, “Painting Great Greens”, for more on mixing lots of different greens from a simple paint set (affiliate link). You can apply these color mixing principles to other colors, and to working with tempera paints, too.
Your paint set problem can become a thing of the past when you get kids excited about seeing and mixing a variety of colors!
Teach kids how to clean their paint sets when finished
All this color mixing can take a toll on your paint sets if you’re not intentional about teaching clean-up. You can read about my very specific paint set clean-up procedure here and here. When students know what’s expected of them, and everyone is doing it, they are happy to comply. Plus, they know it means they will get a clean paint set next time, too!
an inspiring quote:
“It is the eye of ignorance that assigns a fixed and unchangeable color to every object; beware of this stumbling block.”
~ Paul Gauguin
It’s understandable that kids might think of all lemons as “yellow”, leaves as “green”, and the sky as “blue”. But an object’s “local color” is only part of the story. A color can be influenced (changed) by shadows, time of day, and the environment around it. Once kids fully grasp this, they will experience a whole new way of seeing the world around them.