One of the most popular craft posts on this blog has been my “Paint With Q-tips – Letter Q Preschool Activity.” It is so relaxing and rewarding to dot paint. Not many art projects can come out looking so nice with little to no skill or talent required. That’s my kind of art!
At the time that I shared that letter Q post, I had preschool on my mind. If I were to publish it brand new today, I would make it clear that dot-painting with cotton swabs is an “everybody” activity. Preschoolers really do enjoy it. Older children, teens and adults love it, too!
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There is so much satisfaction when you behold the end result. Your painting can be simple like the letter Q craft or quite professional looking with an impressionistic appeal, such as this Eiffel Tower picture. Above all, it takes very little concentration so you can talk and enjoy each other at the same time!
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Why the Eiffel Tower? This year we are teaching our 5-7 year olds about countries and cultures. We have been going “around the world” discovering the mysteries of some of the most interesting countries in the world including Egypt, India, China, Japan, Israel and, last week, France!
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The Eiffel Tower was my pick because it is the tourist attraction that Paris, France is best known for. I hunted around online and found that Artsy Craftsy Mom featured a montage of 10 famous paintings by the French artist Georges Seurat on her blog, one of which was the Eiffel Tower in tiny dots. Yes, a real French impressionistic painter of renown had already dot-painted it. How perfect! So I borrowed Seurat’s idea and we made our own in geography class.
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*By the way, I am so glad they didn’t dismantle the tower, as they originally planned. Do you agree?
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Dot Painting Is the Best!
Many of our activities this year have been quite complicated. It was time to do something simple that the kids could paint and be able to visit with each other at the same time. So, I located a line drawing of the tower and lightened it up to use as our template. The lighter the lines, the easier it is for the paint dots to cover them.
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We printed a light gray and white outline of the Eiffel Tower onto white cardstock paper. Then, we gave each child a waxy paper plate (so that the paint does not soak through) with pools of a variety of colors of tempera paint. One color was white so that they could do some blending if they wanted to. Then we gave them each 4 double-sided cotton swabs each to “paint” the dots with. I like to have a package of baby wipes nearby for quick cleanups.
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Oh my goodness, the kids just loved it and they did a great job! I decided get into the act and dot-paint right along with them. My artwork is pictured above.
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Tip: Using a new side of each swab, I dotted the red and yellow paint on the tower itself, first. Then I switched to the blue for the sky and green for the grass. I used white paint to create some lighter colors for more variety.
Click here for a free printable copy of the light gray version!
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Dot-painting adapts to just about any theme you can think of! You might want to use still-life or nature images like butterflies, birds or trees. How about the solar system? Or maybe the Great Pyramids? There is no limit to the great art you can create with little dots of paint!
Supplies
Kid-Safe Washable Tempera Paints
Waxy paper plates (optional)
Baby Wipes (optional – for cleanup)
Template to print onto cardstock.
You could also just pour the blotches of paint right on a dinner plate.
It is washable!
Letter Q is for Q-Tips and Quilt Craft
Enjoy!
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Are you a “pet parent?” Does your little love have fur? Lots of it? Well, I was so frustrated with all of the pet hair around the house from our yellow labs that I went on a quest for a new pet hair vacuum.
After a couple of fails, I finally got a new SHARK vacuum and my life was changed!
It does an amazing job at cleaning up pet hair and I am so thankful.
I consider it to be the BEST PET HAIR VACUUM EVER!
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This looks brilliant! I am certain that adults could enjoy it too.
You are so right, Lisa! Each time I have taught a dot painting lesson, I made an extra template for myself and for my assistants and we all joined in!