Easy Art Projects: Q-Tip Painting Seurat

Do you need an easy art project to get you through the day? Try painting with Q-tips!

This Q-tip painting activity is a fun way to paint with kids using something other than a paint brush. Painting with new or unique tools is a great way to break up your routine and get out of your comfort zone.

RELATED: Looking for more painting ideas? Try painting with your toddler in a box.

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Painting with Q-Tips was so much fun!

This week as part of our Famous Artists series, we are studying a different artist each day. Today we studied French artist, Georges Seurat, who is famous for using a painting technique called pointillism.

What is pointillism technique?

Pointillism is when you paint small dots to create areas of color close together that work together to make a larger image or pattern.

How do you introduce Georges Seurat to kids?

We think that the best way to introduce an artists to kids is to help them get to know them a bit, look at a few of their art pieces, and then try and use some of their techniques to create!

Once they've been inspired by their style of art or they've connected with something in the artist's life, they're going to be more apt to dive in and learn about an artist as they get older.

Here are some of our favorite Georges Seurat resources:

READ: Sunday with Seurat Mini Masters book and Georges Seurat by Mike Venezia.

WATCH FIRST: Get to the Point: Georges Seurat & Pointillism by Artrageous with Nate.

We watched the first 5-10 minutes of this video to get introduced to Seurat and learn more about his life and see some of his art. Then we were ready to create!

How do you do Q-Tip Art inspired by Seurat?

MATERIALS NEEDED:

large white paper
scissors
painters tape
washable tempera paint
Q-tips (or pencils)
palette for your paint
large cardboard box (optional)

SET-UP:

Tape a large piece of paper to each cardboard box to create a simple easel.
Give each child a palette of paint colors and if possible, a Q-tip for each color to help keep the paint colors vibrant and make it so kids aren't always asking to wash "their brush."

RELATED: Love doing art activities? Check out these 65+ amazing toddler art activities.

DIRECTIONS:

Encourage kids to use their Q-tips to paint small dots close together on their paper to create a larger picture.

Younger kids may just experiment creating lines and shapes using dots.
While older kids may try and make a more complicated pattern or picture.

Encourage kids to step away from their artwork as they are working to see what their picture looks like from far away and from use close.

The box easels were a simple way to give the kids a surface to work on while not having to stick any paper on my walls.
Using a different surface as an "easel" is also another way to take an activity that you've done again and again and make it more interesting.

Painting is so relaxing that I even took a minute to sit down and create. I love creating alongside my kids because they are watching my every move and learning without realizing it.
While I painted, I showed them how to bundle Q-tips together (with help from rubber bands) to cover more surface area with their paint. I also showed them how to make more solid lines of color by putting my dots closer together. I didn't have to lecture about this, I just did it. They watched and copied.

GALLERY WALK:

After each art session, we try and have a gallery walk where we admire each other's creations.

Today we took it up a notch and had the kids name their pieces of art and write their signatures. We placed the title cards next to each piece of art and it made it feel more like an official art museum.

Kids also practiced looking at the art with their hands behind their backs like they were at a read art museum.