Watercolor Birch Trees

I am seeing such great results with the Birch Tree project that we are teaching this week.  There is alot to learn with this lesson although it seems so simple!

I taught the kids about perspective and how to view the trees as if they were in the forest.  I explained to them that if they were in the forest and were in front of a tree, it would appear quite large.  If you then looked further into the distance, the trees would look small.  We then applied that to our work and I showed them how to make that perspective possible.

Next, we talked about gradients, something I always touch upon when using watercolors.  I gave them an example of sunsets and how all the colors swirl into one another.  I showed them how to apply the watercolor and blend it in with other colors to make the lines and color soft. 

Finally, we talked about detail, which is so important with art and little kids!  We talked about the lines of the birch tree and the detail and shadows they should apply to make it look as natural and real. 

Here are some of the results!