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    You are here: Home / Art and Crafts / Single Color Art Exploration {Encouraging Less Arty Kids}

     

    Single Color Art Exploration {Encouraging Less Arty Kids}

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    My older son is a somewhat reluctant artist. One of the techniques I have used to encourage him to explore his creative side was to offer only a single color for our art projects.

    Single color art explorations are great for preschool artists.

    You may be thinking that using only one color for art projects will bore kids. I found the opposite to be true and I encourage you to give it a try.

    The idea behind working with a single color came from Susan Striker's book Young at Art: Teaching Toddlers Self-Expression, Problem-Solving Skills, and an Appreciation for Art (affiliate link). I was frustrated because whenever he had multiple colors of paint, or crayons, or markers his focus was always on making a single mark with each color, after which he would declare, "done!"

    One color kept my son focused on the process of creating art. He even talked to me about what he was doing!

    Although you can provide just a brush, paper and a piece of paper, there are lots of ways to explore single color art projects. I hope these ideas will give you a bit of inspiration.  All of the photos below show art work Kiddo created when he was 3 years old (he is 9 now). The philosophy of single color art, however, can be applied to kids (and adults) of all ages.

    UPDATE: Turns out my younger son is a reluctant artist as well. I've been working with him and so far these ideas have caught his eye:

    • Tape art
    • Giant comic strips
    • Hand tracing
    • Melting crayons

    Art Ideas For One Color

    Collage Ideas:

    One color mixed media collage art projects for kids

    Provide cut or torn shapes in a single color. Vary the background sheet in black or white, and then in the same color. For example, kids can paste black shapes on white paper, or black shapes on black paper.

    Provide textured materials in a single color. For example, buttons, cotton wool, corrugated paper, foam shapes, sparkly gems, glitter etc. Kids can either glue these on paper, but sometimes I set up sticky paper on the easel (above photo, left).

    Painting Ideas:

    Provide single color paint. Try tempera, liquid watercolors, homemade chalk paint, etc. Mix up your painting explorations by sprinkling on salt or experimenting with non-brush tools. It's okay if all you child wants to do is make a big blob.

    Exploring painting using only one color

    Some unusual tools we tried: painting with balloons, dropping string in paint and then dripping it on paper, painting with sponges, painting with bubble wrap or dropping watercolors on giant coffee filters. (I love this post from Learn at Play with Home showing how into green paint her kids got!)

    Single color painting for kids with color mixing

    After exploring a secondary color, try color mixing. For example, once Kiddo had spent some time creating with green, I put yellow and blue on the same tray so he could mix up his own color. They can also do a no-mess experiment by mixing colors in a bag.

    Sculpture Ideas:

    Spend time making homemade play dough or baking soda clay in different colors. Mixing up a batch of dough is half the fun.

    Make colored play dough

    Drawing:

    Mix up drawing on the easel with drawing on the table. You could even put big paper down on the floor. Use different art supplies like markers, crayons, oil pastels, chalk, and others.

    Stickers:

    Sticker art project for kids with one color

    I love office supply (affiliate link) for this. They come in a variety of shapes and colors. Stick colors on white or black paper, or even reverse the effect, like Kiddo did when he put orange stickers on white paper and then white stickers on orange paper.

    Printing:

    Printing art activity for kids with a single color

    Don't forget about printing! Kiddo loved to create circle prints with cups (gold rings, above photo top right) and paper rolls. Anything can be used for printing! Glue foam shapes to a piece of cardboard to make abstract stamps, which you see above. The same philosophy applies: print on contrasting paper, or on the same color.

    How to use single color art projects. Helps kids who say they aren't arty.

    What other ideas can you suggest?

    Even if your child is not a reluctant artist, these ideas can inspire them to see the process in a new way. The possibilities are endless and obviously, there are so many more way to create single color art.

    I'd love to hear from you if ever one color art with your kids. How did it go?

    How offering only one color can inspire kids to create art

    Know what else helps reluctant artists? Active Art!!!

    Boredom busters for rainy days. Fun active art projects that can be done indoors.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. maryanne @ mama smiles says

      January 31, 2014 at 12:17 am

      We haven't tried this yet, but I think the kids would love it! Pinning to my art for kids board 🙂

      Reply
    2. Cathy Ballou Mealey says

      February 01, 2014 at 4:09 pm

      With my less 'artsy' child I made only one rule: Paint with anything except your hands! Led to lots of fun painting with our feet and toes, holding brushes or Q tips on our teeth, and even painting with elbows. The silly factor loosened him up to enjoy the process of creating.

      And yes, it was summer so we were outside. Wwe used washable paint, wore old clothes and had a garden hose for clean up!

      Reply
      • Erica MomandKiddo says

        February 01, 2014 at 4:34 pm

        That sounds fun. My boys would love the silly factor, too.

        Reply
    3. teachingyoungchildren says

      February 03, 2014 at 12:31 pm

      Ooh, your blog is getting more and more crafty 🙂 We did some single color experiments when daughter was younger - perhaps we should try again. Great ideas and thanks for sharing with Afterschool!

      Reply
    4. Rachelle Doorley says

      February 10, 2014 at 10:46 am

      I LOVE this and just shared on my FB wall 🙂

      Reply
      • Erica MomandKiddo says

        February 10, 2014 at 11:38 am

        Thank you Rachelle!

        Reply
    5. Felicity says

      August 23, 2015 at 8:47 pm

      Thanks so much for this! I am a teacher currently working with a very difficult class of seven year olds.

      I've been trying to work out an art idea to go with "The Black Book of Colours" and some writing we'll be doing after reading the book and these ideas are great.

      Thanks for the inspiration!

      Reply
      • Erica MomandKiddo says

        August 24, 2015 at 6:29 am

        I'm glad the idea was helpful! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.

        Reply

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