Rose Watercolor Resist Art Project

Paint a rose, with black glue as the resist medium, to create gorgeous rose art. A fun and easy watercolor rose painting idea for kids, teens, and adults. This rose watercolor painting tutorial includes how to make black glue and basic beginning watercolor techniques to help you learn how to paint a rose. Place rose art in a frame for an easy gift idea for mom or grandma.

Invite your children to paint a watercolor rose, and, join the fun! I had as much fun painting a watercolor rose as my 4-year-old daughter did!

Rose Art Watercolor Painting Idea

Watercolor rose art is a fun and easy flower painting idea for kids, teens, and adults.

Related: Real flower Nature Crafts

Watercolor Rose Art Materials

White Glue
Black Acrylic Paint
Heavy cardstock or 140 lb cold press watercolor paper
FREE rose template (optional)
Stockmar watercolor paints, OR, liquid watercolors, OR, watercolor tubes, OR watercolor pallet, OR food coloring
Paint brushes and/or water brushes

How to Make Black Glue for Rose Painting

Making black glue is simple. You don’t even need to measure. Add a good squirt of black acrylic paint to a bottle of white glue and shake well.

We have a small bottle, of what was once white glue, dedicated to continually mixing white glue and black acrylic paint into to make a never-ending supply of black glue. We never measure and it always turns out fine.

Remember, white glue dries clear. You don’t need to keep adding black acrylic paint to make black glue look black. Black glue will always look a bit grey when it is wet but it always dries black.

How to Paint a Rose Watercolor Painting with Black Glue as the Resist Medium

Step 1 – Draw a Rose or Print Rose Art Template

Invite your child to use a pencil to draw a rose onto watercolor paper, draw a rose for them, OR, print our free rose art template onto watercolor paper or heavy cardstock.

Step 2 – Trace Rose Art Template with Black Glue

Trace the outline of the rose art with black glue, and, allow the black glue to dry overnight. Older children will be able to do this step on their own while younger children may need some assistance.

Step 3 – Paint Rose with Watercolor Paint

When the black glue rose art outline is completely dry, invite children to use watercolors to paint a watercolor rose.

Rose Watercolor Art Process and Tips

I printed out and traced two roses with black glue the night before we did this watercolor rose art project because I wanted to paint a rose too!

Because my daughter has had a lot of experience working with wet-on-wet watercolors I decided to let her give this project a go without demonstrating it first. I was curious to see her process without any of my influence, so I told her that I would paint mine when she was finished.

If your child has never worked with watercolors, I recommend that you prepare at least one extra rose so you can demonstrate how to paint with watercolors first.

Show children how to paint, more than tell them how to paint a rose. Young children are imitative creatures and learn best by watching others. (You can see evidence of this fact in “Round Two” below.)

The rose petals can be painted with watercolor paint individually, or, you can paint over the entire rose black glue and all. The black glue will resist the watercolor paint as long as it does not get soaking wet.

My daughter loves pink, so she chose to paint a rose with a light and a dark pink watercolor paint, and light green for the background. I told her a color story about a rose that longed to be bright and colorful and away she went.

For more information about how to tell an optional “color story” check out single color wet-on-wet watercolor painting.

Related: Starfish Watercolor Art

Watercolor Rose Painting: Process Continued

Because I took pictures of my daughter painting, she wanted to take pictures of me painting rose art. Monkey see monkey do!

I decided to paint a rose with yellow, orange, and magenta watercolor paint, and my daughter took the photos below as I worked. I was seriously impressed with the pictures that my daughter took of my rose watercolor painting, so I decided to include her photos in the photo collage below.

In the rose art photos below, you can see how to lay the watercolors side by side and/or layer them on top of each other in order to allow them to mix and blend. Rose watercolor painting is a perfectly imperfect art form.

The key to painting a rose with watercolors is to go with the flow. You want to literally work with the way the watercolor paint flows as opposed to against the natural flow of the watercolors. Use water to help them mix, blend, and flow even more.

Black Glue Rose Watercolor Resist Art Project: Round Two

My daughter loved this rose watercolor resist art project so much that she begged me to make more black glue roses to paint with watercolors, so I did! I was amazed at what happened.

A few days after her first watercolor rose painting she painted two more watercolor roses. Even though she had watched me paint my watercolor rose a few days prior, I could see the influence that observing my work had on her rose painting.

This time I watched her start to paint a rose with her flat watercolor wash brush. Next, she decided to paint her rose art with a smaller watercolor brush just like I did.

And… wait for it… she began layering the watercolors and using water in the same way that she saw me paint rose art! Amazing and true!

As I said, children learn best by watching others. I gave no instruction at all. Not one tip or bit of advice.

She watched me paint a watercolor rose, took photos, and learned! Monkey see monkey learn!

Look at the amazing pink and blue rose, and, the gorgeous pink and red rose she painted below using her new watercolor layering and blending skills.

Pink and blue rose on watercolor paper

Pink and red rose on watercolor paper

Watercolor Rose Painting with Black Glue Resist

A black glue rose is too gorgeous to stash away or sneak into the round file known as the trash can. This artwork would look amazing framed and hung in the home or given away as a gift.

My daughter can’t wait to give the black glue roses she painted to her grandma’s for Mother’s Day!

You may also like these cute fingerprint flower glass magnets and this collection of amazing homemade gifts kids can make.

Learn more about Rhythms of Play HERE!

More Black Glue Watercolor Resist Art Projects

If you like working with black glue you may like some of the other art projects below. Click on the title to see the full tutorial for each art project.

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Holiday Art Projects for Kids

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Nell Regan M.A.

Nell has over 20 years of experience working with children and is the founder of Rhythms of Play. She believes in the wonder of childhood, the power of the imagination, learning through play, and getting outside in all seasons! Learn more…

Comments

Sally Samuel says
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Hi there Nell!
This is a gorgeous project that I am interested in trying out with the kids in my Library programs. While there is lots of rose clip-art online, I really like the one you used. Do you have link to where you found it? Or know where the image can be downloaded? I would be so incredibly thankful if you could help!
Thanks so much for posting this,
Sally
- nell says
  at
  Hi Sally! So glad you like the project and the rose I used. Creating my own printable is on a very long list of to-dos. I will move it up in priority and do my best to get to it in the next day or two.
  - Sally Samuel says
    at
    Oh! I didn’t realize you made it yourself. Nell, I would be deeply grateful if I could receive a copy – whenever you are able to. If it is easier, my email is sally.samuel@wbrl.ca. Thanks so very, very much!!
    - nell says
      at
      Okay, Sally, I have edited the post to include a link to a free rose template that you may use for personal use only. You may copy them for students to use, but they may not be distributed. Enjoy! 🙂
      - Sally Samuel says
        at
        THANK YOU, Nell! You are amazing!!!!!!!! 🙂
      - nell says
        at
        Awww, gee, thanks… blushing 🙂

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