Try this heart art project for Valentine’s Day this year!
First, choose from two watercolor techniques to create watercolor surprise heart art for kids using our FREE Heart template printable. Next, invite children to paint with watercolors, and watch their faces light up when they see the art or message that magically appears on their paper.
One of the heart watercolor painting ideas uses a watercolor resist medium such as crayon wax or pastel, while the other watercolor heart painting technique uses primary colors and the wet-on-wet watercolor painting method.
Related: Watercolor Surprise Easter Egg Art
Related: Best Heart Art Projects
Watercolor Surprise Heart Art Supplies
The supplies listed below can be used to create heart art for both the watercolor resist method and the wet-on-wet watercolor painting method.
Note: You will only need to use a resist medium if you are choosing that method of watercolor painting.
- Stockmar watercolors, liquid watercolors, tube watercolors or watercolor pallet
- Heavy Cardstock or watercolor paper
- Crayons or Oil Pastels (Choose one or the other if using the resist medium method)
- FREE Heart Art Printable Template
- Scissors (optional)
- Construction paper (optional)
Related: The Best Art Supplies for Kids and Why Young Artists Should Use Them
Related: Thumbprint Heart Magnet Craft
How to Make a Surprise Heart Art Painting with a Watercolor Resist Medium
Painting heart art with watercolor a resist medium is a fun and easy watercolor heart painting idea for kids.
The basic idea is simple:
- First, draw a heart onto watercolor paper or cardstock, OR print the heart template onto cardstock, OR print out the template and trace it onto watercolor paper.
- Next, use white oil pastels or crayons to create some heart art designs in the heart for your children to find when they paint with watercolors.
- Last, invite children to paint the heart shape with watercolors to see the surprise heart art magically appear!
For even more heart watercolor painting resist surprise fun, invite your kids to draw designs for each other to make double surprise Heart Art. Surprise siblings, friends, classmates, and even mom, dad, or grandma with hidden heart art that they can paint with watercolors!
Give surprise heart art with a portable watercolor pallet to a loved one for a unique Valentine’s Day gift, or a fun way to say I LOVE YOU any time of year!
Related: Winter Tree Watercolor Resist Art
Watercolor Resist Suprise Heart Art Step-by-Step Directions
- Invite children to draw a heart onto watercolor paper or print the FREE Heart Template onto heavy cardstock.
- Cut the heart template out to trace onto watercolor paper OR draw and paint directly onto the cardstock.
- Use crayons or oil pastels to draw designs in the heart. All colors work, but only white will create hidden surprise heart art.
- Paint hearts with watercolor paint to reveal the hidden surprise designs!
- Allow heart art to dry overnight.
- Cut heart art out and glue onto construction paper or colored cardstock. (optional)
Related: Valentine’s Day Art Projects
Surprise Watercolor Resist Heart Art Step by Step Video Tutorial
Related: Rainbow Rainy Day Art
Heart-Shaped Watercolor Resist Art Tips
When children use watercolors to paint an area that was colored with white crayon or oil pastel they are surprised to see the drawings appear, even when they know the art is there. It’s magic… Invite the kids to experiment and have fun!
We like to use white oil pastels best because we like the way they work as a watercolor resist medium. Create an experiment with watercolor resist mediums to learn which resist medium you like best.
Working with colored crayons and pastels creates colorful designs that the child will be able to see before they paint with watercolors. Drawing only with white makes the designs hard to see before the child paints.
Pop over to have a look at Easter Egg Surprise Art if you would like to see how colored crayons and pastels look after they have been painted over with watercolors.
Ask children to choose 2 – 3 watercolors to paint heart art if you would like to encourage color-mixing and experimenting. You are welcome to use more colors if desired.
Offer only the primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) if you want color-mixing to be a part of your watercolor surprise heart art lesson. Learn more about working with watercolors in wet-on-wet watercolor painting.
Related: Best Flower Art Projects
How to Make a Watercolor Surprise Heart Art with the Wet-on-Wet Watercolor Technique
The second way to create watercolor surprise heart art is to use the wet-on-wet watercolor technique. For best results, use only two primary colors for each heart and watch the surprise color appear!
The surprise is revealed when the child discovers the magical third color. Painting with watercolors in this way allows children to experience color mixing so they can learn first hand that blue and yellow make green, or red and yellow make orange or red and blue make purple.
Related: Rose Watercolor Art
Primary Color-Mixing Heart Painting Idea
You could also call this heart watercolor painting idea primary color mixing heart art, but I think “surprise” is more fun for the little ones.
Besides, who would want to spoil the surprise by telling children that they will be doing color mixing?!
Shhh… it’ll be our little secret. 😉
Just look at how beautifully the primary colors (red, yellow and blue) blended below to create the secondary colors (orange, green and purple) in the heart art watercolor painting below.
My daughter has been working on wet-on-wet watercolor paintings using all three primary colors for a few years so she has already been surprised by the secret of the secondary colors appearing.
To make her heart art project into more of a surprise, I decided to use a chunk of white pastel to draw hearts on the inside of the heart-shaped template. She loved it!
Related: Easy Rainbow Art Projects Kids LOVE!
Surprise Wet-on-wet Watercolor Heart Painting Step-by-Step Directions
- Invite the kids to draw a heart or print the FREE Heart Template onto heavy cardstock.
- Cut the heart template out to trace onto watercolor paper, OR, draw and paint directly onto the cardstock.
- Hop on over to learn more about wet-on-wet watercolor painting if you would like to try creating surprise heart art using this technique. The article explains soaking the paper first. Another option is to use a spray bottle filled with water to get the paper wet and then wait a few minutes to paint.
NOTE: The template ink runs a tiny bit when you spray it, but it is possible to cut the heart out when it’s dry for a cleaner look like the hearts pictured throughout this article. Another option is to cut the heart out before spraying it with water.
Related: Best Winter Art Ideas for Kids
Surprise Heart Art Painting Idea for Kids (and Adults Too!)
Try either of these fun ways to create watercolor surprise heart art for Valentine’s day or any time of year. Don’t forget to hop over to have a look at this raised salt painting heart art! There is a video of the process that is mesmerizing to watch.
We have also put together an amazing selection of Heart Art and Valentine’s Day Art Projects.
You may also like this collection of thumbprint heart crafts and gift ideas and Valentine keepsake gift ideas kids can make!
For even more fun… have a look at this collection of love bug crafts, and beginning heart sewing project ideas.
Learn more about Rhythms of Play HERE!
If you Liked heart watercolor painting, You May Also Like:
- Watercolor Surprise Easter Egg Art Project
- Snowy Alpine Tree Watercolor Resist Art
- Heart Art Salt Painting
- Thumbprint Heart Necklaces
- Lovebirds Felt Softie Beginning Sewing Tutorial
- Glass paint Heart Tree Suncatcher
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