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What are some good crafts for kids?

Some of the best crafts for kids are ones that are easy to make, don’t take too long, and don’t make a huge mess. Some of the most fun crafts for kids often involve making a mess so it is important to lay down paper or plastic depending on the activity and maybe even give the children smocks. If the craft involves scissors make sure the kids are old enough to use them safely or have a guardian help with the cutting or sewing. Be creative. Try blending multiple crafts together into one for a unique creation. There are countless ideas that can be made with the simplest and easily accessible materials.

How do I use acrylic paints?

Acrylic paints are some of the easiest paints to learn how to use. The paint typically comes in a tube or a tub. The better the paint the thicker it will be. This just means there is more pigment and less medium. If the paint is already thinned down it can be applied directly to the canvas, board or other surface. If you are using high quality paint it will have to be thinned. Clear medium and water works the best although water works well if you are out of medium. Every artist has a certain consistency that they like to work with. Some prefer a watery paint that goes on semi-transparent so layers can be built up with lots of thin applications. Others prefer thick, opaque paint strokes and don’t thin their paint at all. Of course thin layers will conserve more paint allowing for more paintings to be completed with the same amount of paint.

Other than paint you will need a few different brushes, a jar of water, a palette and palette knife, as well as a surface to paint whether it is canvas, board, or a wall.

Now all you have to do is decide what to paint and practice, practice, practice.

How do I use oil paints?

Oil paints are revered for their bright colors, smooth texture, beautiful sheen and incredible durability. They are also one of the most difficult and time consuming paints to work with. They come in tubes and it is recommended that artist’s quality paint be purchased. It is brighter and will last much longer. The paint is about the consistency of room temperature butter and can be further thinned with turpentine, liquin, linseed oil or kerosene. Liquin will give it a quicker drying time. You will also need a few brushes, a container to clean them, a palette, and palette knife. Opacity and permanence differ from paint to paint so be sure to find the right ones for the project. A permanence of 4 stars is the best although one star paint is good for beginners and much cheaper. Here are some good starter colors that can be used to paint almost anything:

Flake White
Ivory Black
Burnt Umber
Raw Sienna
Alizarin Crimson
Scarlet Lake
Cadmium Yellow
Chrome Yellow
Cobalt Blue
Ultramarine

These are not good for skin or ingestion so be very careful when mixing and painting. Practice applying the paint and mixing the colors. Be aware that it will take about a week for the paint to dry before another layer can be added on top so incredible patience is very important. The final layer should also have the most linseed oil, or medium in it to bind all the layers underneath to the canvas properly. This technique is called painting fat over lean and has been practiced for centuries. Fat referring to paint mixed with lots of oil, lean being an almost dry paint.

Now pick a subject and give it a whirl.

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