Rabbityness! Kindergarten Watercolor Rabbits

In this lesson, we will read Rabbityness by Jo Empson. This book explores how art adds color to our world, and how each of us is able to create color with art. After reading this book as a class, students will draw their own rabbit, and use watercolor to mix brown for the rabbits fur and create tertiary colors around the outside of the rabbit. The primary purpose of this lesson is to provide students with the opportunity to mix colors freely on watercolor paper and experiment to create some “Rabbityness”!! 

Fine Arts Goals/Objectives:

Students will be able to paint with liquid watercolor. 

Students will be able to mix tertiary colors. 

Students will be able to mix brown using the primary colors. 

Students will be able to apply knowledge of a book into a tangible project. 

Nat’l Core Arts Standards:

VA:Cr1.1.Ka Engage in exploration and imaginative play with materials.

VA:Cr2.1.Ka Through experimentation, build skills in various media and approaches to art-making.

VA:Cr1.2.1a Use observation and investigation in preparation for making a work of art.

Vocabulary Acquisition:

• Tertiary Colors 

Artmaking Materials Needed: 

•  Watercolor paper 

• Liquid Watercolor – Red, Yellow, and Blue 

• Water cups 

• Large Paint Brushes 

• Black Crayons or Oil Pastels 

• Pencils 

• “Rabbityness” by Jo Empson

Contemporary/Historical/Multicultural/Popular/Literature Art exemplars:

“Rabbityness” by Jo Empson