Sand paintings
have been used in Native American mythology for hundreds of years.
Sand paintings are still done by Native Americans today. Traditionally, the Navajo Indians used four basic colors in their paintings. Each color represented the four directions; north was black, east was white, south was blue and west was yellow. Instead of sand, the Native Americans used powdered minerals like gypsum to make symmetrical designs. Sand painting is an easy craft that is suitable for children ages 5 and older, and it is a great art project that can be used when teaching history lessons.
Instructions
1. Draw your image on a sheet of brown construction paper. The paper gives the appearance of a tanned animal hide and can increase the authenticity of the sand painting.
2. Pour a small amount of sand into a bottle. Add the powdered tempera paint in small increments until you have reached the desired color intensity.
3. Spread a thin layer of glue onto a section of the paper. This helps to glue and color sections one at a time to prevent the colors from mixing.
4. Sprinkle the colored sand onto the glued section of the design with a plastic spoon.
5. Continue gluing and "painting" the sections of the design until the entire piece is colored. Let the sand and glue dry for 24 hours.
6. Hold the sand painting upright and spray the piece with an artist's fixative, which is commonly sold in aerosol form at art supply stores. Apply the fixative in 2 or 3 light coats instead of 1 thick application.
Related posts
The Navajo tribe of North America, along with other Southwestern tribes, utilizes sandpainting as a ceremony, balancing out the universe through the healing properties of these constructions, or a...
Many Baroque and Renaissance paintings were placed in an ornate gold leaf frame.Gilding has many similarities to painting, especially oil painting. In each process, painters and gilders cover the...
Leonardo Da Vinci used several painting techniques to achieve his distinctive style.Leonardo da Vinci was a 15th century inventor, sculptor and artist who is generally regarded as one of the fines...
Many wall surfaces in homes and offices are made out of drywall. Since drywall is a highly porous material, if you would like to paint these walls, you must properly prepare the drywall surface pr...
Clouds make a whimsical addition to a room's decor.Although murals themselves are not that common, clouds are a common theme to paint on a wall because their irregular shapes make them simple to r...
