Materials: watercolor paper or cardstock, a pencil, watercolor paints, sharpies (black and metallic), toothpick or bamboo skewers, white paint, *optional* glow in the dark paint
Fireflies are so cool. They are found on every continent except Antarctica and they communicate with each other using light! There are many species of firefly, and each species has their own specific color of light that they emit. Some glow blue or green and some glow yellow and orange. This is a great project from Kathy Angelnik that focuses on watercolor skills and creating cute lil compositions with your lightning bugs.
Here is the jar template. You can trace it or just use it as a reference.
1. Draw the jar with your fireflies inside. How many do you want? Which way are they facing?
2, Paint the lid. Surround each firefly with a circle of just water and then paint the inside of the jar blue around them. Add some darker shading under the lid, on the bottom and on the sides if you want. Let the blue dry a little.
3. When the blue is damp add the yellow over the white dots and over a little of the blue around them. When the colors bleed (wet into wet) together it gives the effect of the firefly glowing very bright and then fading outwards.
4. After the yellow has dried, sharpies the body and head of the firefly.
5. Add some orange to the body.
6. Outline the wings with silver sharpie or any metallic or paint pen. Optional if you don't have these!
7. Use the bamboo skewer/toothpick/end of a lollipop/anything you have to make the dots using white or metallic paint. Do at least 2 coats, as white paint tends to dry transparent. If you're feeling fancy, you can go over the fireflies and dots with glow in the dark paint.
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