Welcome to our summer art project for kids: Easy Flower Painting with Fingerprint Butterflies and Butterfly Bush!
Drawing inspiration from the gorgeous butterfly bush, also known as the buddleia, we will explore a quick and enjoyable way to create vibrant floral artwork.
This art project offers a wonderful opportunity for children to experiment with various painting tools such as paintbrushes, scrap papers, bunched up Q-tips, and their very own fingerprints.
By exploring the art of layering through printing, Arty Crafty Kids will discover how it easy it is to create different textures that capture the tonal flowery clusters of the butterfly bush.
The butterflies and flowers can be completed in less than five minutes; making our flower painting a great project for playdates, a quick and easy art session at home or within a classroom setting.
How to Complete the Easy Flower Painting with Fingerprint Butterflies and Butterfly Bush:
The simple printing techniques utilized within this art project makes it suitable for kids of all ages – even preschoolers!
Printing allows for a hands-on and interactive experience, engaging their senses and fostering their creativity. Younger children can enjoy the tactile nature of pressing their fingers onto the paper to create fingerprint butterflies, while older children can further explore the intricacies of using scrap papers and bunched up Q-tips to experiment with textures and layering.
This process not only enhances their fine motor skills but also encourages them to express themselves artistically.
Moreover, printing offers a sense of instant gratification as they witness their artwork come to life, boosting their confidence and fostering a sense of accomplishment.
Ultimately, this art project provides children with a joyful and accessible way to explore different techniques, develop their artistic abilities, and cultivate a love for self-expression through art.
Materials:
- Card Stock or Mixed Media Paper
- Pink, Purple and White Acrylic Paint for the Butterfly Bush
- Contrasting Colors and Black Paint for the Butterflies
- A Black Marker Pen
- Q-Tips & Rubber Band for Bunching
- Scrap Paper
Watch the Step-by-Step tutorial for How to Paint a Flowery Butterfly Bush with Fingerprint Butterlies:
Let’s Paint the Flowers and Fingerprint Butterflies!
Step 1: Use a paintbrush to draw a collection of long green stems.
The Buddleia has large, drooping spikes of densely clustered, small, purple (or sometimes white) flowers and has long, narrow leaves.
With this in mind, paint the stems from different angles on the paper, this will allow space for the large distinctive drooping flower effect and leaves.
Step 2: Scrunch up a piece of scrap paper into a tight ball.
To achieve optimal texture in your prints, focus on using the area of the ball with the highest number of creases.
This deliberate choice will enhance the texture and create more pronounced and interesting impressions.
Step 3: Dip the ball of paper into purple paint and print along the stem.
At the base of the stem (edge of the paper) create a wide print that gradually tapers as you move towards the tip – this will help capture the distinctive form of the buddleia flower.
Continue painting along each individual stem, extend the prints from wide to narrow along each. This will establish the first layer of our flower, forming the foundation for further artistic development.
Step 4: Scrunch up a second piece of paper and dip it into a lighter shade of pink.
Similarly to the previous step, use the paper ball for printing pink paint along the stem.
This deliberate choice of color against the purple backdrop will introduce tonal variations and sense of roundness and depth to the flower.
Take care not to completely cover the underlying purple paint.
Step 5: Next, bunch up a collection of eco-friendly Q-tips and secure with a rubber band.
Gently dip the Q-tips into white paint and use them sparingly to print within the center of the flower.
This printing technique serves to enhance definition, subtly suggesting the individual flowers that form the cluster.
It’s a wonderfully simple method that adds texture and creates intrigue, enriching the overall visual effect of the artwork.
Step 6: Use a paint brush to paint the long thin leaves.
Utilize the white space between the flowers to depict the long, drooping leaves of the butterfly bush.
Paint the leaf shapes in a vibrant green color, and for added tone and definition, paint a white center line along each leaf.
This simple yet effective technique swiftly enhances the visual appeal of the leaves, providing them with depth and definition.
Step 7: Choose two contrasting colors for the butterflies. Take your finger and immerse it in one of the colors, then proceed to print the first set of wings for the butterfly.
Prior to printing onto the paper, ensure to remove excess paint by first dabbing it onto a piece of scrap paper.
This step helps control the amount of paint applied and prevents any unintentional smudging or excessive saturation when printing.
Step 8: Use a finger to print the second set of butterfly wings.
Fill the empty white spaces surrounding the flowers with as many butterflies as you desire to create using your fingers.
Keep in mind that these flowers are known to attract butterflies, so feel free to add as many as you like!
The more butterflies you include, the livelier and more enchanting your artwork will become.
Step 9: Use a black maker pen to add some detailing to the butterflies.
This could take the form of dotted flight trails….
And antennae to the butterflies, along with thick black bodies. These additional details will provide the finishing touch to the fingerprint butterflies, adding a sense of realism and completeness to their appearance.
More Butterfly and Flower Arts and Crafts Ideas:
Encourage your Arty Crafty Kids to explore their creativity further by trying their hand at drawing their very own butterflies, drawing a dandelion or painting a vase filled with abstract flowers.
For younger children, there are delightful options such as creating 3D paper butterflies, crafting a butterfly finger puppet, or enjoying a playful woven butterfly craft. Let the artistic adventures continue with these engaging activities tailored for all ages!
