Drawing Vegetables: Above & Below in the Garden

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Observe the vegetables

   Lay the vegetables out on the table. Allow the kids to engage with them by feeling and looking at the ones that interest them. The kids will likely discuss which vegetable they like or don’t like, along with the colors and size.

2. Draw the vegetables

   Have the children choose at least four vegetables to draw onto the watercolor paper. They might choose four carrots or four radishes or a combination of all the veggies.
   
   
   
   The veggies can be placed anywhere on the paper because they will be cut out later. 

3. Add color

   When finished drawing, the children can use watercolor pencils to color in the vegetables.
   Don’t wet the pencils for this project but add water with a small paintbrush after filling in the vegetables and greens with color. 
   
   The children will be amazed by the transformation of the pencil marks to spreading color. 
   
   

4. Create the rubbings

   While the watercolor drawings are drying, children can begin work on the rubbings. These will be the soil in the garden.
   
   Encourage the children to look around the house or outside to find textures for the rubbings. Walls, sides of baskets, backs of chairs that may have a pattern, trees, sidewalks, and brick buildings all are great sources of patterns for rubbings.
   
   Show the children how to lay the paper onto the texture. Use the flat, long side of the charcoal stick or crayon and rub it over the paper. The kids can collect as many textures as they like to fill their entire piece of paper.
   
   

5. Create the garden collage

   It’s time to collage the garden all together. 
   
   First, the children can cut out their vegetables.
   
   
   
   Then have the children place the drawing paper in a vertical orientation.
   Cut the paper rubbing to the same size as the bottom half of the paper. You can also rip one side to mimic the roughness of the top layer of ground. 
   
   
   
   Encourage the children to add their vegetables and move them around a bit. Have them wait until the pieces are arranged just how they like them before gluing in place.
   
   Use a brush to paint glue onto the vegetables and then press them firmly onto the drawing paper.
   
   

6. Add garden details

   Finally, the children can create bugs with paper, pencils or markers. They can add bugs that live underground or bugs that fly in the sky!