- Definition
Paint resist is a fun art technique where you draw with crayons or oil pastels first, and then paint over it with watery paint. The crayon or pastel acts like a shield, making the paint slide off those areas, so your drawing shows through.
Drawing a sun with a yellow crayon and then painting over it with blue watercolour makes the sun pop out.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: Paint resist is like wearing a raincoat — the paint is like rain that slides right off the waxy crayon drawing.
Ask your child: Where does the paint 'hide' from the crayon?
Common mix-up: Kids might think the crayon and paint are just mixing together. The wax is actually pushing the watery paint away, so it only sticks to the paper.
Examples
- Writing a secret message with a white crayon, then revealing it with a paint wash.
- Drawing stars with a white crayon on paper, then painting a dark blue wash for a night sky.
paint resist is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
