Process Art Ideas - 8 Ways to Paint with Nature

Inspire your little artists to be innovative and creative with their next painting project. We decided to step away from traditional painting tools and try to use nature as much as possible to create our art. You could try this idea by searching outdoors and finding some alternative tools from nature.

Armed with containers, we made the most of the “better” winter weather last week as we searched the garden for nature’s gifts to use for our painting experience. It didn’t take long for us to fill our containers with stones, sticks, flowers and leaves. We added these to shells which were already in our loose parts collections. Then it was time to prepare the paint and get started!

Check out the video to see the fun we had! Click the image below to open the video in Youtube.

Our Superstar was super eager to get started when he saw what we had put out for painting! He couldn’t wait to make marks on the paper using what we had gathered from outdoors. We used our collection of treasures from nature in as many different ways as we could think of. We dipped and rolled them in paint. We dropped, rocked and pressed them for different effects. We had paintbrushes handy to help with a couple of effects on paper which turned out great. Our focus was trying out different techniques and ideas rather than creating a particular picture. We were free to explore and try out our ideas without worrying about making a mistake or ruining a picture. 

Our Superstar did some amazing artwork! It was interesting to see him watch me when he was unsure of what to do and then give it a go. He even decided to do a bit of colour mixing too which was no surprise!

Thinking creatively like this should be encouraged at every opportunity and this art experience certainly provided moments where we were playful with paint while thinking creatively. When new ideas are tried out there are sure to be a lot of surprises along the way and for us that did happen. These kinds of discovery moments are the very best and are great for developing confidence to take risks with one’s own ideas.

Here are our favourite eight ideas using nature for process art.

Fern paintbrush

Ferns make great paintbrushes as the many branches catch the paint and make a streaked effect. You can use it as brush to paint a picture or use the leafy sides to make stripes and streaks. 

Leaf stamping

The lovely texture of leaves can be stamped onto paper. First place your leaf into paint so that one side is covered and then stamp it onto paper to see the result. Explore different shaped leaves and different textures. Some might be bumpy and show a pattern on paper and some might be smooth and good to show the shape of the leaf. 

Rock rolling and dropping

Rock and roll! Dip your rocks into paint and roll them along the paper to make a trail. This one is a little messy so be prepared for the rocks to roll in unexpected directions. Hold your painted rock above the paper and drop it to see it stamp and bounce across the paper. Bigger rocks may even make splash marks!

Shell printing and rocking

The shape of a shell can be printed by stamping it in paint and onto paper. This can create different shaped outlines on your paper depending on what kind of shells you have. You can also dip the shell in paint and rock it onto the paper to show the pattern of the shell. Our shells had bumpy lines that showed up nicely on our paper.

Stick writing

Sticks make great mark making tools! You can use your sticks to carve a drawing into a painted piece of paper. First paint a thick layer of paint onto your paper then use your stick to draw a picture in the paint. The picture will look like an outline in the paint and it is sort of an opposite painting idea.

Leaf outlining

Use your leaves as stencils to create silhouette leaf shapes on your paper. Press your leaf onto your paper and use a paintbrush to paint around the leaf. For best results, paint slightly over the edge of the leaf. Carefully remove the leaf and see the shape that the leaf made.

Flower Stamping

Dip flowers into paint and stamp them onto your paper to see the shape they make. Different flowers will look different when stamped. Daisies make a flower shape with their distinct petals whereas other flowers have a cluster of petals that will look different on paper.

Stick Rolling 

Coat your stick in paint and roll it onto your paper to see what pattern it makes. You can also stamp it in a circular motion to make shapes. This works better with sticks that are straight rather than curved. You can trim your stick to make shorter sticks for a different effect.

We hope you are inspired to start collecting nature’s gifts for your next art experience. You don’t need a lot. A couple of sticks, a few different leaves, a stone or two and maybe a few flowers. Put them together, add some paint and you are set for a fun painting time with your child or children. You might be tempted to join in too!