Picture Making Techniques

Subtopic: Crayon Etching (Cryon Etchinh)

Subject: Art and Craft | Target age: 10 years (Kenya) (Crayon etching means colouring with crayons, covering with black paint, then scratching lines to show bright colours.)

Learning objectives

• Learn the crayon etching method step-by-step.
• Make simple designs that show colourful lines after scratching.
• Use safe tools and clean up after work.

Materials (Kenyan schools / home)

• Thick paper or thin card (old cereal box or drawing paper)
• Wax crayons or oil pastels (many shops in town have them)
• Black paint (tempera or poster paint) or a black oil pastel
• Paintbrush and water (if using paint)
• Toothpick, needle, or blunt wooden stick for scratching
• Newspaper to protect your table

Simple step-by-step

1. Colour the whole paper: Cover your paper with bright crayon colours in stripes, circles, or shapes. Press hard so the wax is thick.
2. Paint over with black: Let an adult help. Cover the coloured paper with a thin layer of black paint. Let it dry fully. If you use a black oil pastel, colour over all the crayon colours with black.
3. Scratch a design: Use a toothpick to gently scratch lines or shapes in the black layer. The bright colours underneath will show through.

Easy Kenyan ideas to etch

• Draw a bright sunrise over Mt. Kenya — scratch rays of light.
• Make a colourful kite or Maasai bead pattern — scratch lines to show bead shapes.
• Make animal shapes like an elephant (ndovu) or bird (ndege) and scratch patterns inside them.

Safety and tips

• Use washable paint and cover the table with newspaper.
• An adult should help when using paint or sharp tools.
• Press hard with crayons so colours show bright after scratching.
• Test on scrap paper first to practise how hard to scratch.
• Let your work dry fully before scratching (if painted).

Simple activity (30–40 minutes)

Activity: Make a crayon etching card that shows a bright Kenyan sunset. Steps:

1. Colour paper with red, orange, yellow, purple in stripes (10–12 minutes).
2. Paint over with black (teacher helps). Wait to dry (10–15 minutes).
3. Scratch a silhouette of an acacia tree and sun rays to show the colours beneath (5–10 minutes).

Assessment (short)

• Can the child show the three steps and explain them? (Yes / No)
• Does the finished picture have bright colours showing through scratches? (Good / Needs practice)
• Did the child work safely and tidy up? (Yes / No)

Teacher note: Use local themes for designs — learners enjoy making animals, farms, kites and village scenes. Encourage creativity and praise bright results!