Painting means putting colour on paper, card or cloth to make a picture. You can use brushes, fingers, sponges or things you find around your home in Kenya (like leaves or twigs) to make interesting marks.

Materials you can use

• Poster paints (tempera) or watercolours
• Brushes of different sizes (small, medium, big) or a stick
• Water container, old plate or plastic lid as a palette
• Paper, card, old newspaper, or school exercise book pages
• Sponges, cotton wool, leaves, dried grass or bubble wrap for textures
• Apron, old cloth, paper towel for cleaning

Tip: Many paints are sold at local stationery shops in town. You can also use safe, homemade colours for practise.

Basic painting techniques (try these!)

1. Brush strokes

Use the tip of the brush for thin lines and the flat side for wide strokes. Practice: draw tall grass with short vertical strokes.

2. Wash (smooth background)

Mix lots of water with paint, then brush over the paper to make a soft sky or faint colour.

3. Blending

On wet paint, add another colour and move the brush to mix. Useful for sunrise and sunsets.

4. Stippling (dots)

Use the brush tip or a stick to make many tiny dots. Good for trees, fur and texture.

5. Printing with leaves and sponges

Paint on a leaf or sponge and press it on paper to make repeated shapes. Great for patterns and tree leaves.

6. Finger painting

Use your fingers to smear and blend paint. Fun and very good for young artists — wear an apron!

Simple Kenyan-themed painting ideas

Quick exercise: Leaf printing

Try this in 10–15 minutes:

1. Pick a clean, flat leaf from the garden.
2. Paint one side of the leaf with green or brown paint.
3. Press the painted side onto paper and lift gently.
4. Repeat to make a pattern or a tree.

Safety and clean-up

• Wear old clothes or an apron — paints can stain.
• Use non-toxic poster paints for children.
• Keep water buckets on a flat surface to avoid spills.
• Clean brushes with water and rest them on a rag so paint does not dry in the ferrule.
• Wash hands after painting. If you use fingers for painting, try to not touch your face.

Try these questions

1. Name two simple painting techniques you used today.
2. Which Kenyan thing would you like to paint? (Example: baobab tree, village hut, or a wild animal)
3. Draw or paint one small picture using at least two techniques (e.g., wash and leaf printing).