With your classmates, come up with as many creative ideas as you can for using sponges and Crayola® Artista II® Tempera. It’s washable! Think about how you can take advantage of the characteristics of sponges and the paint’s brilliant colors to try new art techniques. Here are a few ideas to get you started. <UL> <LI><em>Sponges can be dry or wet.</em> A dry sponge is stiff, so you can use the edges to print, draw, or etch straight lines. Wipe away sections of wet paint to create depth and dimension. When your sponge is wet, you can quickly dampen a whole sheet of paper for a watery look. Use a damp sponge to quickly cover a large area with paint (or wipe it away to start again). </LI> <LI><em>Sponges let you be in control.</em> The corner of a damp sponge is perfect to mix colors. Experiment! Combine any two primary colors (red, blue, yellow) to make secondary colors. With a sponge, you can choose exactly how much white (for tints) or black (for shades) to add. You can marbleize paint with the point of a damp sponge, and then print your marbled colors on paper. A dry, pointed sponge end is perfect to dot pinpricks of color, such as snow or raindrops. You can easily paint large or irregular surfaces, such as paper-maché constructions or big cardboard boxes, with a damp sponge. </LI> <LI><em>Sponges have amazing texture. </em>When you print with a sponge, the textures look really cool. Cover a sponge with paint and stamp it again and again to make a bumpy-looking pattern. Blot most of the paint from a sponge and use it with a stencil for a finely textured look. Flip a sponge from side to side to print an endless array of Swiss-cheese textured rectangles. </LI> <LI><em>Sponges take shapes.</em> Most sponges are rectangles. How many different rectangles can you find on a sponge? If you print them together, what geometric designs could you create? With Crayola Scissors, you could cut a sponge into almost any shape. Combine shapes to make prints. For example, by cutting just one flower petal, you could print a garden of blooms. Twist the tip of the sponge in a small circle to make flower centers. Swirl your sponge in a larger circle to paint a textured sun. Use the edges of a dry sponge to make stems, grass, and the sun’s rays. And of course, print the petals. </LI> <LI><em>Sponges are reusable.</em> Print several impressions and let your art dry. Wash the sponge. Print with the same side of the sponge again, using different colors. Or print one color, rinse the sponge, and wet print another color on top of it to mix colors. </LI></UL>