Looking for ways to include art in your homeschool geography lessons? This watercolor map tutorial can help!
This post contains affiliate links. This means I could receive a commission if you click through and take action through one of them. See my disclosure to learn more about this.
A surefire way to keep my kids engaged with any subject is to incorporate art whenever possible. Geography is no exception to that rule. And, while geography and art don’t naturally go together, combining these two subjects is surprisingly easy. It all comes down to maps.
While there are several ways to go about this, we’ve always been fans of watercolor map art. With this in mind, here’s a step-by-step look at how to create custom maps to go with geography and history lessons.
Watercolor Map Art Tutorial
The starting point for this project is choosing a map. You can find maps to use online or through a curriculum or resource you’re using for geography.
You’ll need a printed copy of the map for tracing purposes. Because of that, you’ll want to be mindful that maps with lots of color and detail don’t always work well.
Here are the supplies you’ll need on hand for your watercolor map art project once you’ve selected your map.
- Printout of the selected map
- Watercolor or mixed media paper
- Pencil
- Black Sharpie
- Oil pastels (crayons can substitute if needed)
- Watercolor pencils or watercolor paints
- Paintbrushes
- Water
Not sure where to find good maps to use for this project? The WonderMaps software is good to have on hand for geography in general and especially projects like this. It’s one of those homeschool resources we turn to year after year.
Step 1 – Sketch the map.
Start by tracing the map onto a sheet of watercolor paper. To do this, shade the back of your printed map with a pencil.
Then, turn it over, place it on top of the watercolor paper, and use a pencil to trace the outline of the map and any features you want to include in your map art. (If you have a clipboard nearby, it can help to keep the map and paper in place during this step.)
This will transfer your selected map onto the page.
Step 2 – Create Barriers.
Next, cover any desired pencil borders with an oil pastel. The oil pastel border creates a barrier that reduces paint mixing on your map.
Keep in mind that you can do as much or as little of this outlining as you like. For example, you may want to outline a state like I did, but not the individual counties or areas within the state. Just like your map itself will be custom to what you’re studying, the amount of outlining you’ll do will be custom to your specific project.
This step is optional but can be helpful in a few scenarios. You may want to complete this step if:
- Your kiddo uses lots of water with watercolors or has trouble staying in the lines.
- Your map contains lots of boundary lines such as a map of a continent versus a single country.
- You want to create contrast between focal areas of your map (ex: drawing attention to state boundaries but not topographical features).
Step 3 – Paint the map.
Next, consider the colors you want to use on the map. If your map focuses on geographic features, it may help to follow topographic map coloring like blue for water, green for forested areas, and white for open or sparse land.
On the other hand, if your map is showcasing specific boundaries or locations, you can use use cartography principles to select your paint colors or come up with your own color scheme.
Once you choose the colors, paint the map with your watercolors. (If you use watercolor pencils, color the map however you wish. Then brush water over the colored spaces to create your watercolor effect.)
Tip: If the watercolor paper warps after drying, place a heavy book on top of the page to flatten it before moving on to the next step.
Step 4 – Outline and Add Map Details.
After the paint dries completely, use the Sharpie to add important details and a final outline of the map if desired. These details may include names of important cities, bordering states or countries, significant bodies of water, a map key, historical markers like trade routes or battle sites, or other defining characteristics relevant to your chosen project.
When you finish, you can display your watercolor map art however you wish.
Looking for more geography inspiration for your homeschool? Check out the following articles:
- 3 No-Fuss Ways to Explore Geography with Young Children
- My First Amazing Journey Around the World: A Fun and Practical Way to Teach Elementary Geography
- Teaching US Geography with Beautiful Feet Books
