This activity is appropriate for a wide range of skill levels. First, acquire white construction paper. Plan your bridge style and place thin strips of masking tape on the paper in the shape of the foot bridge. Participants paint the bottom half of the page in shades of blue to represent water and the top half in green to represent hills or trees.
Once the paint is dry, remove the tape and your painters will be surprised to see the wonderful painting of a foot bridge in a park or forest.
The painting is done by “daubing,” not brushing. You want the effect of roughness in the greens, and roiling water in the passing stream. Using small sponges held by clothespins works very well to get the desired effect.
WINTER FOOT BRIDGE: Use the same technique as above, but begin with brown construction paper. Use masking tape to form the bridge. Then direct your participants to paint the top half in light shades of blue and the bottom half in white, again using the daubing method. When dry and when the tape is removed, there will be a great picture of an unpainted footbridge across a snowy expanse.
