Dot Painting Techniques
Inspired by the ancient traditions of the indigenous people of Australia, dot painting is a great way to introduce children to a creative art technique that really captures the unique appearance and style of Aboriginal artwork.
Learning how to do Aboriginal dot painting is easier than you might think. Most authentic indigenous artwork used strong colours mixed with earthy or natural tones. Originally pigments would have been made from ochre clays which had a high iron content resulting in beautiful reds, purples and yellows with white derived from the abundant kaolin clay.
Once ground up, water was added to make various coloured pigments. Painting was achieved by using their hands and fingers or by using basic brushes made from bits of bark, feathers, twigs and even human hair.
Aboriginal artwork would not typically have been seen by outsiders and the indigenous people wanted to protect these sacred images at all costs. Over time as their artwork used more permanent types of paint that wouldn’t be washed away by the rain, and additionally was seen by more people, it became custom to embellish images with repeated patterns of dots. Basically, filling in the gaps between the carvings or paintings to create a beautiful image but help to hide its true meaning. And so, the familiar dot and circle style that we see today originated.
Ideal for pre-schoolers and older children
At its simplest painting in dots, or stippling as it is sometimes known, is a fun activity that all ages and abilities can enjoy. Younger children will enjoy using our chunky easy-to-hold jumbo dabbers to colour or practice handwriting skills.
However, at the other end of the scale, our Aboriginal dot painting canvas is an invaluable teaching tool that can be used to support a variety of school curriculum topics helping children to understand about different cultures or to learn more about Australia itself.
How to use dot painting tools
To start simply follow the outline of a simple shape or design using a chunky felt tip marker or one of our colourful dabbers to fill in the spaces or trace along the lines. As your paint by dots skill level increases you’ll be able to create more detailed work using different thicknesses of paint to add texture and interest and adding circles of dots for detail.
Check out our paint supplies
How to do dot art painting
For more elaborate work it is always a good idea to paint the background or base area first, ensuring you can still see the outline of the design you are using. Then create your mandala dot painting masterpiece by taking either a fresh paint brush, small wooden sticks of varying thickness or cotton bud for each new colour. Dip it in to some acrylic paint and repeat the dots in a regular pattern trying to ensure you leave equal spaces between each one. You can make them as simple or as intricate as you want. It’s up to you.
Paint the background first, then use a template to make your design
Would you like to see some more inspirational dot art ideas?
If so, why not check out our range of FREE paint by dots printables over on the' Creative Station. From dinosaurs to sea creatures, sports including football and seasonal topics throughout the year such as Valentine’s Day plus invaluable letter pictures to support writing and spelling skills we have lots to choose from.
Check out our Dot Art Painting Craft Ideas.
Maybe you are a teacher sourcing artwork ideas for a project about Australia. Did you know that we have a section just for Australian artwork ideas too?
The downloadable activity sheets are completely FREE and are ideal to use both at home and in the classroom.
Whatever you choose to do we’re sure you’ll have lots of fun. Our Team love to see what dot painting techniques you experimented with so don’t forget to share your pictures on our social media pages.
With easy-to-follow instructions these ideas are a fun and simple activity for the whole family to enjoy. So, let your creativity flow and start making something amazing with our fantastic range of dot art ideas!
