(Mixed groups) We were working with an ink wash technique, in which a range of ink density produces astonishing variations in tonality. For this, the kids created paintings with only water and black ink. This technique can be admired in traditional Chinese paintings for the delicate nuances in tonality of black, grey and white and variations of ink strokes: thick or thin, fast or slow, square or round, and spaces left untouched. As a final touch we also used white pen to emphasise details when the black ink painting had dried. The children enjoyed this assignment because of its playfulness and the freedom of expression it permitted.
