Painting and drawing
Paint a shared picture
Paint one large picture together, with everyone adding a mark in turn.
Who might enjoy it: Groups of family or friends who like painting together, and people who enjoy adding to something others have started. Good for an afternoon with several people around one table.
- Setup
- About 15 minutes
- Activity
- 30–60 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Mess
- Some mess
- Where
- At a table, seated-friendly
- Help
- Someone nearby
Materials: 6 everyday things, listed below
What you need
- A large sheet of thick paper, or several sheets taped edge to edge
- Non-toxic, water-based paint or washable poster paint in several colors
- Brushes, sponges and a few cotton swabs
- A cup of water for each person
- A plastic tablecloth or old towels under the paper
- Masking tape and paper towels
No need to buy anything special
- No large paper? Use lining paper from a roll, or newsprint taped together.
- No brushes? Use sponges, cotton swabs or fingertips with washable paint.
What to do
- Cover the table with a plastic cloth, then tape the large paper flat over it at all four corners.
- Set out the paints, brushes and water cups so everyone can reach them.
- Ask each person what they would like to begin with, such as a sky, a shape, a line or a color. Any choice is fine.
- Let everyone make a first mark anywhere on the paper.
- Take turns adding one mark or shape at a time, and pause to look at the whole picture between turns.
- Rinse the brush in the water cup before changing color.
- Stop when the picture feels finished, then leave it flat to dry.
- When the paint is dry, remove the tape and choose a place to hang the picture.
It is okay to stop or change it
It is fine to stop after one mark. Leave the picture where it is, and carry on another time, or simply enjoy the marks made so far.
Make it easier or different
- Make it easier
- Give each person one color and a sponge, so they only need to dab the paper.
- Seated
- Work on a clipboard or tilted board on the lap, with a large sponge and one or two colors.
- For low vision
- Use bold, high-contrast colors on white paper, and describe each mark out loud as it goes on.
- For a group
- Divide a large sheet into sections, one for each person, and join the sections into one picture at the end.
- With children
- Give the child and the grandparent a corner each to start, then let the marks meet in the middle. Wash brushes together at the end.
Safety
- Use non-toxic, water-based paint only, and check for any known paint allergies first.
- Keep brushes and small items away from the mouth, and do not let anyone drink from the water cups.
- Put towels or a plastic cloth under the paper, and wipe up spills at once so no one slips.
- Wash hands after painting, and keep paint away from the face if skin is sensitive.
These are practical suggestions, not medical advice. You know the person best.
A shared picture has no single author and no wrong mark. Everyone sees what the others added, which often starts easy talk about colors, places and seasons. The finished sheet records the afternoon the group spent together.