It’s always fun to create marbled paintings with shaving cream. Only recently did I realize how well unexpected swirls and patterns can be used to depict feathers. In this project, we limited the color to black for lovely representations of the the black, gray, and white feathers of a Bar-Headed Goose. Below are written directions, templates for your geese, and also a video tutorial.
This project was part of Green Mountain Area Homeschoolers’ Annual Summer Art Day. The display – “Travelers” – is currently up at Belmar Library in Lakewood, Colorado. We were inspired this year by some unusual animal travelers from around the world, including the Bar-Headed Goose.
Summer Art Day Aug, 2022
at Belmar Library in Lakewood, Colorado
Some people call the Bar-Headed Goose the ‘astronaut goose’ because they have the highest migration of any birds in the world. Every year, they cross the Himalayas as they move from Central Asia to Southeast Asia.
Supplies Needed
- 12 x 12″ white card stock with geese outlines in gray (or black) Sharpie marker
- Shaving cream
- Black food coloring or black liquid watercolor paint
- Orange and/or yellow tempera paint or markers for beak and feet
- Other color as desired for eye
- Paintbrushes
- Craft stick
- Plastic tablecloth
- Sheet of cardboard about 12″ wide and 4″ or more tall (the side of a box will work)
Prep
I drew the geese freehand on extra cardstock and cut them out. You can use the templates below or create your own.
Click here for Bar-Headed Goose Templates.
- Print at 100% if you are using 12 x 12″ cardstock for your shaving cream prints.
- Print at 80% if you are using 8.5 x 11″ cardstock for your shaving cream prints.
Cut the templates out. Tape the two pieces of each goose together and trace around them on your cardstock. If you’re using 12 x 12″ cardstock, you’ll need to angle the geese in flight to make them fit. Flip the templates over to make your geese face the other way.
Directions
Follow these written directions or the video below to make your Bar-Headed Goose:
- Trace around your templates with gray or black marker on your 12 x 12″ cardstock.
- Make a mound of shaving cream on your taped down plastic tablecloth.
- Spread the shaving cream to the size of your cardstock (12 x 12″) and one to two inches deep.
- Place drops of black food coloring or liquid watercolor on the shaving cream.
- Swirl the black into the shaving cream with craft stick.
- Lay cardstock goose on shaving cream and press down gently.
- Lift cardstock up and flip over onto clean area of tablecloth.
- Scrape shaving cream off with your piece of cardboard.
- Allow to dry.
- Paint or use marker for beak, feet, and eye.
- Allow to dry and then cut out.
This Bar-Headed Goose art project opens up all sorts of possibilities for other animal prints. Enjoy!
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