Watercolor Seashells Project

I'm up in the magical Pacific Northwest visiting my grandma.  She and my grandpa used to take us to the beach when we were little.  I loved the beautiful shells we would find while combing the beach and exploring the shops!  When I teach this lesson I like to bring in my own shells for the students to look at!  What amazing natural examples of design, pattern, and variety!

Materials:
Watercolor paper
Watercolor PENCILS (or traditional watercolor paint)
Water cups
Nice brushes
Sharpies

First I explain that this projects is supposed to be a design with shells rather than a picture of the beach.  The shells should be large and should be the focus of the project.
1) Draw black outlines with sharpie (the markers need to be permanent so that the lines don't blend)
2) Color in the project with watercolor pencils
3) Paint over the color with water!