Look mom, I know Chinese!

Chinese characters in watercolor

For children who don't know Chinese, this painting might be a craft that helps them remember two Chinese characters.

A hill is the background for the Chinese character "shan" (pronounced with a short "a" sound a little high pitched and drawn out much as you might sing, "The hiiiiiiiills are alive with the Sound of Music!" "Shan" is the first tone in Mandarin and means mountain or hill.

Here's the steps for drawing the character.

First stroke in "shan." 

The first stoke is the tallest in the middle. Start at the top and go down.

Second stroke.

The second stroke turns a corner, but it's all one stroke. It's shorter than the middle stroke. Lower on the hill so to say. Start at the top, go down, around the corner, and over to where it will eventually meet the last stroke.

Third stroke.

The third stroke is the other side of the hill, and is short also. Start at the top and go down to meet the end of the second stroke.

Viola! Chinese your youngster may remember and use when used to paint a hill in a watercolor painting!

I'll be back with the instructions for "sun" in Chinese this later today or tomorrow.

Link:
                              Look mom, I can write "sun" in Chinese