Today’s world can be a stressful place for kids! The pressures kids experience come from a variety of places…. school, friends, family, health problems (their own or a loved one’s), social media, and on and on. The amount of stress each child can tolerate will vary. But eventually the effects of stress can begin to show, often with stomach aches or headaches, sleeping or … [Read more...]
Book Review: Drawing Cartoons Letter By Letter by Christopher Hart
Drawing Cartoons Letter by Letter is the latest in a series of learn-to-draw books by Christopher Hart. I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review, so here it is! The concept of using a letter or number as the framework for beginning a drawing is not new. In fact, I already had a similarly themed book in my collection. But several things set this book … [Read more...]
Sunset Cityscapes
The examples in this post were done by 1st graders, but older kids will enjoy this, too. "No Rulers Allowed!".... if you want results that are charming and almost "Seuss-like"! For a typical class that meets for one hour or less, you'll want to do this project over 2 class periods. Materials: 9x12 watercolor paper (or heavyweight construction paper) watercolor set … [Read more...]
A Heart for Moms…. or Anyone!
Hearts, flowers, and a handmade touch are things that come to mind when I think of a gift for Mother’s Day. So why not combine all three to show some love to a mom.... your own or another special mom in your life? My friend Hazel McNab of 366hearts.com is famous for her hearts. She’s painted a heart a day for over five years now…. you can read about how she inspired … [Read more...]
Kaleidoscope Lettering – New & Improved!
While I love creating new art projects to keep things fresh and interesting, some of the older projects are just so good, they’re worth repeating year after year…. which also gives me the chance to keep improving them! Kaleidoscope Lettering is one of those projects! It uses the concepts of bilateral (reflective) symmetry, tessellation, and positive/negative space to … [Read more...]
Giving Back with Art
Have you ever been inspired to ‘give back’ to your community as a way to say “thank you” to those who helped you through a difficult time? I was touched by the story of Dan and Janean Toone, who started Young at Art in response to the care that their young grandson received while spending most of his first year of life in the hospital. As art lovers themselves, Dan and … [Read more...]
Illustrations with Surrealism
What better way to celebrate April Fool’s Day than with an image of Salvadore Dali caught in the act of pulling a prank??! Surrealism is a cultural, artistic, and literary movement which began in the early 1920’s. Founded by French writer and poet Andre Breton as a ‘revolutionary movement’, Surrealism is probably best known as a style of art featuring photorealistic images of … [Read more...]
Surf’s Up! With End-of-the-Year Surfboard Art
The last few days of the school year can be a challenge.... students are super-excited and their energy level is high! Add in a substitute teacher and things could get crazy! So, I was asked to sub for a couple of classes on their last day of Art. I knew I'd need something special to focus their almost-summer-vacation exuberance! We live in a surf town on the California … [Read more...]
The 30 Day Sketchbook Challenge
Kids spend so much time in the car! It's easy to reach for a movie or electronic game to fill the time on long trips... or even short errands around town. But why not take a break from technology and just reach for a sketchbook instead? "Almost all artwork, no matter what the final form, begins with drawing because drawing is the artist's fundamental tool." ~ Mary Blair, … [Read more...]
How to Sharpen Colored Pencils
If you've ever been frustrated by colored pencils that break as you sharpen them, you're not alone! Colored pencils are prone to breakage whether you’re using inexpensive student grade pencils or high quality artist grade pencils. Colored pencils are fragile by nature. The core of a colored pencil is made of pigment mixed with either a wax-based or an oil-based binder … [Read more...]