Did you know that the simple pink eraser at the tip of your #2 pencil is worth its weight in gold?? (Or maybe even more, since erasers don't weigh much!) Well, it is, and here's why... I don't use these erasers for erasing (I save that for my trusty Magic Rub Eraser). I use them for DRAWING. It's a little known secret that you can sketch on almost any kind of paper using the … [Read more...]
Faux Stained Glass Ornaments
Are your kids bouncing off the walls with anticipation of the coming holiday? Need a last-minute project to engage them? Try making these glowing ornaments with the look of stained glass! Students in grades 3 and up will enjoy spreading Christmas cheer when they hang these faux stained glass ornaments on their tree or give them as gifts. Make your own faux stained glass … [Read more...]
Kids’ Art Gift Wrap
One of my awesome parent volunteers recently shared a great idea with me that I wanted to pass along.... "Kids' Art Gift Wrap"! She was so enthusiastic about it, I couldn't wait to try it myself. Here's how you do it:Roll out a long piece of butcher paper (down a hallway, sidewalk, or wherever you have room) and provide paints, brushes, glitter, etc. for your students to … [Read more...]
“Thank You” Drawings
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, what better time than now to focus your students on being thankful for the blessings in their lives? Have your students choose one thing they're thankful for and teach them how to write it with "outline letters", which they can then decorate to reflect the theme of their illustration.To make outline letters, lightly pencil in the word … [Read more...]
Shadow Tracing
Shadow tracing is a project that students from about 2nd or 3rd grade and up will love doing. It fits right in with discussions about composition, color theory, and positive/negative shapes. In the interest of full disclosure, one of the reasons students love it so much is that they have to go outside to do it! I guess we don't get out as often as we should in Art class, so … [Read more...]
Paper Trivia
I learned an interesting bit of trivia the other day while preparing for a lesson in the art of Japanese Paper Folding, a.k.a. "Origami". This may not change your life, but it does make a great conversation starter and I guarantee your students will not be willing to just take your word for it!So, here it is.... did you know that it's impossible to fold a piece of paper (any … [Read more...]
Screen Shots!
For those of you who enjoyed creating Abstract Art using Miltos Manetas' website (from yesterday's post), there is a way to save your creation, even though the website itself doesn't give you a way to do that. You can take a picture of all or part of your computer screen using “screen shots” or “screen captures.” While this isn't exactly a secret, I'm sure there are a few … [Read more...]
What Is Art??
So what is Art, anyway?? Not to get all philosophical or anything, but you have to admit that's a good question! If you ask 100 people, you're likely to get 100 different answers. I recently attended an exhibit at the Denver Art Museum titled, "What is Art?". This question was posed to exhibit viewers who responded on sticky notes that covered an entire wall. Reading … [Read more...]
Tips for Working with Oil Pastels
Oil pastels just might be my favorite Art medium for kids! Both set-up and clean-up are quick and easy, and with a few specific instructions, every student can achieve great (if not totally charming!) results. Here are a few tips to help your students find success with oil pastels. You will probably find yourself repeating these instructions over and over, but eventually it … [Read more...]
What Inspires You?
While it's great to follow tried and true plans for a successful Art lesson, it can be fun to come up with a new project on your own, based on something that inspires you. Where do you get inspiration from? It's different for everyone, but anything that catches your eye (from the shapes and patterns of nature to the shadows cast on the building next door) can offer potential … [Read more...]