I just finished the 4th workshop in my "Teaching Teachers to Teach Art" series. This workshop focused on teaching Self-Portraits and we had a blast! We learned the basic "rules" for drawing portraits (see below) and did three self-portrait projects inspired by famous artists Paul Klee, Frida Kahlo and Amedeo Modigliani. I'll be sharing those lessons here on my blog over the … [Read more...]
Fun Paper “Frames”
"Framed" Self-Portrait by Colin, First GradeNothing enhances a painting like a good frame! Here's a fun and inexpensive way to frame your students' work.Let's assume you want to frame a 9x12 piece of artwork....1. Take a 12x18 piece of construction paper and trim it to 12x15 inches.2. Center your art on the 12x15 paper (leaving a 1-1/2" margin on each side) and glue it down … [Read more...]
Send Artwork Home Safely
Sending student artwork home can be a perilous experience! A project that took hours to create can quickly get crinkled or torn by the well-meaning rubber band you put around it. You can avoid this problem by keeping a supply of cardboard tube-rings on hand. Simply cut an empty paper towel tube into rings about 1-1/2" wide and slip the rolled-up artwork inside. A single … [Read more...]
Going for the 90%
Most everyone has heard the inspiring education statistic, "We remember 10% of what we hear, 20% of what we read, 50% of what we do, 75% of what we discuss and 90% of what we teach." Well surprisingly, I learned there is actually no scientific basis for these percentages! (For one example, check out the article: "Debunk This: People Remember 10% of What They Read".) Even so, … [Read more...]
Pink Gold – Sketching with Erasers!
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...]
Read Your Labels!
While it's always a good idea to be safe about the products we use as consumers, it's even more important when kids are involved. And in schools, this is not an option.... non-toxic is the only way to go! To ensure the quality and safety of the art materials your students use, be sure the product label contains this statement: "Conforms To ASTM D-4236".In addition to that, … [Read more...]
Scissor Tips
Using scissors is a skill that we adults have been comfortable with for so long that we forget how tricky this can be for small hands! By teaching kids a few basic rules for working with scissors, we can help them gain the skills to be both effective and safe when using this important tool!1. Always point the scissors away from you when cutting. 2. Turn the paper when … [Read more...]
Art Speak 101
Tempera paint, colored pencils and markers are examples of art "media".Do you ever feel confused (or maybe even intimidated?) by some of the lingo used in the Art world?? We do have some terms that are specific to our industry and could be unfamiliar to someone without a background in Art. I'll try to offer some insight on some of these lesser known terms that you may run … [Read more...]
Artists in 60 Seconds
Claude Monet (French, 1840-1926). Shadows on the Sea, the Cliffs at Pourville, 1882.No, this isn’t about how to turn your students into artists in just one minute, but rather how to get one minute’s worth of information about an already well-known artist! Sometimes all you need is a quick summary of an artist’s life and work, yet when you search the internet you can easily end … [Read more...]
Don’t Toss Those Old Calendars!
It's a new year, and that means it's time to get the word out to your friends, co-workers and parents of your students to bring you their old calendars!There are two types of calendars that I save.... fine art calendars (like the Van Gogh pictured here) and scenic photography calendars. Both are useful, yet they serve two entirely different purposes.Fine art calendars are … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- Next Page »