Art Lessons for Kids
Joan Miro, a Spanish artist who studied in Paris, is best known for his whimsical abstracts. Many of his paintings combine lines and colors that create wonderful shapes that may or may not tell a story–depending on your perspective! I love teaching Miro as his art is so engaging. For little ones, I like to [...]
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Here is an easy art project that takes minutes to complete. After studying Friedensreich Hundertwasser, and creating a colorful collage, some of my fifth grade students finished early. Instead of doing random free-choice art, I handed them a small piece of watercolor paper (9″ x 12″), some colored waterproof markers and a pan of watercolor [...]
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This Georgia O’Keeffe inspired art lesson is quick, easy lesson that all grade levels will enjoy. Needing a one-lesson project for the end of my sixth grade art rotation, I was inspired by an O’Keeffe art print on my wall. But instead of focusing on the center of a flower and creating a detailed drawing, [...]
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Artist James Rizzi has been providing my art students with fabulous inspiration this Fall. After finishing another James Rizzi art lesson before class was over, some students continued on the Rizzi path and created these adorable birds. The 2012 James Rizzi Wall Calendar (English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch Edition) is a great visual aid [...]
Hundertwasser is inspiring. For many of my fifth grade students, learning about and creating their own “Hundertwasser” inspired art was the best ever lesson. Combining a lesson in warm and cool colors, patterns and lines, composition and flow, this lesson has it all. I picked up the book by Harvesting Dreams: Hundertwasser for Kids by [...]
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Love zebras. From an art teacher’s point of view, zebras are a sure thing for an art lesson. Doesn’t matter how you draw the body, put some black and white stripes on it and you’ve got yourself a zebra. Easy Peasy. Zebra Art Lesson Ideas I have a hodge podge of zebra projects. Here are [...]
I’ve posted about Paper Molas before and because it’s such a fab project, I will post again. Recently I was at a friends home and noticed some newly framed artwork on her walls. They were authentic molas from Panama and Colombia. Molas are cloth panels that form part of a blouse for the Kuna women. They use [...]
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Usborne Activities’s 365 Things to Draw and Paint (Activity Books) is a great resource for art techniques and ideas. I love the look of the Futuristic Cityscape lesson and knew it would translate well for my group of 5th and 6th graders. The idea of a line drawing with shots of color appeals to me as [...]
Clipper ships glide over the ocean at top speeds. The tangle of nets, ropes and sails, however, can make drawing a clipper ship daunting. Breaking down the ship’s parts into basic shapes helps with the drawing efforts. By the end of the drawing lesson, my students felt empowered with their impressive achievements. I detailed the [...]
Chalk pastels give the dramatic color intensity of tempera or acrylic paint with almost no prep time. Chalk gets a bad rap as being too messy. For the little ones, it can be. Persuading mounds of dust into intricate corners is not for the impatient student. That’s why most of my chalk projects occur after [...]
Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera are two of Mexico’s most celebrated artists. I adore all art from Mexico. There is an element of color and composition that evokes wonderful emotions. I’m always looking for inspirational pieces to round out my art curriculum and especially showcase artists from Mexico. These two lessons feature elements of Frida [...]
Want a quick, easy project where every student is successful? This is it! The best part about teaching art is seeing how my students respond to a new lesson. I’m not a scientist, but boy, it sure is interesting to see if my expectations line up with reality. This lesson exceeded it. Continuing with my [...]
After a recent trip to Seattle where Picasso’s “Dora Maar” was on exhibit, I knew my fifth graders would love an art project that would express what Picasso did: express emotion through color and shapes. I love Picasso’s work but not all of it is suitable for elementary, but if you can get your hands [...]
A 24-page booklet that includes three simple art lessons for grades 5 & 6 using basic art supplies: paper, paint, oil pastel or marker. Drawing handouts, photo tutorials and student art galleries take the guess work out of teaching these lessons. Collage dancers inspired by the paper cuttings of Henri Matisse, students use scraps of colored [...]
The Statue of Liberty is a great subject for teaching art techniques; watercolor, collage, tempera, marker…pick any medium and the project will turn out great. The drawing itself is quite simple, especially if you stick to the head and shoulders. You can read my basic instructions here. For this lesson, I panned out and asked [...]
