Art Lessons by Technique

Skyscraper Line Drawing

Inspired by illustrator, Marz Jr. 5th grade students looked at pictures of skyscrapers and created a retro line drawing of their observations. The students used a black Sharpie marker to...Learn More

Related categories: 5th Grade Art Lessons, Buildings and Architecture, Line Drawing, Markers

Paper Skyscrapers

Cutting and pasting is a big deal in Kindergarten. Learning how to manipulate paper into shapes and then into a picture is an even bigger deal. It doesn’t matter what...Learn More

Related categories: Buildings and Architecture, Collage, Kindergarten Art Lessons, Paper Projects

Book Review: The Shape of my Heart

I went to my local Indie bookstore a while back searching for a book to tie-in with my Valentine’s Day themed art lessons. I gravitated towards the sea of pink...Learn More

Related categories: 1st Grade Art Lessons, 2nd Grade Art Lessons, Art and Literature, Book Reviews, Valentine’s Day Art, Watercolors

The Snowy Day Art Project

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats is a perennial favorite in art rooms. The text is simple yet easily brings round memories of my childhood days in Atlantic Canada; cold,...Learn More

Related categories: 3rd Grade Art Lessons, Art and Literature, Collage, Winter Art

Mixed-Media Snowman

If I had to choose my favorite snowman art lesson, it would be this one. The combination of skills: tracing, cutting, shading, drawing, pasting, composition, and painting checks off all...Learn More

Related categories: 1st Grade Art Lessons, Collage, Tempera Paint, Winter Art

Arlo Needs Glasses Art Lesson

Arlo Needs Glasses by Barney Saltzberg is about as cute as you can get when it comes to interactive picture books. My group of Kinders LOVED this book. We read the...Learn More

Related categories: 1st Grade Art Lessons, Animals, Art and Literature, Book Reviews, Chalk Pastels, Kindergarten Art Lessons, Line Drawing

Double Loading Painting Technique

Double loading is a painting technique I use in all my art classes. It’s super easy, eliminates some common painting problems like using too much water, plus it’s truly beautiful....Learn More

Related categories: Art Lessons by Technique, Tempera Paint, Video Tutorials

Paper Owl Art Project

This colorful owl is a great lesson for those times when you need a quiet art activity. Tearing and gluing small bits of paper may seem like a potentially frustrating...Learn More

Related categories: 2nd Grade Art Lessons, Birds, Chalk Pastels, Paper Projects

How to Get Children to Draw Big

How do you encourage children to produce images large enough to paint or color? It’s a great question, isn’t it? One of my DSS Facebook readers asked this very question so...Learn More

Related categories: Art Lessons by Technique, Art Room Management, How to Teach Art, Pastels & Crayons, Teaching Philosophies