This is one of those cute monster drawings that I have adored since a little first grader Mila painted it. The lines are sweet, and the colors are genius. I wouldn’t change a thing about it. MATERIALS Monster PDF Tutorial (Download here) Watercolor paper (I use Strathmore paper for special classes) Black Sharpie marker Liquid watercolor paint DIRECTIONS Draw … Read More
Quite possibly the world’s most simple monster drawing. Students used a roll of masking tape to draw the eyes, one of which needed to be going off the page. Try challenging older students to add shadows by painting extra layers of color along the edges. These monsters have some texture added simply by sprinkling some salt or dripping a bit … Read More
An easy way to plan a Halloween painting for kids, is not to paint at all. Use bleeding tissue paper instead. Everyone loves a pretty painted sunset, but it often takes a deft hand to blend things. Not enough and you have hard edges, too much and you have just one color. My solution? Use large squares of bleeding tissue … Read More
Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best, like just learning how to draw a witch hat, instead of an entire witch. Especially if you are just 6 years old or so. MATERIALS Watercolor paper (I use Strathmore paper for special classes) Black Sharpie marker Crayons Liquid watercolor paint DIRECTIONS Draw a large upside down V for the hat, with a … Read More
Folk Art for kids makes perfect sense as the very definition is about untrained artists. The more ‘child like’ your art is, the more folksy it is. MATERIALS Watercolor paper Crayons Liquid watercolor paint 1. Draw a cat with very simple shapes. Start with the circle head, oval body, “hot dog” legs and tail, and add ears and face. Trace … Read More
Pumpkin drawing for six and seven-year olds is a LOT different than those a few years older. Focusing on drawing symmetrical shapes takes lots of practice. Pumpkins just have it all when it comes to art projects. The built in ridges help show off their dimension so they don’t look like flat circles, and the bright orange color adds a … Read More
For a cat drawing step by step tutorial, it doesn’t get much easier, or creative, than making one in the style of an artist named Laurel Burch. She was not only an incredible artist, but overcame a tumultuous upbringing, learned to live with a debilitating bone disease, started her own business, and broke barriers in the male dominated business world. … Read More
This crayon and watercolor resist is a simple fall leaf art project, but also a good lesson in adding texture. Try using warm colors inside the leaf, and cool on the outside so you have a lot of contrast. MATERIALS Multimedia paper Crayons Embroider Plastic Mesh mat for texture rubbing Liquid watercolor paint Large leaf templates (optional, but helpful for … Read More
Here’s my solution for how to draw a squirrel, a nice easy profile that is pretty realistic, but still very cute. Don’t forget to fold your paper first for those creased guide lines. They really help get the squirrel fill the paper and end up with good proportion. I often tell my students that curves are the trickiest thing to … Read More
Here’s a fun way to draw a scarecrow. Add some crayon lines and watercolor and you have a very cute fall painting. I highly recommend printing or drawing the light center guide lines though, before you start. They really help young ones place their lines. And don’t skip the crayon details as they add some nice bumpy texture. • View … Read More
This is still one of my favorite art trading cards ideas, just rotated squares on a rectangle. Makes for a fun color study too. I’m still so fond of how the plastic sleeves smooth out any less than perfect gluing and make cards look almost laminated. MATERIALS Card stock paper, cut to 2.5″ x 3.5″ size, lots of different colors … Read More
Young students can learn how to draw a simple fox with the help of a tutorial. Oil pastels really help him stand out on black paper. To create the look of my sample, have students draw on black paper, trace the lines with a black oil pastel, and then fill in as shown. If your artist loves animals, I have … Read More
Make a easy halloween art for kids with white glue and chalk pastel. The dried glue keeps the lines black, no matter how many times you rub over them. MATERIALS Black card stock paper White glue Chalk pastels DIRECTIONS WEEK ONE: On a sheet of black construction paper, students make a dot with a pencil somewhere near the center. They … Read More
Louise Nevelson found sculpture project was inspired by her creation of wood assemblages. It’s easy to make with just craft sticks and found objects. MATERIALS Craft sticks, 12 per student Aleene’s Craft Glue Found objects, bottom of the draw stuff Acrylic paint, white or black or gold DIRECTIONS I glued the basic square as shown ahead of time for the … Read More
Want the maximum viewing for plant experiments? Try growing beans in a CD case. You can easily see the root development. MATERIALS • Old CD Jewel Case • Potting soil • Bean seeds, small • Rubber band DIRECTIONS 1. Remove all inserts in the case. They should just pop out. 2. Moisten potting soil and place in bottom of open case. … Read More
If you need your students to make really colorful art for a special occasion, say a fundraiser, try this oil pastel heart. Tell them their only job, outside of drawing a large heart, is to color with lots of layers. After all, that’s what pastels really do best. MATERIALS • Multimedia paper • Oil pastels, I prefer the Portfolio brand … Read More
Instead of handwriting practice sheets, why not use acetate and Sharpie markers (much more fun) and then frame in front of a pretty photo print? MATERIALS “Every Child is an Artist” template (Click to download) Laser printer Acetate Sheets, 8.4″ x 11″ Sharpie markers, brush type if you can afford them Tape Color sky print (Try googling “sky photo” and … Read More
3D art projects for kids are easy, if you start with Crayola’s Model Magic. They make natural colors that look just like chocolate and caramel. You can even use math for this project when circles are cut into quarters. Fractions have never looked so yummy. MATERIALS • Model Magic, naturals • Model Magic, assorted colors • Manila folder, or similar … Read More
Looking for a penguin drawing easy enough for kinders? I’d recommend this side view penguin as it works with just some very basic shapes. MATERIALS Download Easy Penguin Tutorial Drawing paper Black marker Crayons DIRECTIONS Prep: Print tutorial for each student. Draw guide lines on paper or fold in half to make creases. Students follow the tutorial to draw the … Read More
I created a series of easy people to draw, all which feature oversized heads. It makes it easy for young artists to fill in the features. This Japanese girl in a kimono would be great when students are learning about different cultures. MATERIALS Download Kimono Girl Tutorial Drawing paper Old CD for tracing Black marker Crayons DIRECTIONS Prep: Print tutorial … Read More