In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I’ve made a tutorial of how to draw a Shamrock. If you can draw lines and hearts, then you can make this beautiful painting in honor … Read More
Here’s a new after school class that I just started, what I call a Cutaway Cardboard House. I bought lots of 12″ cardboard squares from my local box company, and precut the … Read More
There it is, one of my “Sharpie Art Workshop for Kids” books at my local Barnes & Noble store. Still so surreal after I’ve spent so many hours browsing these very shelves, … Read More
This Common Core snake project uses two different kinds of patterns. One is for the colors (black, yellow, black, red, or A, B, A, C) and one for the width (thin, wide, … Read More
Try out one of my collaborative templates and see how easy it is to make large and colorful mural. This mini Earth Day mural has just nine pages, but it will show … Read More
Here’s a little tip on how to draw a caterpillar with very “squishy” sections. I saw it in a book years ago, and wish I could credit the genius who thought it … Read More
If your students are studying penguins, consider adding this Model Magic project. There’s also now available a very creative penguin-themed art book to go with it, “Penguins Love Colors” by Sarah Aspinall. … Read More
Kandinsky pretty much invented abstract art back in the early 1900’s. His “Study of Abstract Squares” is a fun and easy painting to imitate. Encourage students to lay in on thick, so … Read More
This Lois Mailou Jones-inspired drawing is in honor of Black History month. During Lois’ remarkable life, she painted, designed masks, textiles and stained glass windows, traveled the world and never stopped learning. Her … Read More
Learning about snails in your classroom? Here’s a simple way to draw one, all starting with the number “6”. I found a wonderful foreign website (pavulurivikram.blogspot.dk) that has lots of drawings based … Read More
My quest for finding easy clay projects that create sturdy little sculptures has led me to this, working with little plastic cups. I found that a little cactus formed in a plastic … Read More
Due to numerous requests to purchase this book I am now offering all of its content, including the cover art, in a condensed (18 MB) PDF e-file, for just $25. Print to … Read More
Did you know that you can actually blend colors with Sharpies? And that you can do this particularly well with brush Sharpies on canvas? Here’s one of my projects from my “Sharpie … Read More
In celebration of Black History month, I’ve created this mural in the style of William H. Johnson (1901-1970), a very talented painter who had a difficult life. He came to be widely admired for … Read More
Looking for a collaborative project that creates a colorful, finished work of art? Try my favorite combo of Sharpies on dry wax paper, decoupaged to a stretched canvas and you are guaranteed … Read More
Here is some Valentine art that is just too cute not to share. Lisa H. wrote,“We live in Nebraska and every Friday my younger kids and my older grand kids get together … Read More
Architect Frank Lloyd Wright told his students, “Limits are an artist’s best friend.” That’s because they force us to find answers we might not otherwise have discovered. Students are to draw a … Read More
This technique for making tissue paper flowers is not new, but I have a new appreciation for its simplicity. If your students have had an overload of 2D work lately, try this … Read More
Jim Dine is an American pop artist, famous for his series of heart paintings. This project uses tissue paper, glue and oil pastels to create a heart in his very textured style. … Read More
My goal with this flying heart balloon painting was to keep things really simple so kids could experiment with their wet-on-wet painting. This fourth grader, Lola, did an impeccable job, using the … Read More
There are times when it is good to plan with a pencil, and then there are times when you just need to draw with a brush. You can’t go wrong with these … Read More
I brought back one of my favorites, mini canvas art, for an after school class today. Mini canvases, brush Sharpies and homemade craft stick easels. My lesson was about making art with … Read More
Here’s one way to spark a child’s interest in science and space. Show them how to draw an astronaut and space ship, floating among stars and planets. All are made with simple … Read More
This just in, a finished “Chinese New Year of the Rooster” mural from Alison, a teacher. She opted to use an acrylic paint mixed with a soft gel medium to add some … Read More
This ceramic textured fish project turned out to be a great way to guarantee even kinders make sturdy creations in clay. The solution was to give each student a slab of clay … Read More
The Dollar Tree store scores again. Some ceramic heart bowls seen on Pinterest started my search for rounded plastic bowls to use as forms. The only problem was that bowls all had … Read More
Students can practice radial symmetry with this Radial Hearts drawing. It takes time to fill in the entire paper, but the results can be really amazing. And once someone gets good at … Read More
To honor it’s history, here’s a Liberty Bell art project that uses sgraffito, an ancient scratch art technique. • View and download Liberty Bell line drawing MATERIALS • Cardstock paper • Oil … Read More
Mini craft sticks are just the right size to make a cute little popsicle stick log cabins. MATERIALS • Mini Craft Sticks, 14 per house • Utility scissors • Craft glue DIRECTIONS … Read More
Thank you to Ms. Serre and Ms. March’s fourth grade class from PS11 in the Bronx, NY. They quickly put one of my murals together today, and shared the results. Isn’t it … Read More
So it turns out that a coffee filter, Sharpie and watercolor paint can make a pretty great President’s Day painting project. You can even try some shading by adding an extra layer … Read More
I put my portrait drawing skills to the test today to see if I show students how to draw Martin Luther King, hopefully with a decent resemblance. The kids did a great … Read More
A reader shared this collaborative Martin Luther King mural photo awhile back, and it’s one of my favorites. I’m amazed how neatly they colored it and put it together. (Also, would love … Read More
Find how easy it is to draw Grumpy cat with my step-by-step tutorial. Luckily, he has some pretty distinctive features, like the dark rings around his eyes and his famous frowning mouth. … Read More
Here’s how to make a terrarium painting, which is a pretty AND educational lesson for studying plant life. I’ve used it for years with kinders, when they study root systems in the … Read More
This Nevelson found sculpture was inspired by her creation of wood assemblages. Louise was a passionate artist who worked hard to get recognition in the mostly male art world, and wished to … Read More
Wouldn’t this textured ceramic box make a wonderful Valentine gift? It’s just one of the amazing clay projects in my friend’s ebook, “Create with Clay”. I’m sharing some snapshots of this project … Read More
In honor of the Chinese New Year that kicks off on Jan. 28, I have created this “How to Draw a Rooster Head” tutorial, which lets young artists just focus on their … Read More
My new Chinese New Year Mural 2017 celebrates the Year of the Rooster. The first day of the New Year is on Saturday, January 28th. This mural is drawn and colored with the … Read More
Learn how to draw your neighborhood by focusing on three main areas. This stacked arrangement is my solution for encouraging students to draw LARGE and fill their papers. I am fortunate in … Read More
These little pipe cleaner people are easy to make and fun to pose with their bendable legs and arms. They measure a little under 3″ when done, and have lots of possibilities … Read More
Looking for ideas for homemade holiday decorations? I need some for my school’s holiday boutique, so I’m having students draw gingerbread houses and then cut them out. I found that if I … Read More
Old buildings are the stuff of storytelling, so this Old Fashioned Winter House is a perfect for young students this time of year. This painting was made by a kinder student named … Read More
This negative space tree project can really look like stained glass if you use really bright colors. I love the combo of black Sharpie trees and then soft oil pastels to fill … Read More
I’ve been on the lookout for a new way to draw a cardinal. This one, inspired by a stock art illustration is built on some very simple shapes that I think young … Read More
I am still struck by how bright these winter silhouette paintings came out, this one by a third grader. I honestly think it comes from upgrading my tempera paint to something better … Read More
I came up with this Craft Stick Snowflake to help students make a special gift for their parents that is inexpensive, non-denominational, and pretty quick to make. My sample measures about 10″ … Read More
Here’s a simple snowflake painting project that was inspired by an illustration on a stock art website. I’ve found some amazing ideas at istockphoto.com and shutterstock.com, and gettyimages.com, just to name a … Read More
Quilling is an art form that involves rolling, and gluing strips of paper together to create decorative designs. If you use bread ties instead, the curl stays and thus easier to glue … Read More
Here’s a super easy way to draw a frame on your artwork with this fun, precut paper. Add a few swirly black lines and you have a wood grain look that adds … Read More
