I created this Leonardo da Vinci for kids project as a fun drawing exercise. Everything but the face is erased so you can fill in your own. This photoshopped face of Ginevra de Benci (by Leonardo di Vinci) was originally posted quite a while ago, but only with the one main page to draw on. When I taught this project, … Read More
How to draw a triceratops in eight simple steps. My tutorial will help you figure out to create his odd shaped body and then place his three horns. The name ‘Triceratops’ comes from the Greek language, with ‘tri’ meaning three and ‘keratops’ meaning horned face. Make sure you get all those horns added. If you like this tutorial, there are … Read More
Thanks to craft paper punches, this cactus craft project is totally doable, even for large groups. Just prep LOTS of circles first. I love how the card stock comes in multiple shades of green so you can mix things up a bit. Dark spikes on light green, and visa versa. So much more interesting than if they were all the … Read More
Focus on the head for an easy to draw dragon tutorial. The legs and tail can come after you master that fierce face. Your drawing may of course be completed however you like, but I recommend that you try filling him in with two values of whatever color you choose. That means that you press hard to get a darker … Read More
Here’s a little girl drawing easy enough for even beginner artists. Have some fashion design fun with a beret, scarf or more. There are at least three benefits to drawing people with oversized heads. One, it’s easier. There’s obviously a lot more room to work with. Two, it’s cuter, as shown in this sample. And three, it makes you a … Read More
You can share Sonia Delaunay for kids by imitating her love of concentric circles. An inexpensive template makes this project doable, and Sharpies make them very colorful. Sonia Delaunay was a ground-breaking female artist from the early 1900s who made some wonderful abstract paintings known for their rhythm and color. This project uses her style of many concentric circles, and … Read More
If you are looking for a Mother’s Day Cards for kids to make, this one checks all the boxes: artsy, colorful, and even stands up for display. There are two easy ways to make this card, and you can let your supplies and/or time to prep dictate which way to go. One: Cut down a large sheet of white construction … Read More
This simple bee drawing was inspired by a stock art image. The black permanent marker guarantees crisp lines, the white crayon adds a little extra sparkle. MATERIALS • Watercolor paper* (the good stuff if you want bright colors) • Sharpie marker, fine point* • Liquid watercolor paint* • White crayon* *The above product links are referrals. If you click through … Read More
Thought I had to give up one of my favorite clay modeling ideas when my kiln went down. Not true, this air dry clay works just fine. MATERIALS • Air dry clay • Silicone cupcake liners* • Acrylic paint *The above product link is a referral. If you click through and take action, I’ll be compensated a small amount, at … Read More
Once you start looking for Model Magic ideas, you’ll see why cupcakes were a topic I came back to again and again. Save this one for Mother’s Day, or some other event that calls for a special project. To make your Model Magic stretch as far as possible, have students make hollow cupcakes. This is done by forming a bowl … Read More
My giraffe face drawing tutorial works great with watercolor and oil pastels. It keeps the blue paint from running into the pretty yellow faces, which is more likely to happen if you use watercolor for both. I love this point of view of the giraffe face. It really breaks down the distinguishing features in to easy steps, so you have a pretty … Read More
My Black Paper Cat turned out to be such an easy paper craft that I thought I’d try it with other color combos. This one started as a Pacon project, which makes strong paper so your cat stands up nice and tall. MATERIALS Paper Tiger Tutorial Pacon Premium Tagboard* Scissors Glue stick Black marker *The above product link is a … Read More
A fun and easy abstract art project for kids is to use brush Sharpie markers on mini canvases. It feels like you’re painting with the world’s brightest colors. The best part of this design is that you only need two center pencil lines to start. The rest can all be free hand lines drawn directly with the marker. I recommended … Read More
Mini painting ideas call for images that can be forgiving. Kandinsky’s circle art is perfect for even young artists to imitate. For special occasions, try a batch of Sharpie Brush Markers and mini canvases. The color will just glide on and pop on that white background. One of my favorite after school classes was a mini canvas session with kinder through … Read More
One of my favorite abstract art ideas for beginners is to divide a page into quarters, and fill in with opposing colors. An instant cool look! Careful coloring is called for, as even a little bit scribbling will not have the same effect as this amazing young student’s art. For maximum contrast, I recommend that students fill each section with … Read More
You could show students how to draw an average dog, or you could show them how draw a doberman. All you need is a large nose and dark coloring. And heavy eyebrows. And pointy ears. This tutorial will show you how to draw all the familiar features of a doberman, just be sure to follow the coloring closely too. Their … Read More
This cartoon dog drawing tutorial provides a complete study in symmetry. The oversized eyes and feet are a good clue that he’s also meant to just look silly. MATERIALS Download Cartoon Dog 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. Draw the cartoon … Read More
To draw a Labrador, just adjust the shape the of face and ears of your average dog. This step by step tutorial will help you draw one in nine easy steps. When complete you get to decide if he or her is a yellow or chocolate or black lab. MATERIALS View and download Labrador Tutorial Drawing paper Black marker Crayons … Read More
Drawing Big Ben gets easier when you have some grid paper and a tutorial to follow. It’s all about simplifying all those many little shapes that are found all over this historic landmark. For more landmark tutorials like this one, please see “Draw World Landmarks” in my PDF Shop. MATERIALS View and download Big Ben Tutorial Grid paper, 1/4″ lines … Read More
Most simple train drawing tutorials for kids focus on the old-fashioned version, for some reason. There are a lot of modern options though too. The newer and sleeker trains are a lot of fun to draw, and still start with simple shapes. You could get inspired by the familiar Amtrak cars, or even the high-speed trains that are found in … Read More