How many art projects include art history, Common Core standards AND make something really striking? Not many, and I’ve been at this for quite awhile now. This project was inspired by Kandinsky’s … Read More
These ceramic bird nests were inspired by my friend Jenni Ward’s “Create with Clay 3” ebook. I love how neatly the glaze turned out, thanks to the fact that you can remove … Read More
I’m happy to have found the perfect form for my Paper Mache Bowl class. The dollar store came through again with super cheap colanders. Their built in holes are perfect for helping … Read More
Laurel Burch had a unique way of drawing cats that left lots of room for pretty patterns and colors. She overcame lots of adversity in her childhood, in addition to being born … Read More
Can you believe this mural is made out of craft tissue paper? Thanks so much to Krista Dillon and her students who experimented with my Canadian Flag Mural and came up with this … Read More
Some of my favorite art journal pages I’ve seen just have a sense of freedom to them. The paper can be spotty and messy, headlines can go at the bottom instead of … Read More
Wayne Thiebaud is an American artist best known for his paintings of cakes in light pastel shades. I exaggerated the colors and frostings a bit in this homage, and hope it adds … Read More
Make a pretty realistic looking burger with all the ready made Model Magic colors that are currently available. Your super stacked burger with cheese, tomato, onion, lettuce and whatever else you can … Read More
Andy Warhol’s repetitive style is fun to duplicate and the perfect example for students to create their own repetitive drawings. MATERIALS • Laser prints of famous people • Acetate • Sharpie markers, … Read More
Students first “draw” the flowers with their paint brushes, and then trace the edges afterward. My other projects almost always begin with traced drawings so this backwards approach gave the students a … Read More
Yes, you can make some really amazing auction art from a room full of 5 year olds. Celebrate all their scribbly drawings by attaching them to a stretched canvas, and you have … Read More
This Model Magic Snail was inspired by a cake decoration found over on Pinterest. I love the simple little creations found there, which are perfect for kids to imitate with Model Magic … Read More
Teaching color mixing with a large Pre-Kinder class is no small task. This week they layered red on blue to make some pretty purple flowers. I cheated a bit and added some … Read More
You just never know when you might need to draw a Water Buffalo.These guys have a look that is all their own. • View and download Water Buffalo PDF Tutorial MATERIALS • … Read More
Try adding some gold to your collage to make a really decorative work of art. Austrian painted Gustav Klimt lived in the early 1900’s, started his career as a decorator and is … Read More
This project really makes some very inexpensive supplies (chipboard, glue, aluminum foil and shoe polish) look pretty fabulous. I was so inspired by this project at “Make It A Wonderful Life” that … Read More
If you are studying American symbols, here’s how to draw the White House. I’ve simplified it as much as possible, and have created some grid paper to help those (even as young … Read More
This Model Magic dinosaur was made by a talented 2nd grader named Daniel T. I had to use a scissors to make all the little triangles on my sample, but Daniel had … Read More
This project was inspired by a talented artist named Laurel Burch. She developed an abstract style of painting cats that is really fun to imitate. She often just drew the outside shape … Read More
Wallpaper Day for our Cardboard Cutaway Houses. Lucky for me, I knew that you can buy all kinds of pretty patterned paper at the craft stores, and best of all, they come … Read More
This cat project was inspired by a talented artist named Laurel Burch, who sadly passed away recently. She had a wonderful style of drawing abstract cats with large eyes that always met … Read More
You don’t have to buy expensive scratch art paper. If you have some good oil pastels, you can make your own. MATERIALS • Card stock paper • Sharpie, black, chisel tip … Read More
More from my after school Sharpies on Canvas class, this time a from a kinder named Zoe. Students worked with a kind of Pop art theme by drawing animals and then adding … Read More
This is a match made in heaven, Brush Sharpie markers and Kandinsky on canvas. The brush markers just glide on the canvas and leave a brilliant color. Makes for a very fun … Read More
Torn edges have a way of making shapes that would never happen if you started cutting away with a pair of scissors. This duck collage project has a simple shape, but I … Read More
Here’s a simple sheep painting project, with bodies made of crayons, and then a painted background. The crayons will resist the paint, so you can paint right over them. Just be sure … Read More
If you team up a tempera cityscape painting with a fat black marker, it makes for a fun and bold image. MATERIALS • Multimedia paper • Tempera paints, cake form work great … Read More
Earth Day is coming up next month and to help celebrate, I’ve added a new mural with a zentangle theme. The design is broken down into 25 pages that when colored … Read More
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, my “Sharpie Art Workshop for Kids” book at my local Barnes & Noble store. Still so surreal after I’ve spent so many hours browsing these bookstore shelves. Life is … 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
Young painters, like preK and kinders, need to explore with paint, but I think they enjoy making recognizable shapes as well. These little birds are easy to draw, and have an added … 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
These watercolor resist hearts use rubber cement to lock in a paint color while the surrounding areas soak it up. I recommend it for a home project as it works best with … 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
