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
If you know how to tint and shade with oil pastels, then try testing your skills on this Cubist style heart. MATERIALS • Multimedia or card stock paper, square • Pencil • … 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
This watercolor resist snowflake art is easy to create with laser-cut wood decorations that are found at craft stores. They make perfect crayon rubbing material because they are so decorative, yet perfectly … Read More
Making scratch art with oil pastels can be rather basic, but have you tried making different color combos on one piece of art? Or coloring three layers to see what happens? Many … Read More
This clay snowman is made with holes in his body so real twigs can be inserted when he (or she) is finished. I’ve learned to really appreciate white ceramic projects as they … Read More
Looking for an easy way to draw Santa’s face? If so, here’s a simple approach drawing just his head. And if you work on brown kraft paper, you will get a nice … Read More
For this snowy winter tree painting, students have the chance to just focus on the branches without any worries about leaves. Studying their basic structure will help them draw more realistically. I’ve … Read More
These Model Magic Gingerbread Cookies are so easy to make, thanks to the perfect gingerbread Model Magic color, also known as “Terra Cotta”. If you have cookie cutters to use, that would … Read More
These snowman pop out cards are easy to make, even with a large room of kids. Just be sure to cut all the circles and flakes ahead of time. Don’t make the … Read More
My art room is filled with giant Nutcracker drawings right now, waiting to be lined up in our auditorium for our upcoming holiday show. I took a que from my Harvest … Read More
Try Elf feet drawing for a fun holiday project. The close up view of just the legs and shoes make for festive picture that would be great for many different uses. MATERIALS … Read More
A candle card works well for the holidays as so many religions use them to celebrate. This is simply drawing candles and then breaking up the background for a faux stained glass … Read More
I taught my students how to draw a teddy with a few simple shapes, and they found many, many ways to turn him or her into their own creation. For instance, it … Read More
I’ve made a tutorial on how to draw Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, which I believe keeps his cute details, while keeping him as simple as possible to draw. That said, I … Read More
This recycled pencil star idea came about from seeing lots of half-used pencils in my room. I have boxes of them that are a bit too awkward to hold, but seem too … Read More
To make this ornament Christmas card, try filling the shapes with lots of with lines and patterns and watch the edges appear all by themselves. MATERIALS • White cardstock paper, 5″ x … Read More
There is no digital replacement for mixing colors for a fall leaf painting, and I was reminded again how much kids just love the unknown of stirring two colors together. I’ve come … Read More
In the spirit of giving this holiday week, I’d like to offer this free Thanksgiving Mural PDF template. The five-page file that you can download below has the four pages needed to … Read More
Thanks to craft paper punches, projects like this paper cactus are totally possible even for classrooms. I just recommend pre-punching the circles for a group of 25 or more. I learned the … Read More
I found my new favorite beginner weaving project that takes very little prep work, is inexpensive, and still makes a very pretty little work of art. The best part? It kept two … Read More
