Still not sure what to make for Father’s Day? For an artsy, colorful solution, bring out the markers and oil pastels. Messy, but beautiful. One of my readers, Laura T., shared her 2nd grader’s art with me. I love how … Read More
Learn how to draw a clown face with this simple step by step tutorial. It’s easier than you think! This tutorial has all the exaggerated clown face features — the funny hat, big eyebrows and mouth, curly hair, etc. but … Read More
Mix your Earth Day art activity with some geography too. Here’s a sample mini mural to color which includes land, water and even mountainous regions. Good to know! Here’s a fun way to try out one of my mural templates, … Read More
My favorite Frida Kahlo for kids project is a simple portrait with a few key features. Try coloring with oil pastels on black paper for a very rich look. Frida overcame many obstacles in her life, but she always found … Read More
Black history month projects can also give a nod to noted artists who live a bit south of us, like Bernard Hoyes from Jamaica. This tutorial not only simplifies some of his graceful dancing ladies, but is a good exercise in … Read More
Learn how to draw cubism in the style of Pablo Picasso, with this portrait that merges a side and front view into one face. MATERIALS Draw a Cubism Portrait Tutorial Black cardstock or construction paper Oil pastels* *The above product … Read More
Learn how to draw an easy rose, with enough detail to make the flower look dimensional, but not so much to make it difficult to do. Scroll down to see another way to draw a whole bunch. I hope it … Read More
Here’s a baby fox drawing easy enough for even kindergarteners to try out. Careful coloring on black paper will give him a bold look. MATERIALS Baby Fox Tutorial Black construction paper Oil pastels DIRECTIONS Draw guide lines on paper or … Read More
Black history art projects can teach students about some amazing African American artists who had to forge their own way in the world. Lois Mailou Jones was one of them. Lois Mailou Jones (1905 – 1998) had an impressive career, … Read More
Here’s a gift to hard-working teachers and parents everywhere, a free Christmas Wreath coloring project. May it add a little extra cheer to your home or classroom. My mural is essentially four Christmas wreath coloring pages that you can tape … Read More
If you need a Christmas drawing idea for kids, this oil pastel candle drawing works for many different religions. I recommend drawing the candle and tracing all the lines several times with a black pastel so they are really thick. … Read More
Once you learn how to draw a cardinal, you’ll have the perfect subject matter for a very colorful watercolor resist project. You can save your students some frustration by having them use a permanent marker to fill in the cardinal … Read More
A cute snowman drawing doesn’t have to be small and very flat looking. In fact, with just a little help, it can fill your page look round and dimensional look. Get your students off to a quick start by tracing … Read More
Here’s how to color a turkey, and end up with a very cool looking work of art. Sgraffito is the art of scratching color away to reveal something underneath. Today store bought scratch art paper can be fun for young … Read More
Don’t buy the expensive premade stuff, make your own scratch art paper and you’ll get more color and more texture and much more creativity. The key to making really great scratch art is to apply lots of thick oil pastel … Read More
Here’s a maple leaf drawing idea that uses colors, Kandinsky-style. He was one of the first artists to make abstract paintings that celebrated ideas as simple as rings of color. I followed my Maple leaf drawing lesson seen in the … Read More
Look no further for an artsy Halloween costume. Make a cubism head with a brown paper bag and oil pastels. MATERIALS Brown grocery bag Oil pastels DIRECTIONS I used a regular brown grocery bag, and started by drawing the split … Read More
It’s that time of year when it’s fun to mix a little art history with Halloween festivals by way of a ‘The Scream art project’. This fun photo op was made awhile back with my “Munch’s The Scream” PDF template. … Read More
This Amedeo Modigliani for kids art lesson shows students how to distort a portrait, much in the way that he elongated necks and faces. The best medium for this project? Thick pastels on black paper to imitating Modigliani’s rich dark … Read More
Young students can learn how to draw a simple fox with the help of this step by step tutorial. Coloring him with oil pastels will really help him stand out on black paper. This very simple fox tutorial works with … Read More