Artful Squid

Surreal Self Portraits

Fourth grade students created a surreal self-portrait using symbols that represent them as the different parts of their body. They colored in their drawings with colored pencil. PowerPoint: Surreal Self Portrait Supplies: 9″ x 12″ drawing paper Colored pencils Two class periods into the Surreal Landscape project, I realized my students were going to be finishing…

Surreal Landscape

Inspired by Vladimir Kush, fourth grade students cut out an image from a magazine and created a surreal background for it using watercolor pencils. Art Lesson Video: Surreal Landscape, Cutting & Surreal Landscape, Coloring & Surreal Landscape, Painting PowerPoint: Surreal Landscapes Supplies: Magazines Scissors Glue sticks 9″ x 12″ poster board Watercolor pencils Brushes One of my favorite art…

Watercolor Grid

After discussing a painting by Jasper Johns, second graders drew a grid using crayon and filled each square with a letter of their name. Then, they painted over their drawing with watercolors. Art Lesson Video: Watercolor Grid, Part 1 & Watercolor Grid, Part 2 PowerPoint: Watercolor Grid Supplies: 9″ x 12″ poster board Rulers Crayons Watercolor…

Earn Art Centers using a Color Wheel

I use Color Wheel Charts to reward each class for following my expectations for their behavior. When they fill their Color Wheel, they earn a Centers Day! Supplies: Color Wheel Charts: (Print one in color, one in black and white) Color Wheel Chart Posters: Earn a Color, Extra Special Centers Individual Centers: Earn Colors Seating Chart Adhesive Velcro When…

Not Your Average Coloring Center

Elementary art students can choose to go to a coloring page center where they re-invent artwork by an artist they just learned about. PowerPoint: Table Artists 2015 & Table Artists 2016 Supply Box Labels: Table Name Images, Table Names Coloring Pages: Kusama Coloring, Lange Coloring This is the second year I’ve named each of my tables after famous artists. I decided to…

Chalk Pastel Observational Drawings

After observing still lives by Georgia O’Keeffe, elementary art students create their own “up-close” observational drawings. Art Lesson Videos: Chalk Pastel Observational Drawings, Part 1 & Chalk Pastel Observational Drawings, Part 2 PowerPoint: Observational Drawings Supplies: 9″ x 9″ colorful construction paper Sharpie Chalk pastels Assorted objects I wanted to put a new spin on my usual Georgia…

Draw a Verb

After reading Lines that Wiggle, elementary art students drew lines inspired by a verb and colored their artwork using markers and colored pencils. Art Lesson Videos: Draw a Verb, Part 1 & Draw a Verb, Part 2 PowerPoint: Draw a Verb Supplies: Lines that Wiggle by Candace Whitman 9″ x 12″ drawing paper Markers Colored pencils…

Shapes and Sizes

Elementary art students used markers and crayons to create artwork with big, medium and small shapes. Supplies: 9″ x 12″ white paper Markers Crayons Pencils, erasers Downloadable PowerPoint: Shapes and Sizes The beginning of the year with second graders is always a little crazy. My class is the first time they have ever gone to Art…

Creative Thinking at the End of Art Class

Create a smooth end-of-class transition by asking students creative questions once they are lined up. Downloadable Question List: Circle Up Questions Downloadable Blank Template: Circle Up Template It is a balancing act, figuring how much time to give kids to clean-up at the end of art class! Too little time, and you’re left with a messy room…

Warm and Cool Shapes

After cutting and gluing organic and geometric shapes, elementary art students use warm or cool colored markers to fill the background of their artwork with lines. Art Lesson Videos: Warm and Cool Shapes, Part 1 & Warm and Cool Shapes, Part 2 PowerPoint: Warm and Cool Shapes Supplies: 9″ x 12″ white paper Sets of warm and cool…