Campfire Drawing Project

This week I've driven hundreds of miles here in the northwest. Scenes like this greet me and take my breath away.  Since so many families go camping in the summer, I decided that this would be a good time to share this project.
Skills:
-Seeing and drawing the effect of light
-Creating foreground, middle ground, and back ground
-Creating 3D perspective (tent)

Materials:
-Dark blue card stock
-Nice colored pencils
-Example project and optional reference photos (feel free to print my example)

Procedure:
-discuss the light sources (fire light, moonlight, stars)
-brainstorm ideas for details that will be unique to each child's drawing
-explain that the trees in in front are much larger that the trees farther back
-show step by step how to draw the tent, lake and mountains

 (These "scribble trees" are a hard concept for students sometimes.  I have students come up to the board to share how they like to make evergreens)

Puffin Drawing Project

Puffins are such adorable birds!  My students loved this project.
Materials: 
-colored pencils
-drawing paper
-photographs of puffins or a book about puffins

Procedure:
1) Read a book or look at pictures and make a list of observations about puffins.
2) Find the simple shapes and sketch them lightly. (Refer to my post about how to draw quail).
3) Color the puffins according to their unique and beautiful coloration.
4) Choose an appropriate habitat as a background.

An absolutely wonderful book to read with this project is Nights of the Pufflings.

Kites at the Coast drawing idea

I love kites!  When we would go to Cannon beach, we would always stop in at the kite shops.  

It is so often gray and cloudy at the coast that the bright rainbow colors provide such a beautiful contrast.
Here is a very easy project that gives students the chance to fill the sky with kites of their own design as well as creating a story about a the people flying the kites.

Materials:

-blue card stock

-chalk pastels (though other media will work if you don't like the mess)

-paper towel or something for blending

-kite catalog 

-sometimes you might want colored pencil, acrylic paint, or paper for the kites if the pastels can't provide enough detail

Look at the kites or order a free catalog at Into the Wind or another supplier.  This adds so much inspiration that you'll probably think of five better projects by the time your done looking!

1) The students blend clouds, ocean and sand.

2) The students practice "scribble people" or gesture drawings of classmates on a separate piece of paper.

3) I explain that the people on the beach are just scribble people with colors for clothes.  The people are much too far away to worry about details.  The people are layered right on top of the background landscape.

4) Add the kites!

Watercolor Seashells Project

I'm up in the magical Pacific Northwest visiting my grandma.  She and my grandpa used to take us to the beach when we were little.  I loved the beautiful shells we would find while combing the beach and exploring the shops!  When I teach this lesson I like to bring in my own shells for the students to look at!  What amazing natural examples of design, pattern, and variety!

Materials:
Watercolor paper
Watercolor PENCILS (or traditional watercolor paint)
Water cups
Nice brushes
Sharpies

First I explain that this projects is supposed to be a design with shells rather than a picture of the beach.  The shells should be large and should be the focus of the project.
1) Draw black outlines with sharpie (the markers need to be permanent so that the lines don't blend)
2) Color in the project with watercolor pencils
3) Paint over the color with water!

Genesis Chapter 1

Today in summer school we made little clay ducks on a pond.  Part of being made in God’s image is our ability to create beautiful things.  Together we thought of three ways in which God’s ability to create differs from ours.

1)As much fun as it would be to breath life into our little creations, God is the only one who can create life.

2)God created the whole universe.  Everything we make exists within that.  Well, the student said it this way, “God makes things bigger than we can.”

3)We need materials with which to create.  God can speak things into existence!

Ice Cream Sundae Drawing Project

Teach vanishing point, symmetry, use of light, and contour lines all in one very popular project (though not all in one lesson)!  This is one of my all-time favorites!

Materials:

card stock for making stencils

scissors

drawing pencils or erasable white colored pencils 

prismacolor colored pencils (one white pencil for each student)

dark colored card stock
rulers
ice cream dish to hold up to the light (pick some up at Goodwill)
optional double sided tape

Step 1    Symmetry
Have the students cut out a stencil.
The students fold a sheet of card stock in half in a "hamburger fold"(as opposed to a hot dog fold).
As long as the student have a base, a stem and a cup, they always end up looking great.   I would encourage them to draw a wavy rim at some point.  One parent commented on the martini glass her child had drawn in art class!

Step 2
Cut out the stencil and trace it on the card stock.
Some children will need it held in place with small pieces of double stick tape.  Pat it between you fingers a few times so that it's not too sticky!

Step 3  Vanishing point and perspective
Draw the far edge of the table and the vanishing point.
Draw points along the bottom about 1.5 inches apart.

Draw lines dot-to-dot with a ruler or the edge of a paper.  The students have a very hard time trusting the vanishing point.  Especially as they need to stop as soon as they hit the dish.

After the lines that touch the bottom are complete the students have to judge where to put the lines along the sides.  They can usually get it right after I demonstrate the trial and error of adding lines too close and then too far apart.

Add vertical lines to finish up the checkerboard effect.  As the lines get farther away they get closer together.  Don't make too big a deal of this as it might frustrate the students.  Instead of getting technical, I demonstrate with the same trial and error approach.  The students can always tell me what looks right.
HAVE THEM BE CAREFUL WHEN COLORING THE CHECKERBOARD PATTERN.  IT'S SOOO EASY TO MESS UP THE PATTERN.  IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO COLOR IN THE SQUARES SYSTEMATICALLY.

Round out the top and add a double line for the thickness of the glass.  I explain that the ice cream doesn't drain all the way into the base, because the stem and base are solid glass.

Step 4 Contour Lines

(This part might be a good way to start a new class)

In order for students to add the glass shine correctly, they must have an intuitive understanding of contour lines.  There are a lot of good lessons out there for this.  Check out my hot air balloon lesson.

Have the students trace their stencils on a separate piece of paper and practice adding lines that define it's 3D shape.

Step 5   Observation of Light
Hold up a glass ice cream dish and help them see the way the light shines.
The students add random highlights.  I tell them i need to see thick and thin, long and short, bright, medium, and soft.
Sometimes I have the students do the same with a dark blue or gray colored pencil for contrast.

Now for the fun part!  Let the students create an amazing sundae.  Don't forget to show and tell!