Road Trip Art Project

Ever since I was little, I've wanted my own VW bus to drive around the country.  I probably wouldn't paint it like this, but it would be colorful!

For this project, I walk the students through the basic outline.  With reference materials, students often make their drawings even more detailed and accurate.  I tell the students that this is their chance to design their van any way they want.  I wish I'd taken pictures to show you!  I encourage them to be as creative as possible.  At the end of class we share our pictures and maybe even talk about where we might travel.

Monsoon Storm Drawing Project

I'm back in Tucson!  I flew in right after one of our world famous thunderstorms.  In honor of monsoon season, I thought I'd share this project.  This isn't a complete lesson, but maybe you can be inspired and improve upon it.  The mountains are drawn with prismacolor markers and the rest is done in chalk pastel.  I like the idea of using different shades of marker to teach atmospheric perspective (kinda like the ocean floor project).  This could be used for any landscape project.  The fun part is letting students look at pictures of clouds and lightning.   I love the pictures in my SKY Cube Book!

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)

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!

Sandcastles Art Project

This project is made with acrylic paint and sand paper. Make sure that the sky is completely painted in. Use a decent paint brush that is flat and a little firm. The castle can be made with simple shapes. After all it's made of sand.