Let's Draw Wonky Winter Houses!

Happy New Year, friends!

If you are heading back next week and looking for a lesson that the kids will love, have I got one for you! I did a variation of this lesson years ago and my students, first through fourth, LOVED it! You can see the different spin I put on that lesson here. There's a video for that particular lesson and you can find it on that blog post.

If you are like me, when I come back from a break, I feel completely out of sorts. Supplies are scattered, nothing is where I remember it to be...and I'm just trying to get used to getting up at a 'normal' hour. So! For this updated spin, I decided to ONLY use permanent markers and markers, water and a paint brush. Not only that but...I shrunk the paper! That way, this is an abreviated lesson that will help you regain your sea legs so you are ready to dive into the new year...but maybe in a week or two ;)

By the way, in this lesson, I'm using my Prang markers which ARE MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE. Seriously. I've not turned back since I started using them. The colors are SO juicy and perfect for this kind of spin on painting with markers. You can check them out here.

Did I mention that I have a free download for you and your artists?! Yep! My students loved this download! I never made it available before...but had many requests so...ask and you shall receive! Here it is!

I hope y'all have fun and have a wonderful start to your new year!

AND...if you are looking for some new methods for starting your new school year, my book Art Teacherin' 101 is full of them! 

Have a great rest of your break, friends!

How to Draw (and Paint!) Gingerbread Houses!

Hi, friends!

Coming to you with a new, fun and wintery lesson just in time for the holidays. Here's a How to Draw (and Paint!) Gingerbread lesson that you and your artists will love. Added bonus: this one comes with a FREE download! Just check it out below. But first, the video:

Because I know you may be short on time (and attentio span), I thought it would be fun to do this lesson a copule of different ways. One, why not make 'em little? By folding a square of paper in quarters, you end up with four little squares for practice drawing your houses. When finished, I used watercolor pencils (my new fave!) for a quick painting project. 

This idea sheet will break down the steps easily! So you and your artists can either follow along with me as I draw in my video OR...they can simply use the drawing sheet! You can find it for free here!

Now, I've not played around with these watercolor pencils from Prang very much until recently. I was VERY suprised how bright and colorful the colors were once paint was added. I did like that the set of 10 pencils came with a paintbrush too. It was the perfect size for this activity! AND...I was even able to add color and paint to the popsicle stick frames!

I hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday! 

If you are still hunting around for the perfect Christmas gift, I have some super fun books that you and yours may enjoy! I've been packing the up and getting them out as the orders come in so they make it in time for the holidays. Now's the time! Here's a link to my books. 

Stay cozy, friends!

Five Fast, Fun and EASY Lessons to do Before Break!

Well, y'all, it's time. Time for a BREAK! And time to take it easy with some fun lessons that not only will the kids LOVE but also mean low prep/stress for you. So here are my Five Fast, Fun and EASY lessons for before Christmas break!

Okay, for this first one, I've got two TOTALLY FREE downloads and a video for you and your artists! You can find the downloads and video here. 

These lessons are for you and your artists. You do not have my persmission to create, repackage or sell them on Teachers Pay Teachers (yes, I have to say this because yes, people do that). I share because I love y'all and I want the best for you and your artists. It makes me sad when folks take advantage of that to make a quick buck.

I did THREE variaions of this snow globe lesson because I just loved it so much! For this next one, you'll need a basin of water (I use a plastic container) and some chalk for FLOATING CHALK SNOW GLOBES!

I promise the kids will love this one!

Got just a little time to spare? I promise you, all of your students will love some Snow Man Bingo! This is another totally free download! You can find it right here!

This drawing activity is one that my students really loved. We learned to draw cute winter pups and kittens by following my video! You can check it out here. 

Have you ever tried MARKER PRINTS?! This one is also a huge hit! I've got all the details and a video demo here.

By the way...if you are still shopping the artist, art teacher or favorite creative in your life, you might want to place your order for any of my books now. This will (fingers crossed) hopefully get them here in time for the holidays! I would say to order no later than this week!

My books can be found here. Have a great week, y'all!

Creating a Give Thanks Painting!

Hey, friends!

If you are looking for a fun painting project that encourages artists to consider the idea of giving thanks, then have I got one for you! I created this lesson for my friends at Prang and I used some specific supplies BUT this lesson can easily be adapted to what you have on hand. So, let's talk about it! For this lesson, I used:

* Prang's 9" X 12" canvas boards that come in a pack of 3 BUT 9" X 12" white paper would work as well! I prefer Mixed Media paper as it is thicker and can hold the paint. 

* Tempera paint is what I'm using in the video. Acrylic paint also works well on canvas although I would not recommend it for use with children. It stains clothing and dries quickly. If you plan to do this project on paper, then tempera paint, tempera cakes and watercolor would work well. If you'd like some tips and tricks on using tempera paint with children, check out this video here. And my recommended supplies for painting with children can be found here. 

* Ink-filled bingo daubers are legit my fave thing in the art room. You can buy daubers here. For more lessons using bingo daubers, I have tons here. 

* Paintbrushes and a cup of water.

* Chalk for drawing. Select a light color like yellow, peach or light blue that can easily be erased with a tissue if need be.

Now, one thing I was not expecting was how long it took the ink to dry on the panel before I could start painting. Just a heads up that you'll want to make sure that the ink is totally dry before painting as it could smear. 

However, if you are using the bingo dauber on paper, it will dry immediately. So you should be in good shape!

When I have done a similar lesson with students in the past, a few didn't understand the concept of making the letters stretch. The reason we do this is to create separate shapes that students can fill with color. You might want to make sure they have your stamp of approval before going over their chalk lines with ink. 

Okay, here's the lesson:

Have fun!

Now, stay tuned. I have a couple of variations of this lesson coming soon. Until then!

Looking for a fun drawing sheet instead? Here you go! 

And for another, look no further then here!

Woodland Creature Collage Lessons Inspired by Charley Harper!

One of my favorite contemporary artists is Charley Harper. I love his retro style (well, it probably wasn't considered 'retro' at the time!), his flat design and his subject matter: creatures! A while back, I created two fun fall lessons for my second and third graders featuring Charley Harper. These are quick lessons that you should have time to create just before Thanksgiving break. 

I love creating mashup lessons with a mixture of artists. Including a nod to Vincent van Gogh just seemed appropriate for this nocturnal bandit. Of course, you could read about Vincent while the kids create by using my book Find Your Way! 

What better way to learn about an artist and their life then by...going on adventures with them!?

This lesson does include an intro to Charley Harper so your students can become familiar with his work. They had so much fun drawing their raccoons!

Supplies needed and more details can be found in this blog post!

Both of these lessons are guided drawing projects. For this lesson, you can read more here. 

Both lessons use the same art supplies which makes prep SO much easier! 

If you are low on time, you could always shorten the project by eliminating the collage portion and just draw and add color straight to the construction paper. Also, cutting down on the size of the paper might help too.

No matter what you and your artists decide to create, I know you'll love learning about Charley Harper and creating your own woodland creature collages!