The man with the big mouth - Paul Klee

Made by a student of grade 3

Benodigdheden:

1. drawing sheet A2 size
2. brushes
3. tempera paint
4. pencil
5. black marker
6. scissors
7. glue
8. coloured wallpaper

Paul Klee (1879 – 1940) is a German/Swiss painter. His work belongs to modern art. Klee developed mainly as an autodidact and left more than 9000 artworks. In 1912 he saw the work of Picasso and Malevich and met Robert Delaunay, who believed colour is the most important element in a painting. After a trip to Tunisia in 1914 Klee started to paint more colorful and abstract. He painted landscapes, portraits, animals, mythology, mysterious machines. In his work he combined abstract and figurative shapes. Klee 's work cannot be described in one single word. Surrealism, cubism, abstraction are terms which are applicable to his paintings. He is classified by expressionism. (Source: Wikipedia)

Show the painting 'The man with the big mouth' on the digital board. Write 'yes' on the left and 'no' on the rigth. Type the following sentences on the board:

• He has a big mouth
• His nose is exactly as long as his chin
• He has curls
• He can smell good
• He is afraid
• His nose looks like a knife
• The eyes are blue
• He doesn't seem nice
• He looks pissed off
• He has no ears
• He has white teeth
• His face is composed of puzzle pieces
• The colours are bleak
• I only see bright colors

Have students drag the sentences one by one to the right spot.

The students draw a face from the side. The nose has to be as long as the chin. Draw two eyes. Divide the face in surfaces. Colour each part with tempera using only mixed colours just like Paul Klee did. Only the eyes should be painted in clear blue.
Wait until the work is dry and outline all color patches with a black marker. Cut and paste the artwork on a coloured piece of wallpaper.

This project was done in grade 3/4. For higher grades: draw the face with only one line, so without lifting the pencil.

 Door Zahra, groep 5

Source : Paul Klee voor kinderen, by Birgit Brandenburg 

Busy bees

You need:

1. white crayon
2. markers
3. liquid watercolour paint
4. brush

Fold the sheet of paper in half. Draw on both halves a bee. Colour the body with black and yellow marker. Colour the head black, keeping two white dots for eyes. Draw with black marker six legs and two wings. Use white crayon to draw veins in the wings.
Paint the background and the wings with liquid watercolour while keeping the edges white for about one cm.

Made by students of grade 3/4

Source: Artsonia. 

Castle and Sun, like Paul Klee

Artworks are made by students of grade 4

You need:

1. printed drawing sheet 
2. crayons
3. watercolour paint 
4. brushes
5. jars with water

On the Italian art blog  Arteascuola from Miriam Paternoster, I came across this terrific art lesson about Paul Klee. Be sure to visit Miriam's blog, it's great!

Paul Klee (1879 – 1940) is a German/Swiss painter. His work belongs to modern art. Klee developed mainly as an autodidact and left more than 9000 artworks. In 1912 he saw the work of Picasso and Malevich and met Robert Delaunay, who believed colour is the most important element in a painting. After a trip to Tunisia in 1914 Klee started to paint more colorful and abstract. He painted landscapes, portraits, animals, mythology, mysterious machines. In his work he combined abstract and figurative shapes. Klee 's work cannot be described in one single word. Surrealism, cubism, abstraction are terms which are applicable to his paintings. He is classified by expressionism. (Source: Wikipedia)

Print any text on drawing sheets or choose an old book page. I had chosen the Wikipedia page about Paul Klee. Show Klee's artwork 'Castle and sun' and discuss the characteristics: Klee used just squares, rectangles and triangles. What colors are used?

The students use a crayon in a color that contrasts with the watercolor paint (sharp point to make thin lines) and draw a frame around the text. Then they draw a building consisting only of rectangles, squares and triangles. Do not use a ruler, because the text provides sufficient support.
Paint with watercolour. Choose cold or warm colors. Do not allow the same colour next to each together.

Houses - like Ton Schulten

Made by a studenty of grade3

You need:

1. drawing sheet A4 size
2. tempera paint in red, yellow, blue and black
3. brushes
4. jar with water
5. pencil 
6. ruler

Ton Schulten (1938) is a Dutch painter living in Ootmarsum. After his work as a graphic designer, he decides in 1989 to try to make a living as a painter. His main inspiration is the open landscape of Twente (a part of Holland):  an open landscape divided in parts by hedges and hedgerows, looking like a stage with curtains.

Painting like Ton Schulten in lower classes can be done, but you have to keep it simple. Show artworks from Ton Schulten and discuss them.

• his use of colours  
• the 'curtains' on the sides
• simple shapes
• divided in rectangles

The students divide the sheet of drawing paper in 24 squares (4 by 6). With the primary colours yellow, red and blue and the mixed colours, they paint the squares. Each colour may be used just three times. If the work is dry, paint simple houses across the dividing lines with a small brush and black paint.

Shout it out, like Andy Warhol

Made by a student of grade 6

You need:

1. coloured paper 10 by 10 cm, four different colours
2. crayons
3. scissors 
4. glue

Talk about Andy Warhol and his art. Show his artworks and discuss them. What is typical for Warhol?

Draw four identical mouths and colour them with crayons in the same colours as the four sheets. 

Rollercoaster fun

You need:

1. oil pastels
2. drawing sheet
3. watercolour paint
4. brush
5. jar with water

After a school trip to an amusement park, these drawings were made. The goal was to draw what you liked most in the park and make sure you're part of the drawing.
Coloured with oil pastel and then painted with a brush and watercolour paint.

Made by styudents of grade 4

Catching snowflakes

 

Made by students of grade 4

You need:

1. blue construction paper
2. oilpastel crayons
3. fiberfill 
4. glue 

I don't know who was the first that posted this lesson ...Who do I link? Artsonia, Pinterest? However, it came across all art blogs lately! 

It's snowing! Look up and try to catch snowflakes with you tongue! What does your face look like when you look up?
Draw a child in a cheerful winter sweater. Colour with oil pastels. Outline with black. Paste a piece of fiberfill on the tongue, and do not forget to draw the snowflakes.

(Source: Artsonia/Pinterest)

Suburb for birds

Made by students of grade 4

You need:

1. coloured cardboard 
2. wallpaper 
3. wrapping paper
4. tempera paint
5. black marker
6. brushes
7. scissors and glue

Students draw a birdhouse with a special entrance on brown wrapping paper. This entrance can be a heart, a star of even a bird. Cut this entrance and outline the hole with a black marker.

Paint the house with cheerful colours.

Paste it on a piece of wallpaper and cut it out with 2 cm around. Paste a strip of black paper on the cardboard, this is the standard for birdhouse. Paste the birdhouse on the standard. Outline the house with black marker.

All birdhouses together will make a colourfull suburb for birds!

Thanks to Maureen Kaal 

Snowmen

Made by a student of grade 4

You need:

1. blue construction paper
2. oil pastels

Students draw three or more overlapping snowmen wearing fashionable scarves. Colour with oil pastel and outline with black.

Happy new year

Made by students of grade 3 and 4 

You need: 

1. white drawing sheet A4 size
2. blue liquid water colour paint 
3. brush
4. crayons
5. black and yellow or orange construction paper
6. yellow chalk pastel

Show pictures or movies about fireworks and discuss what this looks like. Use crayons to draw fireworks on a white sheet. Paint this with blue liquid water colour paint. Let dry.

Cut a skyline out of half a sheet of black paper. Paste this on the blue sheet. Cut windows from yellow or orange paper.
Draw a yellow chalk line on the roofs and smudge it.   

The Xmas tree isn't green

You need:

1. two drawing sheets A4 size
2. liquid watercolour paint
3. brushes
4. jar with water
5. tissue paper
6. scissors
7. glue
8. pencil
9. gold or silver marker

Paint a background with liquid water colour paint. Use two dark colours and let them blend into each other, leaving some white on the sheet.
Choose three colours of tissue paper. Fold the sheets several times and cut triangles and squares. Take a white sheet and make it wet with a brush and water. Lay the pieces of tissue paper on the wet sheet. If the tissue paper is not wet enough, it won't bleed. If so, make it wet again with a brush with water. Fill the sheet with these tissue paper parts and leave it to dry. Remove the pieces of tissue paper when it is completely dry.

Artwork made by students of grade 4

Fold the tissue coloured sheet and cut triangles in several heights. Paste the trees on the background. Don't paste the trees all at the same height, so you get depth. Cut some smaller triangles from the left overs if you want more trees.
Outline the trees with silver or gold marker and draw a simple branch structure. Draw the trunks with a brown pencil.

Doodling together - group mural

Made by students of grade 6

 You need:

1. drawing sheets A1 size
2. tape
3. tempera paint
4. brushes

Step 1
Stick some large sheets together with tape and lay them on a group tables of equal height.
Groups of four students at the same time draw little forms or doodles on this sheet using black tempera. The drawings should not touch each other.  When all doodles are finished, have a couple of kids connect them by straight black lines.

Step 2
Paint all surfaces and doodles with tempera. Each student chooses a colour and paints some surfaces or doodles. Be sure to avoid surfaces with the same colour next to each other.

This lesson can be done in every grade by varying subject or colours: choose only primary colours and straight forms to create a  Mondrian version.
Or choose a theme for the doodles, like Christmas, food or sports.

Great success in which variation whatsoever is guaranteed!

The proud artists of grade 6 all together! 

Original idea: Experiments in Art Education.

Typical Dutch design (group work)

Made by students of grade 4

 

You need:

1. white drawing sheet A6 size (postcard)
2. pencil
3. markers in red, blue and silver
4. coloured cardboard
5. scissors and glue

Discuss with the students things that are typically Dutch : tulips, windmills, clogs, cheese, canal houses, red white blue, etc. Look at  pictures of typical Dutch patterns (google 'Dutch fabrics): red- white or blue-white small squares or stripes or combinations of them.
Let students draw examples of cups and mugs on the digital board: narrow, wide, high, low, with belly, straight, angled, with or without foot, different ears etc.

The goal is to design cup and mugs with a Dutch design. Colour with marker and only use red and blue. Cut and paste all cups stacked on a sheet of coloured cardboard. Outline the stack with  silver.

Four season trees

 

You need:

1. four white drawing sheets A6 size (postcard)
2. Q-tips
3. tempera paint
4. coloured corrugated cardboard
5. silver and gold markers
6. fiberfill
7. glue

How can a deciduous tree tell you what season it is? What colours do they have in spring, summer and fall? What does a tree look like in winter?

Discuss these questions at the beginning of this lesson. Write on the board the colors in the spring heard (light green, green, white, pink - blossom), which belong to the summer (green, dark green, yellow) and the autumn colours (brown, orange, red, yellow). And in winter there aren't any leaves. left of course.

 

The students will make a tree for every season. The colours of the leaves have to show what season it is. The log is "painted" with a Q-tip, the leaves have to be may only be spotted. Remember that in fall there are a lot of leaves on the ground! Use fiberfill (snow) for the tree in winter.

 

Paste the trees next to each other on a piece of corrugated cardboard. Design it with gold or silver marker and write the seasons above the trees.  

Organisation:

Give each groep of six students an eggtray with several colours of paint. Give each student a Q-tip to paint the trunk. Per groep een eierdoos met de verschillende kleuren verf. Geef de leerlingen elk een wattenstaafje voor de boomstam.For the dots: one Q-tip per colour for common use.
 

Artworks made by students of grade 3

 

Thanks to Maureen Kaal

Lollipop trees like Hundertwasser

Made by a student of grade 2

 

Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928-2000) was an Austrian artist and architect who is best known for the colourful buildings he designed, built with attention to the environment and nature. The buildings of Hundertwasser are very recognizable: straight lines are missing, there is use of bright colours and many of his buildings have typical turrets. The influence of architect Gaudi is very obvious.

The paintings of Hundertwasser have exuberant colours too and mainly undulating lines.

 

Show buildings of Hundertwasser on the digital board. Discuss the salient features: bright colours, undulating lines. Then show some paintings and discuss the things that stand out:

 

• the use of small areas outlined with black

• no straight lines, usually parallel lines
• recurring spiral shapes
• bright colours

 

Ask students what they think of by seeing those spirals.  Probably they see real lollipops in them!  Lollipop trees, that's what we're going to draw today! Demonstrate the drawing of a spiral, starting in the middle.

You need:

1. white drawing sheet 35 by 35 cm
2. black construction sheet
3. white drawing paper 35 by 35 cm
4. black construction paper
5. pieces of sponge
6. tempera paint
7. gold and silver markers, wide and small
8. round shapes to trace
9. scissors and glue
10. black oil pastel

Stamp the white sheet with sponge prints in colours you like and put the work out to dry. Trace on black paper round shapes in different sizes. Draw spirals in them with gold or silver markers. Fill the space between the lines with patterns in gold or silver and cut the circles.
Create a composition of lollipops on the stamped sheet and paste them. Pull lines from the lollipops to the bottom of the sheet with black oil pastel, the trunks. Draw the trunks through the circles if necessary (overlap), to show depth in the lollipop woods.

Thanks to Maureen Kaal.

Frogs in the pond

1. white drawing sheet A4 size
2. blue liquid water colour
3. water
4. brushes
5. water colour paint
6. tempera paint
7. stencil brush

Make the sheet wet with a large brush. Drip a few drops of ink on the sheet and spread it by moving the sheet or by painting with the brush. Let dry.
Paint some frogs with watercolour paint. Use a pear as the basic form. Painter parts of frogs on the edges of the sheet. Stamp with a stencil brush and some green and yellow tempara aquatic plants in the water.
Staple the art work on a coloured background.

Artworks made by students of grade 4

Sailing into summer

You need:

1. white drawing sheet A4 size
2. pencil
3. water colour paint
4. crayons
5. brushes
6. jar with water

Draw a horizon line on the half of the sheet using a green crayon. Draw above a green wavy line, these art the bushes. Draw with pencil two sail boats in the water. Colour them with crayons in bright colors. Draw clouds in the sky using a white crayon and colour them white. Draw waves with white crayon in the water. Paint the sky, bushes and water using water colour paint with plenty of water.   The crayons will resist the paint so that clouds and waves become visible again.

On the beach - collage

You need:

1. drawing sheet 40 by 35 cm
2. white drawing sheets
3. tempera paint
4. brushes
5. scissors
6. markers
7. glue
8. pencils

Draw a word web with words about the beach. Think of things (to do) on the sand, things (to do) in the water and things (to do) in the air. Talk about people standing in the water: they seem to have half legs!

Cover four tables with newspaper and put three containers with paint on it:

• yellow and a little brown besides (beach) + two big brushes
• blue and a little green (seawater) + two big brushes
• blue and white (air) + two big brushes 
• white (surf) + two brushes to stamp

Show how to paint the beach: much yellow on the brush and a little brown for the beach (so do not mix!). Do the same with blue and white for the air, and blue with green for the sea. Make wavy motions with the brush to accentuate the water. Finish with a white stamping brush for the surf.

While about four students are painting, the others can start with the drawing part of this lesson.

Draw people and things you see on the beach. Colour them with markers, and use a skin colour pencil for the bodies. Cut all those little drawings and paste them on the beach, the water or in the air.

Hang all work together for a great group work.

All artworks are made by students of grade 3

Comics like Roy Lichtenstein

 

Artworks are made by students of grade 3

A lesson based on a lesson from Phyl's site, There's a dragon in my artroom, but instead of painting I decided to choose for collage. Check out Phyl's site for the paintings!

You need:

1. coloured paper A4 size
2. white drawing sheet A4 size
3. newspaper
4. ruler and pencil
5. glue
6. crayons
7. glitter
8. colour markers

Roy Lichtenstein (1923 - 1997) was an American popart artist. He is best known for his enormously enlarged cartoons. After his art studies in New York and Columbus Liechtenstein teached art himself. In his spare time he painted abstract paintings and made parodies of American art from the twenties. In1960 he came into contact with Claes Oldenburg and the style elements from advertising and comic strips. He started to use use grids, dots, black outlines and bright colours, the style who made him famous. From 1962 Lichtenstein used the works of Monet, Picasso and Mondrian as the inspiration for his art and he paints sunsets in their style. Most of his work however is based on advertisements and cartoons.

Show artwork of Liechtenstein on the digital board and discuss the characteristics: primary colours sometimes with green, text balloons, raster dots as we know from newspaper photographs and thick black outlines. Show comic balloons from Lichtenstein and discuss them.

In this lesson students create a comic balloon like Lichtenstein did. Choose for a basic form, a star or cloud. See my 'how to draw a star step by step' below.
Cut this or cloud out of coloured paper. Cut another cloud or star from a newspaper. Draw an action word on the white sheet and colour with markers. Cut this word. Create composition and paste the parts of the artwork. Draw action stripes with black crayon or use glitter.

How to draw a star:

1. Draw a circle.
2. Draw lines from the edges to the circle, using pencil and ruler. See the black lines in the picture.

3. Draw lines from the same places but make them diagonal. See the red lines in the picture.

4. Cut the parts between the triangles, the blue pieces in the picture.

Art cows

 

Artworks made by students of grade 2

You need:

1. 3 sheets of drawing paper 15 by 15 cm
2. colour pencils
3. coloured paper for background
4. glue

Students have to draw three different cows: a realistic one, a cubistic one and a cow in just blue colours like the Dutch pottery from Delft.
Paste those three works on a strip of coloured construction paper.