Valentine's hearts like Burton Morris

This is one of the most visited posts (and most copied 😉) posts of my blog: Valentine's hearts like Burton Morris.
In 2011 I received an email of the artist: he had googled himself and came across my lesson! How cool is that! 

During our USA trip in the summer of 2009, I visited the Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta  and saw the artwork of Burton Morris for the first time: five paintings of cola bottles in pop-art style surrounded by light blue bubbles. So beautiful! Now I found a way to do this in school. And I think I'm the first blogger with a Morris lesson! 

Burton Morris (Pittsburgh, 1964) is an American pop-art artist. He is influenced by artists from the 60's and 70's, like Warhol, Lichtenstein and Haring. Morris's work shows a contemporary twist to traditional pop-art. His characteristic lines with the bright colors give his work a fantastic energy. Morris's work is known of tv-series like Friends and also appears in major advertising campaigns by U.S. companies like AT & T, Pepsi and Heinz.

Source: www.burtonmorris.com

What do you need?

• construction paper several colors
• black cardboard 20 by 20 cm
• colored sheet 20 by 20 cm
• scissors
• glue
• black thick marker

Before

Show artwork of Morris and discuss the features: bright colors, black outlines, little detail, movement by little lines, white lines that suggest light and the distinctive black star shape in or around much of his work. 

What should you do?

1. Take two colors cardboard: black for the rug and one for the background. 
2. Cut the edges of the background cardboard in a wavy shape, creating a kind of rug. 
3. Cut a large heart from colored construction paper. 

4. Cut some smaller hearts from several colors of construction paper. 

5. Cut white 'light lines' and paste them on the small hearts, all on the same side.
6. Paste the big heart on the cardboard rug. 

7. Paste the light lines on and around the heart.

8. Cut long triangles from the sides of the rug, the 'flashy stripes'. 

9. Paste the rug on the black cardboard.

10. Paste the small hearts around the big heart. 

11. Outline the hearts with a black marker.

12. Cut the black background away, leaving about 2 mm on the edges.

13. Paste the work on a colored sheet and cut it into a square.

Also like Burton Morris is this lesson about pumpkins.

Works of art made by students of grade 5 and 6.  

Winter trees glimpse

What do you need?

• three colors cardboard 15 by 20 cm
• ruler
• pencil
• cutting blade
• cutting mat
• double sided foamtape

What should you do you?

1. Draw a rectangle on the three pieces of cardboard 2 cm from the edges. 
2. Draw wintertrees in the rectangles. The trunk on the bottom, the branches must reach the left, right or upper edge. 
3. Cut the parts between the branches/trunk and the frame. 
4. Use double sided foam tape to paste the three windows together. The lightest color in the front, the darkest color on the back.

Works of art are made by students of grade 6. 

Snowman close ups

What do you need?

• grey drawing paper 15 by 15 cm
• oil pastels
• glue
• scissors
• colored construction paper for background 

What should you do?

1. Take three pieces of grey drawing paper. 
2. Draw a snowman's face or part of the face from different points of view: frontal, of the side, from above, from the bottom, upside down etc. 
3. Color with oil pastels. Of course the colors of all drawings have to be the same. 
4. Outline everything with black oil pastel.
5. Pate the close ups on a colored background.

Drawings made by students of grade 6.  

Come on, let's make a snowman!

In advance: 

By choosing an incomplete snowman, students are forced to draw big. An additional advantage is that there remains some to imagine: what would your snowman look like if he filled the complete sheet?

Students have to start coloring with white. This is to prevent other colors will mix with white and to be sure the white crayons will remain white! 

What do you need?

• blue construction paper 
• oil pastels
• pencil
• white tempera
• stencil brush

What should you do?

1. Sketch a part of a snowman. 
2. Sketch the hat and scarf and other items too. 
3. Color the drawing, starting with white oil pastel. 
4. Outline everything with black oil pastel. 
5. Make snowflakes around the snowman with white tempera paint and a stencil brush.

Drawings made by students of grade 7. 

Snowmen mandala

What do you need?

• white drawing sheet 
• compasses
• scissors 
• crayons or oil pastels 
• indian ink
• brush

What should you do?

Step 1

1. Draw a circle with a diameter of 20 cm. 
2. Draw within about 1 cm another circle (the edge of the mandala). 
3. Cut out and fold into 8 pieces. 
4. Draw against one of the folds half of a snowman using black oil pastel/crayon.
5. Fold the sheet and press firmly with your hands to get a print of the snowman on the other side of the fold. 
6. Trace this half with black oil pastel/crayon.
7. Repeat this and draw the other three snowmen. 
8. Color the snowmen and background. 
   
9. Make sure the snowmen are really colored white, otherwise they will turn completely black with ink after step 2.
10. Color the edge with a nice pattern.

Step 2

1. Crumple the picture into a ball. 
2. Make flat again. 
3. Paint the entire drawing with indian ink. Rinse the ink immediately after it in the sink. 
4. Let dry. The ink will rest in the folds and create a great antique effect.
5. Cut the circle and paste it on a colored background. 
   

Drawings made by students of grade 6. 

This lesson is a variaton on 'Autumn leaves mandala'. 

Happy new year!

What do you need?

1. white drawing sheet 
2. water paint color
3. brushes
4. liquid water color paint
5. crayons

What should you do?

1. Draw some Dutch canal houses. 
2. Color them with water color paint. 
3. Use crayons to draw fireworks. 
4. Paint the sky dark blue with liquid water color leaving the edges white. 

Works of art are made by students of grade 6.

Happy new year

What do you need? 

• white drawing sheet 
• blue liquid water color paint 
• brush
• crayons
• black construction paper
• leftovers of yellow and orange paper
• yellow chalk pastel

What should you do? 

1. Draw fireworks with crayons on a white sheet. 
2. Paint the whole sheet with blue liquid water color paint. 
3. Let dry.
4. Cut a skyline out of half a sheet of black paper. 
5. Paste the skyline on the blue sheet. 
6. Cut windows from yellow or orange paper.
7. Draw a yellow chalk line on the roofs and smudge it.   
   

Works of art made by students of grade 3, 4 and 5.

Winter tree in warm-cool colors

 What do you need?

• drawing paper
• crayons
• watercolor paint
• black tempera 
• brushes
• jar with water

What should you do?

1. With crayon: draw a horizon line.
2. Draw a tree trunk from the bottom of the sheet. 
3. Draw branches that touch the edges of the sheet. 
4. Draw a pattern in the landscape below the horizon line. 
5. With watercolor paint: paint the sky. 
6. Paint the surfaces between the branches in warm or cool colors. 
7. Paint the surfaces in the landscape: warm if you first chose cool, cool if you first chose warm. 
8. With tempera: paint the branches and trunk black. 

Works of art made by students of grade 4.

Elements of art: color (warm and cool), space, line (pattern)

Silver and white Xmas tree

What do you need?

• green construction paper
• silver marker
• white pencil

What should you do?

1. Draw the trunk of a tree in the middle of the sheet, starting at the bottom and ending about 2 inches from the top. 
2. Color the trunk with silver marker. 
3. Draw lines from the trunk to the right and left. Don't use a ruler! The lines become shorter to create a triangle.  
4. Draw Xmas decorations on the branches with a white pencil. 

Works of art made by students of grade 6. 

Gingerbread man printing lesson

What do you need?

• two pieces of linoleum 10 x 10 cm
• lino knife
• block printing ink
• flat piece of plexiglass
• linoleum roller
• white sheets
• lino press
• scissors, glue
• colored paper

What should you do?

1. Draw a gingerbread cookie on both pieces of linoleum. 
2. Cut away the outlines of the first linoleum.
3. Cut away the background of the second one. 
4. Print in one or two (Christmas) colors.
5. Paste your prints on colored paper.

Works of art are made by students of grade 4. 

Colorful Christmas trees

This lesson is seen more than 144,000 times since the first day I posted it in 2010. If you use it on your own website, please mention your source: kidsartists.blogspot.com

And if you want to make money out of this lesson, realise it's my work. 

So ask me before sending it to Teachers pay teachers, Twinkle and all that other sites. 

What do you need?

• two white drawing sheets A4 size
• water color paint
• brushes
• jar with water
• tissue paper
• scissors and glue
• ruler
• pencil
• gold or silver marker
• white correction marker
• glitter

What should you do?

1. Paint a background on the first white sheet with water color paint. Use different colors and let them blend into each other. Use plenty of water for nice bright colors.
2. Choose three colors tissue paper. Fold the sheets several times and cut triangles. 
3. Wet the second white sheet with a brush. 
4. Place the triangles on it and leave it to dry. 
5. Cut long triangles. You may use the schedule. Cut a piece from the bottom of the triangles if you want trees of various heights. Cut some smaller triangles from the left overs if you want more trees.
6. Paste the triangles with overlap on the colored background. 
7. Outline with silver or gold marker and draw a simple branche stucture.
8. Draw snowflakes with a white marker or use chips from the hole punch. 
9. Sprinkle some glitter on the forest floor.
10. Paste the artwork on a colored background.

Works of art made by students of grade 7. 

Scratch a Christmas ball

What do you need?

1. drawing sheet
2. oil pastels or crayons
3. black tempera paint 
4. brush
5. aluminium foil 
6. ribbon
7. toothpick or skewer

What should you do?

1. Color the sheet with crayons. 
2. Paint it over with black tempera paint and let dry. 
3. Scratch with a toothpick a Christmas ball and fill it with patterns. 
4. Cut a small piece of aluminium foil and paste it on the ball with a folded ribbon under it. 

Works of art made by students of grade 6.

Elements of art: line (pattern)

Owl in moonlight

See the moon shining through the trees... and in the moonlight everything looks blue. 

What do you need?

1. white drawing sheet 
2. oil pastel
3. blue ink
4. brush
5. dish with water
6. scouring pad

What should you do?

1. Scetch a winter tree, so a tree without no leaves. Be sure your branches are thinner at the end. 
2. Scetch a moon between the branches. 
3. Draw an owl on one of the branches.
4. Color the tree with blue oil pastel. Make differences in color by pressing harder or softer, or by using a little black or white. 
5. Color the owl blue too. Use yellow or orange for eyes and beak. 
6. Color the moon white-yellow in the center and darker yellow at the outside.
7. Outline everything (even the smallest branches!) with white oil pastel. This is a difficult chore, because you barely see the white and you run the risk that the white crayon will get blue (scrape it then!).
8. Paint the background with blue ink, water and a scouring pad. The white lines will resist the ink. Put undiluted blue ink on a dish and dip the soft side of a scouring pad in it. Stamp along the outer edges of the drawing. 
9. Add water to the ink when you're nearer at the moon to make the blue lighter. Make a light blue circle around the moon.

Owls in the tree

You need:

1. grey construction paper
2. two thick and large white drawing sheets
3. brushes
4. scissors and glue
5. linoleum 12 by12 cm *
6. lino knives
7. flat piece of glass
8. block printing ink
9. lino press
10. linoleum roller

* Or use foam to make the prints.

Before the lesson: 

• Have two students paint a large sheet of thick white paper with brown tempera and accents in yellow and red to create a wood structure. 
• Let them paint another large sheet in warm autumn colours.

This painted sheets can be used by all students for tearing branches and tree trunks and cutting leaves.   

What should you do? Lesson one: 

1. Draw an owl on linoleum. 
2. Cut the outlines, wings, eyes, claws and beak. 
3. Decorate with small patterns. 
4. Print the owl several times in two colors and let dry.

Lesson two: 

1. Tear a tree trunk and branches from the brown painted paper. 
2. Cut leaves from the autumn sheet. 
3. When dry: cut the printed owls with a little edge (1 or 2 mm). 
4. Look for a great composition and paste everything on a grey sheet. 

Works of art made by students of grade 7. 

Ow ow ... owls!

What do you need?

1. white drawing sheet 
2. black markers in different sizes
3. yellow or orange marker
4. liquid watercolor
5. brushes
6. black construction paper
7. photographs of owls

Watching owls
Discuss external features of owls using photos.
Owls are nocturnal animals. They sleep during the day and hunt at night. Their face is round and flattened. The eyes are large, allowing them to see well at a distance, even at night. An owl can turn his head 270 degrees and can thus look in all directions. Owls have a hooked beak and powerful claws. Two claws are directed forward and two backward. You cannot see the ears, they are holes that are sometimes covered with an ear cover. Ears should not be confused with the ear tufts above the eyes, that, for example, the long-eared owl has.
Most owls have a mix of brown, black, white and grey feathers. These colors provide camouflage, so owls can easily hide.

What should you do?

1. Sketch an owl on a branch with pencil, considering the characteristics from owls as discussed. 
2. Draw patterns on the body parts of the owl, with black markers in various thicknesses. By drawing different patterns you will recognize the individual body parts of the owl. Make parts darker by drawing patterns closer together. 
3. Color the eyes and beak yellow or orange.
4. Paint the background yellow with liquid watercolor paint. Make sure you don't touch the drawing, to avoid the ink will bleed. Therefore stay about a half a centimeter away from the owl. 
5. Paste your work on black background.

All works of art made by students of grade 5.