Letter doodling

You need:

1. white drawing sheet A3 size
2. ruler
3. pencil
4. black markers
5. colored markers or pencils 

Shot pictures of letter doodling and fonts - new and older ones. 

Discuss the pictures. Letters in those alphabets are a kind of family.  How can you see that? What can you say about the lines? Are they fat, thin, curvy or angular? What do you feel seeing those alphabets?

Draw a grid with your students (a lesson about using rulers is always a struggle!). In this lesson there are 2 inches between the lines and a half inch between the letters.

After drawing their grid, students design their own alphabet and trace them with markers.

Artworkds made by students of grade 5

Groupwork like Joan Miró

Made by students of grade 3/4

Joan Miró's (Spain, 1893-1983) made paintings, sculptures, textile arts and theater. His paintings contain colorful organic shapes in bright colors: red, blue, yellow, green. The colored surfaces are outlined in black and frequently divided with black lines.

Show some of Miró's artwork. What do you see: bright colors, eyes, shapes outlined in black, divided surfases, stars. Talk about the difference between geometric and organic shapes. Talk about lines: straight, angular, rounded. What do you see in Miró's artwork?

The goal for a group of 4 students is: draw alternately lines on the white sheet with a permanent black marker. Make sure those lines look like Miró. Off course lines may cross! Then draw some elements Miró used too: eyes, stars, divided surfaces etc. Color the artwork. Be sure you're working with 4, so consult each other.

Ready? Sign the work with your personal signature in Miró style!

Medieval guild signs

You need:

1. several materials,  like cardboard or wood 
2. drawing materials

In the Middle Ages in Europe many artisans and merchants were joined in a guild. A guild was a kind of union for people with the same profession. The guild proposed rules for their members and provided in the exchange of knowledge and experience.
Examples of trade guilds are baker's guild, weaver;s guild, brewers guild or carpenter guilds.
Market vendors and peddlers were members of a merchant's guild. They traded goods such as fabrics, wood and food.

After a lesson about medieval guilds, these guild signs were made. The goal was to create a guild sign on which you can see what guild you're dealing with.

Dali's moustache II

Made by a student of grade 1

You need:

1. colored sheet A4 size
2. black marker
3. white sheet A4 size
4. black crayon
5. scissors and glue 
6. pipe cleaner 

More information about Salvador Dalí, see the lesson High legged elephant in the style of Salvador Dali.

Show some surrealistic artworks of Dali and discuss the surrealistic parts of it.  Show The melting clocks. Discuss the shape of the clocks. What happened to these clocks? Are these clocks that you can hang on the wall? Why not? Why do we call this surreal?
Dali's artwork will surprise you. We see realistic parts, complemented with dreams and fantasy.

Dali was an eccentric man. Show som portraits of Dali and look at all those different ways he wears his moustache.

Students write words about surrealism and Dali with a marker on the colored sheet. Then they draw a portrait of him with crayon on a white sheet. Cut it, paste in on the colored sheet. Puncture two holes under the nose and pull the pipe cleaner through. Shape the moustache in a way that Dali would like!

Xmas angels

Made by students of grade 3

You need:

1. white drawing sheet
2. watercolour paint
3. brushes 
4. black marker
5. glitter 

Outline a saucer on a white sheet and cut it out. Draw an angel. Paint with watercolour paint. Outline with a fine glitter marker. 

Paste the artwork on another circle. 

Dancing Christmas trees

Made by a student of grade 1

You need:

1. white drawing sheet
2. pencil
3. markers
4. chalk pastels

Dancing Christmas trees are Christmas trees who look like them only because of the shape (rectangular) and decorations (balls, garlands and stars)! The trunks are much longer than the  the ordinary trees and because of the curves in them it looks they are dancing.  

Draw with pencil, colour with markers, outline with black marker and colour the background with chalk pastels.

Landscape with chalk pastels

Made by students of grade 5

You need:

1. black construction paper
2. black oil pastels
3. soft pastels
4. hairspray

Show several hillsides and discuss what you see:  light/shadow, depth, overlapping, colours, pointed/rolling. 

Students draw with pencil a simplified hillside on the black sheet. In the blogpost 'Peaks and Valleys' a step by step explanation how to draw this. Give students a maximum of 5 minutes for this part of the lesson, to prevent them of drawing all kinds of details.

Trace the pencil lines with black oil pastel. Colour the hills and sky using chalk pastels. Color and mix, smear and blend until you're satisfied. Be sure the difference can be seen between the light-iluminated parts of the hills and the parts that are in shadow. 

Trace after coloring the black lines again if necessary. Fix the artwork with hairspray. 

Tea light holder The Style

Made by a student of grade 4

You need:

1. black construction paper  41 by 12 cm 
2. wax paper in red, blue and yellow
3. cutting mat and cutter
4. glue

Tell students about art the movement The Style and two of its most famous contributors Piet Mondriaan and Theo van Doesburg. 

Draw 4 lines with 10 cm between them from bottom to the top of the black sheet. The last strip (1 cm) is the glue strip. 

Draw four squares or rectangles on the black sheet. Then draw lines from about 1 cm wide. Cut the spaces between the lines and paste wax paper behind them. 

Finish the lantern by folding the four lines and pasting it. 

Moon behind tree

Made by a student of grade 6

You need:

1. white drawing sheet 
2. charcoal
3. chalk pastels 
4. indian ink
5. brush 

Use a saucer to draw a moon in the center of the sheet. Colour it with yellow chalk pastel. Colour the rest of the sheet grey using charcoal: around the moon it's brighter than further away.
Draw a branch and paint it with Indian ink.

Weaving like Mondriaan

Made by a student of grade 2

You need:

1. white sheet A4 size
2. colored paper strips in primary colours
3. scissors
4. glue
5. black fineliner 

Fold the white sheet in half.
Cut evenly-spaced slits starting from the folded edge and continuing up to about a half inch from the opposite. Open up the paper.
Take one paper strip and weave it across the slits, going over and under them. Push the strip to the top and start with another one. The second strip should be woven in an opposite pattern as the first one. If the first strip goes over and under across the slits, the second one should go under and over the slits.
Continue weaving until the white sheet is full. Paste the ends of the strips on the white sheet.
Create a frame by pasting the artwork on black construction paper. Draw small patters on the white strips using a fine black marker. 

Mondriaan collage with printed lines

You need:

1. paper in primary colours
2. white sheet A3 size 
3. pieces of cardboard 
4. black tempera paint
5. saucer
6. ruler 
7. pencil 
8. scissors 

Just like Piet Mondriaan (De Stijl), students draw rectangles and squares using ruler and pencil on construction paper in yellow, blue and red.  After this the drawings have to be cut and pasted on a white sheet. However Mondriaan did not: students may stick colours together.  

Stamp straight lines using a piece of ribbed cardboard and black tempera paint. 

Made by a student of grade 3 

Source: http://artroom104.blogspot.nl/ 

Happy monsters

You need:

1. drawing sheets A3 size
2. markers
3. tempera paint

Draw happy monsters! Not the scary types, but the nice ones with big eyes. Color with markers, background with tempera. Outline with black marker.

Made by students of grade 6

A day at the beach

Artworks made by students of grade 5

You need:

1. drawing sheet A3 size
2. white drawing sheets
3. tempera paint
4. brushes
5. scissors
6. markers and/or pencils
7. glue
8. pencils

Talk about a day at the beach: 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: a lot of yellow on the brush and a little brown for the beach (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 four students are painting, the others can start with the drawing part of this lesson: draw people and things you see on the beach. Color with markers or color pencils. Cut those little drawings and paste them on the beach, the water or in the air.

Oscar the Octopus

You need:

1. drawing sheet A2 size
2. oilpastels
3. liquid watercolor paint
4. jar with water
5. brushes
6. salt

After a story about Oscar the Octopus and viewing some pictures of squids, students draw a squid in the sea. Big head, big eyes at the bottom of the head, eight tentacles that go over and under each other. These things should be seen in the drawing.

Color with oil pastels and draw patterns. Be sure the tentacles are going over and under each other - this has to be seen in the patterns.  Outline when necessary with a dark color.

Drip some liquid water color on the background after you made it wet. Sprinkle salt  for a great 'watery' effect.

All artworks are made by students of grade 3

Japanese notans

Made by a student of grade 6

You need:

1. white paper 20 by 20 cm
2. black paper 10 by 10 cm
3. scissors
4. glue
5. cutter and cutting mat

Show pictures of notans  -  there are symmetrical notans, and also non symmetrical. Some notans are abstract, others are figurative.

Discuss the pictures with the students.
What stands out? Is there symmetry in the picture or not? Is the artwork abstract or figurative? Is there harmony in this notan?

Students make their own notan: figurative or abstract. There shouldn't remain any paper!

Patterned peacock

Artworks made by students of grade 4

You need:

1. drawing sheet 20 by 20 cm
2. color pencils
3. markers
4. colored construction paper
5. glue

Draw a small peacock on the bottom of the white sheet. Draw lines from peacock to the sides and top of the sheet. Color patterns with color pencils or markers or a combination of them. Outline peacock and 'feathers' with a black marker.
Cut the peacock (look at the pictures) and paste it on a colored sheet.

Fruit in complementary colors

You need:

1. white sheets 20 by 20 cm
2. pencil
3. ruler
4. oilpastels
5. watercolor paint
6. brushes
7. jar with water

This lesson is originally from Miriam Paternoster's fantastic art lesson website: Arteascuola. 
Follow the link for a description of this lesson and be sure to look around there for more great art lessons!

By students of grade 4

Birdies on a branch

Made by a student of grade 1

You need:

1. liquid water color paint
2. brushes
3. crayons
4. white sheet
5. feathers
6. glue

Draw a branch with some birdies on it. Their eyes should be big and white! Color the birds with crayons using bright colors. Paint the branch and background with water color paint. Let dry. Draw feet and paste feathers. 

Funny houses like James Rizzi

Made by Kalen, grade 4

You need:

1. white drawing sheet
2. crayons 
3. liquid watercolor paint
4. brushes
5. jars with water 

James Rizzi was born in 1950 in Brooklyn. He studied art in Florida, where he started experimenting with printing, painting and sculpting. Rizzi’s work often shows his birthplace New York. His paintings look sometimes childishly naive, with the bright colors and brilliant gaiety. In the art press Rizzi is often described as "Urban Primitive Artist '. Rizzi himself says he is influenced by Picasso, Klee and Dubuffet.

Made bij Jade, grade 4

Show some paintings of Rizzi and discuss the characteristics:

• bright colours
• no gradations within colours
• evertything is outlined with black
• houses have human faces/characteristics
• the artwork is full and busy
• background is full too

Students use a dark color crayon to draw a house in Rizzi style, a house with human characteristics like hair, mouth, eyes etc. 
Paint with liquid water color paint.

The sky is the limit

Golden Gate Bridge, made by Elize, grade 6

You need:

1. grey paper A4 size
2. white and black pencils
3. pictures of famous skylines

During a visit to the Museum in The Hague, I saw an artwork that Escher had made on gray paper. The only colours he had used were black and white. Together with the gray, you do have a lot of colours at your disposal. The Escher drawing I saw then, was the inspiration for this lesson.

Show photos of some famous skylines. Discuss skylines, skyscrapers and remarkable buildings. Ask children to search a skyline on the internet. Print this in black and white and then copy it so you can see the shadows of the buildings (settings light - dark on copyer). Students draw with just white and black pencil on the grey sheet.

Sydney skyline by Adnan, grade 6