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

Owls in the moonlight

Background of dilluted water colour paint 

You need:

1. drawing sheet 60 by 25 cm
2. white drawing sheets
3. brown wrapping paper
4. indian ink 
5. liquid water colour paint
6. brushes
7. pieces of styrofoam
8. pencil
9. flat piece of glass
10. paint roller
11. block printing ink
12. chalk pastel
13. saucer

Background of dilluted water colour paint  mixed with a drop indian ink  

Part one:
Put a saucer on the big sheet. This piece of paper remains white; the moon. Paint with highly diluted indian ink or liquid watercolor (also dilute it with water) and a large brush in one direction. Make sure the dish does not move. Paint with big strokes and leave the edges a little white. Let this dry.

Part two:
Divide the class into two groups. Group 1 paints the branch, group 2 is going to print owls.

Branch painting:
Paint with indian ink a branch with side branches on the painted sheet. Remember that a branch becoming thinner towards the end. Do not paint around the moon, but through it. If the branch stands out too little against the gray background, outline the branches later with white chalk for a better contrast.

Printing the owls:
Group 2 will start with the owls. Give each student two pieces of styrofoam. Students have to press two different owls in the foam. Put some blockprint paint on a glass plate. Roll the paint on the piece of foam. Then place a sheet (remember to write names on each sheet!) and rub with flat hand over it. Pull off the paper. Create several prints in different colors and on different kinds of paper. In this lesson we used white paper and brown wrapping paper.

A student who has finished printing, takes place on the painting table and paints his branch. Students who have completed the branch, follow up with printing.

Next day:
When the owls are dry (with block print this takes at least a day), they have to be cut leaving one millimeter space around. Use yellow chalk to draw a circle around the moon. Paste the owls on the branches.

Background of dilluted indian ink, branches outlined with white chalk pastel 

All artworks are made by students of grade 4

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.

Owls in the tree

Made by a student of grade 5

You need:

1. grey construction paper
2. white drawing paper A1 size and A4 size
3. tempera paint
4. brushes
5. scissors
6. glue
7. linoleum 10 by10 cm
8. lino knives
9. flat piece of glass
10. block printing ink
11. lino press
12. linoleum roller

I found this great lesson on Artsonia!

Before the lesson: ask two students to paint an A1 size sheet with brown tempera and a few yellow and red. This painted paper will be used for tearing branches and tree stumps by all students. 
Another A1 sheet should be painted in warm autumn colours; this sheet is used for cutting out leaves.

Each students draws an owl on linoleum. Cut the outlines, the wings, eyes and beak. Decorate with small patterns. Print the owl several times in two colours and leave them to dry.

Take a second lesson to finish the artwork. Tear stumps and branches from the brown painted paper and paste them on the grey sheet. Cut leaves from the autumn sheet. Cut the owls with a little edge (1 mm). Look for a great composition and paste everything.

Under the rainbow

Made by a student of grade 5

You need:

1. white drawing sheet 25 by34 cm
2. black marker
3. tempera paint
4. brush
5. scissors
6. glue

I found this idea on Pinterest. It's origanally from a teacher from Estonia.
Paint coloured stripes or circles at the top of a white sheet. Let dry. Draw contours of houses on a second sheet of paper with thin pencil lines. Ensure overlap. 'Colour' these houses with different patterns in black marker. Don't outline the houses; the surfaces should be recognizable by the different patterns.
Make the row of houses as wide as the painted sheet. Cut the row of houses and paste it on the painted paper.

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

Turning around with Keith Haring

You need:

1. drawing sheets 20 by 20 cm
2. pencil
3. markers
4. coloured contruction paper 
5. glue

I found this lesson on Pinterest, it's originally from DaVinci's Wings.

Show artwork of Keith Haring (1958-1990) and talk about the characteristics of his work:

 
people are drawn as in cartoons

• fewdetails

• thick black lines and contours

• bright colors

• dashes indicate movement

Students draw figures in Keith Haring style. The sheet must be filled completely and also rotatably: the figures are not all the same way, but are crisscrossing the drawing. Furthermore, also figures on the edge of the sheet, to make the drawing more exciting (what happens beyond the edges?)
All figures have to be coloured with marker; choose just one colour. Outline with a black fineliner and then add motion dashes.
Paste work on construction paper that is the same color as the marker colour.

See also my other lessons about Keith Haring:

In the style of Keith Haring group work

In the style of Keith Hraring

 

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.

Sculptures like Niki de Saint Phalle

You need:

1. newspapers torn in strips
2. wallpaper paste
3. paper towels
4. tempera paint
5. varnish
6. brushes
7. yarn
8. white wall paint

Niki de Saint Phalle (1930 - 2002) was a French painter and sculptor. She made reliefs in plaster and other materials. Especially her feminine 'Nana's' are famous. These large sculptures of women painted in bright expressive colours are world famous and to be seen in several major cities in the world.

Show some pictures of Niki de Saint Phalle on the digital board. Discuss the salient features: bright colours, black outlinesof the colour patches - including circles, often (thick) women without a clear face. Then show images of the sculptures in Paris (google Nikki de Saint Phalle and Paris). What is different about these images? Those sculptures are the famous female characters, but they do have the typical De Saint Phalle characteristics.erkingen ongedaan maken

 

Students are going to create an artwork of paper mache with at least one hole in it and two protruding parts. Provide at least eight layers of newspaper finish with paper towels.
Paint the sculpture after drying with white wall paint and let dry. Paint then in the style of Saint Phalle using bright colors.

Wait until the paint is dry and paint the black lines using a small brush or use a black marker. Paint with varnish. Pull a thread through the hole and hang the work.

 

Artworks made by students of grade 5

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.

Half chicken

You need:

1. drawing sheet A4 size
2. oil pastels
3. blue liquid water colour
4. brush
5. jar with water

In this lesson students draw one chicken together. Fold a sheet in half and draw a half chicken. Colour with oil pastels. Draw with white oil pastel one or more eggs. Give the sheet folded to a fellow student, and be sure he does not see what was drawn. Tell what there has to be drawn, the head or the body. Mark with two little lines the places where the fellow student has to connect and draw a mark for the hight of the horizon line.

If the second student is ready, they fold up the sheet open. Hilarious!

Paint the whole drawing with blue water colour paint and lots of water. The oil pastels will resist the water and thus the white eggs come forward again.

 

Artworks made by students of grade 3

Sunrise like Roy Lichtenstein

A lesson is originally from Phyl's site, There's a dragon in my artroom. Check out her site for more!

You need:

1. drawing sheet A3 size
2. tempera in red, blue, yellow, white and black
3. brushes
4. jar with water

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 at the end the work 'Sunrise'. Ask students how they can recognize this work as a Lichtenstein.

The students are instructed to paint a sunrise in the style of Lichtenstein. All Lichtenstein characteristics as discussed so, have to be seen in their painting.

Artworks are made by students of grade 5

Lighthouses along the coast

You need:

1. drawing sheet A6 size (postcard)
2. watercolour paint
3. brushes
4. jar with water
5. scissors and glue

What are lighthouses? Where can you find them and why there? Why did we need them, and do we still need them?
Show pictures of lighthouses on the digital board and discuss them. What does a lighthouse look like? What colour is often used? Where is the lamp of the lighthouse? Where's the door?

For the background students paint with watercolour paint a simplified landscape of air and soil. The paint should be dilluted with a lot of water to get soft colours. The sheet doesn't need to be painted completely, it is even better to leave the edges white. Put this painting aside to dry.

Then sketch a lighthouse on a second sheet of paper. Paint it with watercolour paint, using less water now to be sure the colours really stand out.
Let the work dry and cut the lighthouse. Paste it on the painted background.

Made by students of grade 3

What's in your egg?

 

You need:

1. white drawing sheet A5 size 
2. charcoal
3. yellow sheet for background 
4. hairspray

A great lesson for Easter, to be done in several grades. 

Start this lesson with a yeaser: Imagine you break your egg on Easter, and it shows something very different than just the egg.... Draw this imagination with charcoal on a white sheet.
Give instruction on how to work with charcoal. Point out that charcoal stain quickly, and give students tissues with water to clean. Show that the charcoal stripes could be blurred by smearing. In this way the shadows on the egg can be made. Tell charcoal can be erased with kneaded eraser.

Let the children first practice to experience for their self how you work with charcoal.
Then they draw the two  seperated halves of an egg with that's what in it between them. The egg should not just hang not in the air, but has to lie somewhere on or in (grass, cloth or similar).

Fix the drawing with hairspray and staple or paste it on a yellow background.

Made by students of grade 3

Henhouse

Made by students from kindergarten

You need:

1. box
2. brown tempera paint
3. brush
4. paper plate
5. white paper 
6. red paper
7. black marker
8. straw

Paint the outside of the box with brown tempera paint. Fold the plate. Outline your hand and cut it twice out of a white sheet. Paste the hands on both sides of the chicken. Cut a comb and a beak out of red paper and paste them. Paste some feathers for the tail. 
Put the box on its side. Put some straw in the box and put the chicken in it. Stack the boxes of several students for a big hen house!

Henhouse

You need:

1. coloured cardboard for the henhouse
2. white cardboard for the chicken
3. yellow cardboard for the eggs
4. red cardboard for the wing
5. fabric from onion or potato bag
6. hay
7. scissors or cutter+mat
8. glue (possibly a glue gun)
9. markers
10. pattern henhouse
11. pattern chicken
12. carbon paper

Print the pattern of the henhouse. Use carbon paper to copy the henhouse on the cardboard. Cut the house twice. Place the onion bag fabric between the two houses and paste the houses together with the fabric in between. Cut away the fabric parts that hang out the house. Print the pattern of the chicken or ask children to draw one.

Use carbon paper to copy the chicken on white cardboard and cut it out. Colour the comb, beak and eye with a marker. Copy the wing with carbon paper on red cardboard or draw a wing. Cut it out and paste it on the chicken. If you use a glue gun, drop some glue on the wing to harden. After this paste the wing on the dollop of glue to create some space between wing and body. Cut out some eggs of the yellow cardboard. Paste the hen in his house, and paste hay on the bottom. Put the eggs in the hay and paste them.

Astronaut in space

Made by a student of grade 3

You need:

1. black construction paper
2. white drawing sheets 
3. water colour paint
4. brushes
5. jar with water
6. crayons
7. salt
8. glitter
9. scissors
10. glue
11. picture of yourself
12. picture of an astronaut

Fold two sheets of drawing paper in half. Paint the four halves with different colours watercolour. Allow the paint to blend together; you may first draw patterns with crayons or use salt for a nice texture. Let both sheets dry.
Cut circles in various sizes from the painted paper. Swap painted paper with someone else if you like to. Create a composition of space on the black sheet. Paste some planets at the edge and cut them, to the endlessness of space even better.
Cut the astronaut and paste a picture of yourself on it. Paste planets and the astronaut. Use glitter or confetti to add stars.

Patchwork landscape

By a student of grade 3.

You need:

1. white drawing sheets
2. tempera paint
3. brushes

This is an easy lesson in perspective for younger students. Talk about perspective and show the picture of the disappearing railway.
Do a step by step guide on the blackboard to make this drawing:


1. Put the sheet in the width for you.
2. Draw a wavy line on 2/3 of the bottom.
3. Place a dot in the middle on the top of the sheet.
4. Draw lines with a ruler from the bottom and sides of the sheet to the dot.
5. Divide the strips in squares.
6. Draw houses and trees on the horizon line.

After this the students can finish their artwork independently. Paint the squares all different and use different patterns. Stpale or paste the artwork on a coloured background.