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.  

Snowglobes

What do you need?

• tempera paint
• light blue and white drawing paper
• ribbed cardboard
• compass
• black fine marker
• brushes
• glitter
• glue

What should you do?

1. Use a compass to draw a circle on the blue sheet.
2. Draw a winter (or Christmas) scene in the circle. 
3. Paint with undiluted tempera paint. 
4. Let dry.
5. Outline the drawing with a fine black marker.
6. Cut out the circle. 
7. Draw on the white sheet a circle 1 cm larger than te drawing. 
8. Paste the drawing on the white circle. 
9. Cut a stand from ribbed cardboard.
10. Paste both parts on another sheet.  
11. Sprinkle glitter in small dots of glue around the drawing.

Made by students of grade 5. 

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. 

Winter mittens and cap

What do you need?

• colored construction paper
• markers
• white sheet
• glue
• scissors
• oil pastel

What should you do?

1. Draw a face and color it with oil pastels. Be sure the eyes are not on top of the head, but in the middle. The space between the two eyes is as wide as an eye.
2. Cut mittens and a hat from colored paper (or trace templates first and cut them). 
3. Draw patterns on hat and mittens with a marker. The patterns on both mittens should be similar, as well as the patterns on the hat.
4. Paste hat and mittens on the drawing. Make sure the thumbs point to each other!

Drawings made by students of grade 2. 

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.  

Stormy winter night

Inspired by Vincent van Gogh's painting Starry Night students make their own stormy winter night! 

What do you need? 

• drawing sheet 
• pencil
• oil pastels 
• liquid watercolor paint
• brush

What should you do? 

1. Lay the drawing sheet widthwise in front of you.
2. Draw the head of a surprised looking snowman's in the corner. 
3. Draw his scarf fluttering in the wind.
4. Draw his blown-off hat floating through the air.  
5. Color everything with oil pastels
   
6. Draw spiral shapes in the air with oil pastels. 
7. Paint the drawing with liquid watercolor but leave the edges white.  

Drawings made by students of grade 4. 

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'. 

Catching snowflakes

 

What do you need?

• blue or grey construction paper
• oilpastel crayons
• fiberfill 
• glue 

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

What should you do you?

It's snowing! Look up and try to catch snowflakes with you tongue! What does your face look like when you look up?

1. Draw yourself or another child in a winter sweater. 
2. Color with oil pastels. 
3. Outline with black. 
4. Paste a piece of fiberfill on the tongue.  
5. Draw the snowflakes.

Made by students of grade 4

Source: Artsonia/Pinterest

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.

Snowmen

What do you need?

• blue construction paper
• oil pastels

What should you do?

1. Draw three or more overlapping snowmen wearing colorful scarves. 
2. Color with oil pastel.
3. Outline with black.
4. Draw snowflakes around the snowmen.  

Drawings made by students of grade 4. 

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)

Christmas carolers

What do you need? 

1. green construction paper A2 size
2. scissors and glue
3. leftovers paper or Christmas scrapbook paper
4. fine markers in black and silver

Before:
Christmas carolers are individuals or groups who sing traditional holiday songs, known as carols, during the Christmas season, often traveling from house to house or performing in public spaces.

What should you do? 

1. Cut the parts of the singers: head with the nose up and open mouth, thin arms and legs, dress or suit and black shoes or boots.
2. Cut a music book and fold it. 
3. Draw the title on it: Christmas Carols.
4. Draw some staves with musical notes.
5. Glue the parts on the large green sheet. Paste three-dimensional if possible: paste the dress with folds; arms come out of sleeves holding the 3D pasted music book. 
6. Draw nostrils with a black marker and shoe laces with the silver one.
7. Make a large group work of these Christmas carolers!

Works of art made by students of grade 6. 

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. 

Christmas Angels

What do you need?

• black construction paper
• pencils in yellow, gold, silver and white

What should you do?

1. Draw some Christmas angels flying in a starry sky. 
2. You may only use gold, silver, yellow and white pencils to color them. 
3. Draw patterns in their dresses.  
4. Finish the work with a frame: a simple straight line, a dot pattern or wavy line.

Works of art made by students of grade 4.