Swimmer - like David Hockney

I found this lesson on the blog 'Use your coloured pencils' of Anne Farrell. I used this lesson to tell about artist David Hockney and his swimming pool paintings.

What do you need?

• white drawing sheet 
• oil pastels
• liquid water color in blue and green
• brush
• jar with water

If you want a frame: 

• dark blue sheet
• toilet roll
• tempera paint

About the artist

The successful British artist David Hockney (1927-2026) was born in Bradford, England. He studied at the Royal Academy in London. His first works were anecdotal and ironic. In 1964 Hockney moved to California, where he developed a more realistic way of painting. The main themes at this time, are pools, landscapes and portraits.

From 1966 David Hockney increasingly used photographs for his paintings. He made ​​collages containing just photographs. After 1980, Hockney's work became a more expressionistic character. His work shows influences of Picasso. Besides paintings, Hockney also makes drawings and etchings. 

Hockney died ont the 11th of June in 2026.

Instruction
Look at artwork of David Hockney, especially those with swimming pools. Discuss how people look like under water - flowing hair, lighter skin. What causes the shimmering surfaces on the water and what do they look like?

What should you do?

1. Draw yourself in swimsuit and color with oil pastels. 
2. Use white oil pastel to draw a water pattern of wavy horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines in the background .
3. Paint the picture with blue and/or green diluted colored ink. The oil pastel will resist the ink.
4. If you want a frame: stamp circles with a toilet roll and tempera paint on a dark blue sheet. 

Artworks made by students of grade 4 and 6. 

Country pennants

What do you need? 

1. white drawing paper 
2. felt tip pens
3. black fineliner
4. black paper

Instruction
Each country has its own specific things: national anthem, flag, language, traditional dish, monument, special events. When you think of the Netherlands, certain symbols immediately come to mind. While some are stereotypes, such as clogs (wooden shoes), we no longer wear in daily life—they remain uniquely characteristic of our heritage. Other iconic Dutch symbols are windmills and canal houses. Also discuss some other countries and the typical things that go with them.

Discuss the term: pennant. Students will recognize them from the sports club. What is the purpose of a pennant? What do you notice about the shape? (symmetry) Show a number of shapes and discuss 
the difference between a pennant and a flag.

In this lesson children will make a pennant with characteristics about a self chosen country. The pennant should have four distinctive things to recognize a country, so other children will instantly know to which country the vane belongs. In one of the sections they should draw the flag of the country they have chosen.

What should you do?

1. Think of a country you want to make a pennant for and which typical things belong to it.
   
2. Draw a pennant with a pencil and cut it out.
3. Divide your pennant into four sections.
4. Draw characteristic things of the country in the sections. The country's flag must go in one of the sections.
5. Color it in with felt-tip pens.
6. Outline everything with a black fineliner.
7. Glue your pennant onto black paper.

Drawings made by students of grade 6. 

The birds of George Braque lesson 1

This is lesson one about George Braque. Click here for the second lesson. 

What do you need?

• large white drawing sheet 
• smalle white drawing sheet 
• linoleum*
• lino knife*
• lino press
• lino roller
• tempera paint
• brushes
• scissors and glue

* or choose to make a foamprint

About the artist

George Braque (1882-1962) was a French painter and sculptor. Together with Picasso he was founder of cubism.
After his cubist time, Braque painted simplified landscapes and still lifes with musical instruments and bottles. Remarkable are the letters and nummers he added to his works.
When Braque became ill, he turned to making color lithographs of simple bird silhouettes. The same birds that can also be seen in one of the ceiling paintings of the Louvre in Paris.

About his artworks

View the lithographs of birds and discuss the artwork:

• simple shapes (silhouettes) 
• background is often blue
• few colors in the artwork
• birds are black or white
• birds are painted or printed 

What should you do? 

1. Draw a silhouette of a bird on the small sheet.
2. Copy it to the linoleum. 
3. Cut away the background to make the bird stand out. 
4. Paint or stamp a background on the large sheet. 
5. Make some prints of the bird in black and/or white and let dry. Be sure to get birds in several color nuances by not rolling the lino every time.
6. Cut the printed birds and paste them on the background.

Elements of art: form, space, nuance, color

Techniques: printing, painting, cut&glue

Artworks made by students of grade 5. 

The birds of George Braque lesson 2

You need:

• blue construction paper 
• colored paper
• scissors
• glue

George Braque (1882-1962) was a French painter and sculptor. Together with Picasso he was founder of cubism.
After his cubist time Braque painted simplified figurative paintings of landscapes and still lifes with musical instruments and bottles. Remarkable are the letters and numbers Braque added to his works.
When Braque became ill, he was no longer able to paint. He turned to making color lithographs of simple bird silhouettes. The same birds that can also be seen in one of the ceiling paintings of the Louvre in Paris.

Look at the artwork Les oiseaux of George Braque.  

• simple shapes (silhouets)
• white outlines
• blue background
• geometrical shapes: stars and moon 

What should you do? 

1. Draw at least three silhouettes of birds on colored paper. 
2. Cut them. 
3. Cut geometrical shapes out of paper scraps. 
4. Paste everything on a blue sheet.  

Artworks made by students of grade 4.

Elements of art: shape, space.

Techniques: drawing, making a collage, cut and glue 

My collection from the sea

Before

After summer holiday it's fun to draw objects you found on the beach: shells, starfish, crabs etc.

What do you need?

• white drawing sheet 
• aquarel pencils or watercolor paint
• brushes and water
• black paper
• scissors and glue
• black fine marker

What should you do?

1.  Divide the white sheet in four strips of 7 cm. 
2. Draw horizon lines in the strips. 
3. Draw things you may have found on the beach and sketch as lightly as possible. 
4. Color the shells with watercolor paint or aquarel pencils. Make shades by diluting the colors more or less. 
5. Paint the beach yellow/gold and the air light blue. 
6. Let dry.
7. Outline shells and horizon line with a fine black marker. 
8. Cut the four strips and paste them with 1 cm between on a black sheet.

Artworks made by students of grade 6.