Teaching Drawing: A Scaffolded Approach for Success

Scaffolded Drawing Instruction: A Step-by-Step Guide to Success Teaching drawing—whether to middle schoolers, high schoolers, or even adults—can feel intimidating. Drawing itself can seem overwhelming, especially when you’re unsure where to begin. Questions like “How much instruction is too much?” or “Why do students find drawing boring?” are enough to make even seasoned teachers pause. […]

Shading Techniques – How to Shade with a Pencil

Mastering Shading Techniques with Graphite Pencil: A Step-by-Step Approach Realistic graphite pencil drawings rely on mastering shading techniques, value application, and smooth value transitions. Once students have their contour line drawing in place, knowing how to shade becomes key to achieving realism. This blog post walks through my structured, scaffolded approach to teaching shading with […]

Planning for Art Substitute Teachers (Stress-Free)

Free Template & Tips for a Successful Absence Planning for a substitute teacher can feel like a chore, especially for art educators. How often have you heard, “It’s more work to be out of school than in school”? The key to a smooth absence lies in having a rock-solid sub plan. Whether your absence is […]

Mastering Pencil Drawing: Tips for Success

Mastering Pencil Sketching: A Scaffolded Approach for Student Success Pencil sketching is one of the most engaging ways to teach art. With its emphasis on values, transitions, and fine details, pencil drawing captures the essence of artistic magic. More importantly, it’s the quickest way to captivate students and build their confidence. Once students realize they […]

Learning to Draw – Life Drawing 101

Mastering Life Drawing: Building Confidence Through a Scaffolded Approach Life Drawing is the ultimate goal when it comes to learning how to draw. In my classes, I follow a scaffolded approach to teach drawing, building skills one step at a time. We start with Line Drawing, then progress to Shapes, Value, and finally Color. Each […]

How to Use Acrylic Paint: Acrylic Painting Strategies for Success

Acrylic Painting Strategies for Success: Building Confidence in Your Classroom Teaching acrylic painting to young artists requires careful planning to ensure an enjoyable and successful experience. From managing supplies to setting up classroom procedures, acrylic painting can seem overwhelming at first. But don’t worry—I’m going to walk you through some strategies that will give you […]

How to Spark Student Motivation in the Art Room?

The “Hang It Up” Method: A Game-Changer for Student Motivation Student motivation—how do you get art students motivated, interested, creating, and confident? It can be a real challenge, especially in today’s fast-paced, distraction-filled world. From cell phones to TikTok and Instagram, not to mention bathroom breaks and post-pandemic apathy, the battle for student engagement is […]

How to Keep Your Art Students Focused on Success

Strategies for Keeping Art Students Focused and Successful Teaching art can be both rewarding and challenging, especially when it comes to keeping students focused on success. In today’s post-pandemic, high-tech classroom environment, student engagement is often fleeting, and educators must work even harder to capture and maintain their attention. But fear not! As creative individuals, […]

How Soft Serve Ice Cream Can Improve Student Behavior in Art Class

Boosting Student Confidence and Behavior with the Soft Serve Ice Cream Drawing Using a simple soft serve ice cream drawing as a tool to improve student behavior might sound too good to be true, but it works wonders. By building drawing skills, we foster confidence in students, which leads to greater investment in their work. […]

Fostering Community in the Art Classroom Through Scrapbooking and Mixed Media Projects

Building Community in the Art Classroom: The Mixed Media Family Album In the vibrant world of art education, fostering a sense of community among students is essential. Beyond the strokes of a brush or the lines of a pencil lies an opportunity to cultivate collaboration, camaraderie, and connection. One innovative way to achieve this is […]