Fall Fun in the Art Room
“Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep.” – A Nightmare on Elm Street This quote made me laugh as it also applies to the art room. Combining confidence building skills with engaging drawing lessons results in fabulous student artwork. The Fall season presents teachers with an opportunity to turn up the student engagement by introducing media […]
Unconventional Portrait Projects
“I do not paint a portrait to look like the subject, rather does the person grow to look like his portrait” – Salvador Dalí. Children of all ages and every walk of life carry burdens that you may or may not know, but the one thing you can do is lead them to creativity for […]
4 Teaching Tools for Art
Whether you’re a first-year art teacher, a veteran looking for ideas to add to your classroom, or someone with 30 years of experience wanting to add some final touches to a legacy of excellent teaching tools and strategies, we’ve all experienced the draw to find resources to build our classrooms. As a teacher myself, I […]
What Are the Elements of Art? A Comprehensive Guide for Teachers and Students
How am I supposed to teach the Elements of Art when I have no art budget? And why do I always resort to an entry level school drawing approach because I think I can’t afford anything other than pencil and paper projects? Unfortunately, these are all too common questions among Art Educators. Supplies are expensive […]
Creative School Drawing Ideas: Exploring the Elements of Art
Exploring the Elements of Art: Spotlight on Abstraction and Choice Kids love to color – believe it or not, high school students love coloring. Never assume they are too old. At the end of the day, they are just really tall first graders. With all the daily pressures, the therapeutic act of a colorful school […]
Why Kids Don’t Finish the Art Project: Two Key Reasons and How to Fix It
Why Don’t Students Finish Their Art Projects? If you’ve ever wondered why kids don’t finish art projects in your classroom, you’re not alone. Today, we’ll explore two major reasons students often fail to complete their projects: the size of the task and the timeframe given. Gone are the days when bigger automatically meant better—18×24-inch paper […]
What is Negative Space in Art?
Mastering Negative Space: A Key to Drawing Success When it comes to learning how to draw, Negative Space is one of the most important foundational skills every young artist should master. In art, negative space refers to the areas around and between objects, rather than the objects themselves. This approach teaches students to see relationships […]
Two Drawing Skills Every Art Student Should Know
Mastering Drawing Foundations: The Two Skills Every Art Student Needs When it comes to building a strong art foundation, two essential drawing skills stand out for every art student: sighting relationships in a composition and scaling objects up or down. These cornerstone techniques unlock a student’s ability to draw just about anything from a reference. […]
Tips for a Successful School Year: Effective Art Room Classroom Management
Streamlining Art Room Classroom Management: Tips for Success Managing a classroom full of young, creative minds is no easy feat, but it’s essential for a successful school year. In this post, I’ll share tried-and-true strategies to create a positive, engaging, and productive learning environment for your students. Building a Positive Classroom Culture How do you […]
The Value of Good Value: Teaching Graphite Shading Techniques
Mastering Value and Shading in Drawing: Building Confidence Step by Step Let’s get to the heart of realistic drawing—value and graphite pencil shading techniques. This is where confidence begins in the art room, and students start to see their skills truly take shape. It’s not only fun to teach but also transformative for students, laying […]