Flower Field

After painting a background of yellow and blue, students will use a sponge brush and their fingers to create a field of flowers.  This lesson can be used to tie in with Impressionist painting and the portrayl of overall visual effects versus detail.

Vocabulary to Introduce:
Impressionism

Materials:

-tempera paint

-sponge brush

-brush

Preparation:

Pour a small amount of blue, yellow, and green paint on separate ends of a paper plate for the sky, ground, and stems.  Place small dots of various bright colors of tempera paint on another plate for children to dip their fingers in when making flowers.  It is okay to layer the colors on their finger.

Our YouTube Video demonstrating the process:

Night Landscape

The following lesson is a chalk pastel lesson that can be used to explain the elements of a landscape.  When using a fixative or hairspray to set the picture be sure to spray in a well ventilated area if not outside.. 

Vocabulary to Introduce:
landscape
chalk pastel

Materials:

-dark textured paper

-chalk pastels

-fixative or hairspray

Preparation:

Due to the messy nature of chalk pastels you may want to have baby wipes or wet paper towels on hand to clean up hands immediately.

Our YouTube Video demonstrating the process:



Cherry Tree Blossoms

In this lesson children will use thinned tempera paint and a straw to blow the paint across the paper and create the branches of a cherry tree.  Thinning the paint gives it the look of sume-i ink painting.  The blossoms are created by using paint dipped on the tips of their fingers and printed in a cluster of five petals.  You can also use this as an opportunity to discuss tints by demonstrating that by adding white to red you create pink.

Vocabulary to Introduce:
printing
sume-i
tint

Materials:

-white paper

-black and pink (red and white) tempera paint

-water for thinning the black paint

-straw

Preparation:

Thin the black paint beforehand with just enough water to give it some transparency and fluidity when using the straw.   Place red and white paint on a plate together but mix it in front of the students to demonstrate creating a tint.  Cut the straw down to a length that is more manageable for the children.  It may also help in keeping the mess down to have baby wipes or wet paper towels to immediately wipe fingers after printing.

Our YouTube Video demonstrating the process:



Construction Paper Landscape: A Tearing Lesson for Precutters

A landscape is a picture that shows elements of natural scenery whether through a beach, a lake, trees, or mountains. This lesson uses tearing to create a landscape and would be appropriate for preschool students who do not cut.  Even students who are still working at the skill or have some proficiency at it may enjoy this lesson as well as tearing is a fun process.

Vocabulary to Introduce:
landscape

Materials:

-construction paper

-glue

Preparation:

Rather than giving students glue sticks we often place glue on small paper plates and give them q-tips to brush it on. 

Our YouTube Video demonstrating the process:

Action Painting!!!

Action painting is fun for children because it provides a novel means of placing paint on the paper.  You can use a wide variety of ways to do this whether using a squirt bottle filled with paint, a ball or marble rolling across the paper, or even a toy car whose wheels have been dipped.  You can use the work of Jackson Pollack as an example if you wish to tie it in with art appreciation.  In addition, I intentionally used the primary colors with the purpose of being able to see color mixing which can be an additional objective of your lesson.

Vocabulary to Introduce:
action painting

primary colors (red, blue, yellow)

secondary colors (orange, green, purple)

Materials:

-aluminum pan

-tempera paint (red, blue, yellow)
-containers for paint
-plastic spoons
-ping pong balls, golf balls, marbles, or toy cars
-scotch tape
-thick white paper

Preparation:

Tape the paper into the bottom of the aluminum pan.  Place the three colors of paint in the containers and place a plastic spoon in each.  You do want to let the child try to transfer the ball or marble from the container to the pan on their own in order to practice the small motor skill.

Our YouTube Video demonstrating the process:

Rousseau Jungle Print

This lesson is inspired by the jungle paintings of Henri Rousseau.   The child can use leaves found either through a nature walk or in the backyard to use for printing.  The student can experiment adding blue or yellow to green. 

Vocabulary to Introduce:
printing

Materials:

-tempera paint (blue, green, yellow, red)
-leaves (magnolia leaves work exceptionally well)
-paint brush
-white paper

Preparation:

Place paint on paper plates in a triangle (green, blue and green, and yellow and green) but allow the child to mix the colors as this is an enjoyable part of the lesson for them.

Our YouTube Video demonstrating the process:

Symmetrical Fish

This is a simple and fun lesson to teach young children about the primary colors and symmetry.  

Vocabulary to Introduce:
primary colors (red, blue, yellow)
symmetry

Materials:

-tempera paint (red, blue, yellow)

-white paper

-scissors

Preparation:

Fold enough sheets of white paper for each student/child in half.  Draw half the fish on one side of the paper.  Be sure to mention to the students they must hold the paper together when they cut (I have had students open it up and after cutting the side with the fish drawn were totally puzzled as to why there was nothing on the other side) and when they cut it will create the same shape on the other side.  You can place a paper plate of each color with a paint brush or if you are working with very young children you can place drops of paint for them asking them for placement.

Age Modifications:

Depending on the age of the child you are working with you can vary the difficulty by either allowing them to draw the half of the fish themselves on the paper or allow them to trace a half stencil to create it.

Our YouTube Video demonstrating the process: