Curated OER
Shaded Bottles
Learners draw, and then paint three-dimensional bottles to practice shading which shows shape and perspective. The step-by-step process for creating dimensional still life art is outlined, which makes teaching art an attainable task. Oil...
Curated OER
Pen and Ink Drawing
Learners hone their drawing techniques to create a nature-inspired piece of art. They practice hatching, cross hatching, stippling, and shading. They discuss how each method is better suited for creating specific elements in nature such...
Curated OER
Classic Still Life Drawing
Provide your young artists with an opportunity to study the masters and their techniques to become skilled at drawing still life. They discuss and view images from artists like Degas and Michelangelo, practice drawing techniques such as...
Curated OER
Pixel Drawings
Middle and high schoolers re-create a magazine photo or other picture and make it into a drawing using pixels. This fun art project should be a hit with your charges! The materials needed to implement the instructional activity should be...
Dick Blick Art Materials
“Decalcomania” Glue Paint Symmetry Prints
Who knew you could paint with glue? After first adding liquid water color paints to bottles of white Elmer's glue and applying them to paper, young scholars of all ages are then challenged to use their imagination and creativity to draw...
American Museum of Natural History
Drawing Dinos
Five steps walk budding artists through the process of drawing a dinosaur. A drawing guide showcases four dinosaurs—stegosaurus, tyrannosaurus rex, triceratops, and allosaurus.
Curated OER
Pastel Drawing like Vincent Van Gogh
Learners discuss the elements of art and design found in a series of flower paintings by Vincent Van Gogh. They explore art, shading, and color as they create mirrored representations of the master's art, using oil pastel.
Curated OER
Line and Shading = Shape and Form
Students collect natural objects and draw these objects with and without shading.
Curated OER
Wandering Ink Drawings
Kids explore how they can go with the flow and be flexible when they encounter "happy accidents." They use ink and watercolor to create flowing and unplanned art pieces.
Curated OER
Mixing Complimentary Colors, Tints, and Shades
Students explore primary, secondary, and complimentary colors. They mix tempera paints to create secondary colors, tints, and shades, and design and paint a color grid demonstrating color theory.
Penguin Books
An Educators' Guide to Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Books can help teens understand complex global issues. A helpful educator's guide introduces readers to what it's like to be a refugee. Lesson components for the novel Shades of Gray include an anticipation guide and writing and research...
Curated OER
Chuck Close Portrait Drawing
After watching a video of photorealist Chuck Close and examining his work, individuals create their own grid-style portrait.
Curated OER
Light and Shadow
Students compare and draw items with shading based on where a light source is in relation to the object.
Dick Blick Art Materials
Ball Point Engravings
Turn simple pencil sketches into colorful engravings. After first creating hand-drawn pictures, young artists then trace over them will ball point pens, etching the images into cold press illustration boards, before rubbing crayons over...
Curated OER
Informed Drawing Through Observation
Students practice observation techniques to improve their drawing skills. In this drawing technique lesson, students assess drawing as an art media and discuss realism. Students view examples of animal drawings and practice drawing using...
Curated OER
Art Class, Variation 1
Student statisticians calculate ratios to determine how many shades of green were mixed by Ms. Baca's art class. They graph the number of blue parts against the number of yellow parts for each combination and discover that some produce...
Curated OER
Portrait Drawing Using a Model - Activity 1
Learners create a realistic portrait using a live model and charcoal in this introductory art activity on portrait drawing. A video and resource links are included to aid in instructional strategies.
Curated OER
Mackintosh Art Project
Teach your computer class to create simple geometric art using Macintosh software. Each slide presents tips, step-by-step instructions, and images to assist learners in using Macintosh art tools.
Curated OER
Painting a Color Wheel
You have to love the color wheel, it's just so colorful! Your kids will love it too, as they work through an introductory exercise which allows them the opportunity to draw and paint a color wheel of their own. This wheel focuses on...
Curated OER
LOVE Poster
Students research pop or contemporary artists like Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, and Roy Lichtenstein and examine their simple style of drawing and painting. They create a contemporary art poster using shading gradient techniques and mixed...
Curated OER
Expressive Hands with Stippling Value Shading
Young scholars create a larger than life modified contour drawing of hands in an expressive situation. Hands have linear value, contain a object, and have a patterned background.
Curated OER
Drawing Animals
Students draw animals using photographs and/or mounted animals. They apply details using shading techniques. They illustrate animals using geometric shapes.
Curated OER
Heroes Portrait
Eighth graders investigate art appreciation and Renaissance portraits through time. They create a portrait.
Curated OER
Quilting
Students use a monochromatic palate, select shades and tints for a selected hue, or select complimentary or analogous colors for a quilt design. They design quilt squares using basic geometric shapes, repetition, balance, and proportion.