Curated OER
Lesson: Mixing Metaphors across Current Events and Literature
Expression, current events, and art can go hand-in-hand. After analyzing a multi-media piece entitled, Trade Canoe for Don Quixote, the class explores their own expressive process. They create collages that show a current event or issue...
J. Paul Getty Trust
Exhibiting Common Threads
Artists working in different media often explore the same themes—to model how these same themes weave their way through different forms of artistic expression, scholars analyze images by Dorothea Lange, identifying key themes in her...
Curated OER
Pastel Scratch Portrait
A great cross-curricular project for any art classroom, this activity encourages young artists to consider color, pattern, texture, shape and line in their depiction of a historical figure. After researching a historical figure of their...
Curated OER
Rotating Table Art
Students use a variety of art media to create a picture. In this mixed media lesson, students choose media as they move from one table to another. At each table they add to their picture from the media at that table. Students have a...
Curated OER
Mixed Media Painting
Students create mixed media still life paintings in this "Happy Accident" art lesson introducing the concepts of using pen and ink, watercolors, and pastels. The lesson can be adapted for various grade levels and abilities ranging from...
Curated OER
Mixed-Media Self-Portrait with Symbols
Students watch segments of a video to explore portraits. They create a self portrait using mixed-media.
Dick Blick Art Materials
Torn Metal Collage
The work of Austrian artist Gustav Klimt is used to inspire kids to create their own mixed media works. Although designed for the special education classroom, the activity is sure to inspire all kids.
Curated OER
Miriam Schapiro Action Figures Collage
Students create a background with a marbling technique. They plan and create a figure from assorted papers, mixing solids and patterns. Students glue the figure to the background, and embellish negative space with glitter.
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
Haring Inspired CD Covers
Students create CD covers from their music-inspired drawing sessions. They compare what they drew while listening to classical, punk and rap music. They scan their drawings into Adobe Photoshop and design their cover.
Curated OER
Creating Scrolls Based on the Illustrated Tale of Genji
Now these are learning activities full of fun, art, and cultural exploration. Kids consider the art of storytelling through comic book images. They then look at the Tale of Genji as it was written in the 11th century. They discuss...
Endangered Species Coalition
Endangered Species Day Art
Albrecht Durer created a highly textured stamp or print of a rhinoceros. To better understand which animals are near extinction, upper graders create similar prints of endangered animals they've researched. The six-day instructional...
Curated OER
Interactive Rainforest Animals
Research a rainforest animal to create a puppet and video. Emerging scientists research an animal, create a puppet and video, then present their findings as mixed media presentation. Great way to incorporate art, research, writing, and...
Curated OER
Blick Liquid Watercolor
Introduce this abstract art to your class; they must chose ordinary classroom objects and shapes to paint with watercolors. The overlapping effect will create a fun, abstract piece of art!
Curated OER
Mixed Media Weaving
Students will demonstrate the ability to create the illusion of space by overlapping shapes.They will recognize the differences between art materials, techniques, and processes. Students will demonstrate the influence of personal...
Curated OER
Soft Sculpture Birds
Art can mimic life, and animals are always interesting subjects. Learners create large soft sculptures (stuffed) birds using paper, paint, and other basic collage materials. They view images of birds, and discuss bird traits and shapes....
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
Self-Promotion
Students create "assemblage boxes" displaying representations of themselves and the importance they see in their own lives. This middle school level lesson emphasizes the art of American artist Sarah Goodridge who has success in the...
Curated OER
Pinwheel Modern Art Styles
Students explore artistic design by creating pin wheel models in class. In this modern art lesson, students examine historic art work of Van Gogh, O'Keeffe and Mondrian before emulating their work on construction paper. Students utilize...
Curated OER
Easy and Artistic Printmaking Using Mixed Media Materials
Students explore printmaking which began with the ancient Chinese who carved seals from stone, inked them and used the seals as identification symbols. They produce a print in this lesson.
Curated OER
Who am I? Bookmaking
Students explore the process of bookmaking that has its origins from many different international cultures. The multicultural symbolism represented by the medium is utilized by students to expres their identity.
Sargent Art
Picasso and Beyond!
After reviewing the life and art of Pablo Picasso, learners set out to create abstract, cubist, relief portraits. They'll draw, color, paint, and cut out portraits just like the ones Picasso created. The lesson is extremely well written...
Curated OER
Art--"Paper Pasting"--Doing Collage
In this art worksheet, students read a 1 page article on the history or art, prepare their background to making a collage, gather basic shapes, create their collage and then add in the finishing touches to them.
Curated OER
Interpreting Lao Design Drawing
Young scholars identify symmetry as a word and concept using drawings. The instructional activity is cross-cultural using traditional Lao Art. The goal is to then apply the skills of symmetry to personal works of art that are produced.