Please Note: All images seen below are of my students artwork only. These photos/lessons are not posted in any particular order regarding the flow of my curriculum.

“MIXED-MEDIA SNOW GLOBE” 

I’m SO excited to finally share some of my 1st Graders finished mixed-media snow globes! I’m so proud of my students and they had a ton of fun creating these!! This new winter art lesson I created blends a variety of the elements of art too!

Step-by-step directions with photos of each process, as well as the learning goals for the lesson are below pics of the final artwork.

My teacher example below

A few of my 1st grade classes didn’t get to create their paper weaving until after Christmas, so I had them create their weavings with purple and blue paper! 

This lesson took 4 Art classes to finish (40 minutes each)

DAY 1

Students each get a template of the globe that I drew then photocopied on 80# 9×12” drawing paper (this template btw is in my TpT store —link to my TpT store is HERE) and drew along with me, as I demo’d the snow line, house, and tree. They could add other details as well if they had space next to the house (which most did, and added additional trees, snowmen, bushes etc.) Once finished, they drew whatever they wanted in the globes base ( I did demonstrate how to create the bubble snowflakes too, if they wanted to add them in).

Then students went over all their pencil lines with a fine point black sharpie.

DAY 2

On day 2, students colored in their house, tree, bushes, and other details using crayons. I encouraged them to press hard as they colored, so the colors would be more vibrant. They also colored in their windows with a yellow crayon, to make it look like the lights were on inside their houses. Then they outlined everything with a black crayon after. After that they added a little bit of blue to the snow with crayon just along the edges (for the snow on the ground, on the roof, and on the tree branches).

If there was time, they then drew white snowflakes with a white crayon (just small circles and filling them in) in the sky within their globe, being sure to press down hard as they colored.

DAY 3

Students finished coloring if needed, making sure to add some snow falling (SOME not tons!) with white crayon and then painted the sky using turquoise liquid watercolor paint (we used Sax brand liquid watercolors) going right over their falling snowflakes creating a crayon-wax resist.
Then I walked around with a big box of kosher salt, as kids finished painting, and gave a small handful out to each student to sprinkle the salt on top of the paint while the paint was still wet (creating a salt resist technique)!
This was everyone’s favorite part!! They were SO surprised that we were incorporating salt into the artwork!
Then students placed their snow globes into the drying rack and did a little free draw until clean up. I wish I took photos of kids while they were painting to add those here, but it was a busy classroom with paint cups and handing out salt to all the students! So here are a few pics of the snow globes painted with sprinkled salt —but still drying.

DAY 4

I rubbed all the salt off of each students painting ahead of time (this only took maybe 10 minutes per class). The salt left a tiny fleck of white showing, thus resulting in a snowy look within their sky.
Then for the final part of the lesson students each received a photocopied red 9×12” sheet of construction paper (already folded in half) with the lines and “name” and “class” written at the top.

I drew this ahead of time on a sheet of white 9×12” 80# drawing paper (folding the white paper in half first, as if you were making a card, and holding the folded paper horizontally, with the folded part on the bottom, and the open part at the top. From there, I measured 1” from the top and drew a line with a ruler. Then wrote “name” and “class” along that line. Then found the center (roughly the center) and marked it with a short vertical line. Then found the halfway point between the center line and the left edge and marked it with a short vertical line. Then did the same thing for the halfway point between the center line and the right edge of the paper. Then continued finding the halfway points for those areas and marking it with short vertical lines.
Once that was complete, then I drew vertical lines using a ruler along each of those short marks all the way down to the folded edge.
Then I opened up the paper and ran it through the photo copier printing copies on red 9×12” construction paper for the whole class. I figured black colored pencil would show up better with the red paper, so I used that instead of a regular school pencil, to draw the lines mentioned above as well as “name” and “class”.

Once all the red papers were copied, I folded each one in half ahead of time (I felt like this was a good idea, as it saved a step for students and 1st graders may have had difficulty folding the sheet in half).

I also cut 1” x 9” strips of green construction paper using a paper cutter ahead of time (making sure to cut extra! just in case). Students each received the red paper and green strips, scissors and a glue stick and then watched me as I did a demo.

Students watched me as I demonstrated under the document camera (while the red paper is still folded) how to cut into the bottom center line going UP and then making sure to STOP on the black horizontal line where they wrote their name and class. This part is VERY important in order to successfully weave the strips in, so the green strips can align straight as they weave and not be tilted!!

Then after ALL vertical lines were cut to the horizontal line, I opened up the red paper and showed them how to weave in the green strips one at a time, going over and under on their loom. Once one green strip was in place, I showed them how to “push up” on the green strip to make it snug, then glued the ends of the green strip to the red loom (flipping the loom over once one side was done, to glue the ends with a glue stick). Gluing the ends as soon as one green strip is in place is also VERY important, so that the green strip doesn’t shift around and move on you as you weave the next strips.

Students then started working on their own and began cutting their red folded papers along the vertical lines.

Then they started weaving in their green strips -being sure to glue each one down as soon as the strip was in place.

Once all the strips were in place and glued, students wrote their name and class on the loom in pencil, flipped it over, then cut out their snow globe, and glued the back heavily with a glue stick, then glued it to their paper weaving!

As you can see in the photo ABOVE, kids that finished early were then my “teaching assistant’s” (THEY LOOOVED THAT!!) and helped out any students that were having difficulty with weaving. I loved seeing students beam with pride and confidence as they helped their classmates. This definitely incorporated some SEL in the lesson! I did walk around and help some students as well—-the weaving was definitely the most challenging part of the lesson but kids got the hang of it after demonstrating again one-on-one and they turned out beautifully!!

LEARNING GOALS: 

• Students use their previous knowledge on lines and shapes and can create a 3D looking house
• Students can make connections to math concepts (drawing geometric shapes, pattern recognition, measurements) 
• Students can define and create a crayon wax resist painting 
• Students explore salt resist techniques 
• Students can create a paper weaving and build upon their fine motor skills

I’d love to hear from you if you use this lesson in your classroom!! (and also please tag me if you post your students mixed-media snow globe artwork on any social media platform).

 

 

 

“Winter Mittens”

This was a fun 3 day art lesson (3 40 minute art classes). More on how we created these mittens below the photos! 

Day 1 

Each student received a mitten tracer that I made from cardboard (all those thin cardboard sheets that come from the styrofoam sheet packages for printmaking). 

They traced the mitten on the left side of a sheet of 9”x12” 80# white drawing paper with the thumb on the right side, then flipped the tracer over and traced another mitten on the right side of their paper  (with the thumb now on the left side). 
We talked about symmetry and then kids drew whatever designs they wanted in mitten #1, then drew the same designs on mitten #2 with pencil. 
Then students went over their lines with crayons pressing hard as they traced over their lines. They could also color in some of their images they created if they wanted to with crayons. Students were told they’d be painting their mittens the next art class, so to make sure they didn’t color in the entire mitten. 

Day 2 

Students painted their mittens using watercolors with whatever colors they wanted, but to be sure to match the other mitten keeping the design symmetrical. These were set aside in the drying rack, and students did some free draw afterwards. 

Day 3 

Students cut out their mittens carefully and I gave each student a long piece of yarn to attach to their mittens. They placed the end of  a piece of yarn on the back of their mitten and then placed a small piece of tape on the yarn on both mittens to attach them together. Super simple, but oh so cute! I put these up on display on the bulletin board near Christmastime (wish I took a photo?!) and they looked adorable! 

Learning Goals: 

– Students can define symmetrical and show symmetry within their artwork 

– Students can explain how a create crayon wax resist technique works and show this in their artwork 

 

”Pumpkin’s Starry Night”

This crayon wax-resist painting lesson is inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s “The Starry Night”. It’s a 22 minute video and is suitable for grades K-3. I discuss his work briefly and also talk about various types of line, overlapping, texture, and crayon wax resist in the video. 

This lesson (with steps, learning goals, process photos, and photos of finished student artwork) is now posted at the very bottom of this page. Please scroll down to view! 

SPLATTER PAINTED GHOSTS/ BATS / PUMPKINS! 

My first graders had so much fun creating these! It only took 2 (40 minute) art classes to make them too. 

First, I created these pumpkin, moon, and ghost template tracers made from heavyweight Manila tagboard. I created about 25 tracers each. 

Day 1 

Students chose their tracer and taped it with a masking tape loop (I helped with that step) on 3 areas of the back of the tracer onto a sheet of white 80# drawing paper. 

Then students splatter painted whatever colors they wanted on top of their paper using watercolors. I told them to cover their paper with a lot of splatterpaint, and to splatterpaint close to the edges of their tracer especially. This makes sure the image comes out clear once the tracer is removed. 

Once finished, the paintings were put into the drying rack. 

Day 2

I carefully took off the tracers on each paper (it’s a good idea to actually press the tape loops on a bit of cotton beforehand so the tape won’t be AS sticky and tear the paper) I learned that the hard way, as some of the tape loops tore their papers a tiny bit in some areas. 

We talked about positive / negative space. If a student chose a moon tracer, they cut out a bat from black paper (that they traced a bat on using my tracer) and glued it on their painting.
Students then drew faces if they had a pumpkin or a ghost with a black sharpie marker to add final details!

Such a fun and quick lesson that my students LOVED! Lesson idea from @artsyblevs 

LEARNING GOALS: 

• students can define and identify positive and negative space within their artwork
• students can create artwork using various painting techniques

Hot Air Balloon Collage

Hot Air Balloon Collage

First graders used their knowledge of collage and learned what mixed-media is when creating these wonderfully fun and colorful hot air balloons!

DAY 1: ON 9X12” drawing paper, students designed their own hot air balloons by filling them with all the things that lines can do. They traced a large circle template made from cardboard, then added a small box on the bottom of the circle. We reviewed all the different types of lines and once they filled their balloon up, they traced over all their lines with sharpie and colored in.

DAY 2: Students painted a sky background with blue, purple, and magenta liquid watercolor paint. Students learned how to apply the wet-on-wet technique to help spread and blend the watercolor paints on the paper. To create wet-on-wet, students wet their paper with just water first, then applied the paint to that area.

Then students finished their balloons if needed.

DAY 3: Students carefully cut out their balloons and glued them into their sky paintings. They glued on yarn for the handles, a construction paper basket to ride in, and a few clouds for texture. I took each student’s photo, printed them out, cut them out ahead of time and added their picture to their basket for a final step.

Students had a lot of fun making these and I think they turned out great!!!  Enjoy looking at all these fun, colorful hot air balloons!

 

Learning Goals:

• Can define and create a mixed-media collage
• Can draw shapes to create a balloon
• Demonstrate an understanding on different types of line
• Learn watercolor painting techniques (wet on wet)
• Can define texture and add texture to their work

 

 

 

Bubble Gum Blowing Selfies!

Bubble Gum Blowing Selfies

This was a really fun lesson where first-graders learned the difference between a self-portrait and a portrait.

Students looked at different self-portraits by famous artists and then learned how to draw the head by drawing an upside down egg shape. They learned how to draw facial features in correct proportion. They learned that eyes are drawn like the shape of almonds footballs or lemons. They also learned how to draw the nose, mouth, ears and eyebrows . 

Students added a pattern of circles in the background, then traced over all their lines with a thick black sharpie. 

On the second day of the lesson I read them a story called The Colors of Us, by Karen Katz. I absolutely love this story because it talks about the unique and beautiful skin colors that we all have that make us different and to appreciate each other’s differences.  We talked about how weird and boring the world would be if we were all the same skin color.

Students then found a crayon that best matched their own unique skin color and colored in their self-portraits. 

For a final step, I poked holes in their papers using a sharpened pencil and a pre-tied pink balloon was attached to their self-portrait using tape on the back for their bubblegum blowing selfie’s! 

Students did a fantastic job creating their self-portraits! I LOOVE how these turned out!! 

A BIG thank you to Sharpies, Paint, and Paper for this super fun lesson idea! 

Learning goals

-Students can define what a self-portrait is, and know the difference between self-portrait and portrait

-Students begin to learn how to draw facial features in proportion to their head 

-Students can define “pattern” and create patterns in their work

 

Mixed-Media Alphabet Soup

I LOVE this lesson! Thank you LauraLee Chambers for the wonderful lesson idea!!

The focus of this lesson combines letter formation/identification with an understanding of mixed media (we used oil pastels, liquid watercolor paint, markers and charcoal), and three-dimensional elements within artwork. 

This lesson took 3 (40 minute) art classes to complete.

After showing students my teacher examples, and reviewing what mixed media is (using multiple art mediums in a piece of artwork), and what 3-D means (artwork that isn’t flat and sticks out –soup spoon and plastic letters), students each received a piece of 9×12″ 80# drawing paper with a circle traced on it (for the soup). The alphabet was projected onto the white board for students to review if needed.

Students drew the alphabet using oil pastels inside the circle to create their alphabet soup. They were encouraged to draw their letters large, pressing hard (so the oil pastel later on would resist the paint!) as well as draw some upside down, and backwards and going in different directions with multiple colors.

Once drawn and the letters almost filled up their bowl, they drew small orange squares (for carrots) and green circles (for peas).

Then students painted over their letters with a yellow-orange liquid watercolor (creating the broth), creating an oil pastel resist!

DAY 2: 

Students each received a 12×18″ piece of 80# drawing paper with another (larger) circle pre-traced with black sharpie. This circle was drawn off to the side of their paper, so there would be room for the napkin later on.

After reviewing vertical and horizontal lines, students drew a plaid tablecloth (or placemat) using 2 chosen colored markers. Then kids painted over their lines with water to create a “painterly” look. Students thought it was so fun that the marker could turn into “paint”!

DAY 3: 

Students cut out their soups carefully and then glued down in the center of the larger traced circle bowl, using a glue stick.

Then they glued down a pre-cut “napkin” (heavyweight tagboard cut to about 4 1/2″ x 9 1/2″) next to their bowls of soup using a glue stick. They then used a piece of charcoal to outline one side of their napkin (I told them to create the letter “L” with their charcoal, as well as half the side of their soup bowl (I told them to create a “C” with their charcoal). I explained this would create a shadow effect, and make it all look more realistic and 3-D. Then students smudged the lines of charcoal with their finger!

For the final steps, I glued down a plastic spoon (metal imitation soup spoons found on Amazon) and 2 colored plastic letters (plastic letter beads from Roylco) using a hot glue gun!

To view photos of students working on each step of this lesson, search for “Mixed media alphabet soup” in my “Search” bar in the drop down menu  

LEARNING GOALS:

-Students can identify letters and draw them in their artwork going in different directions

-Students can define mixed media and create artwork using a variety of media

-Students can define and create horizontal and vertical lines

-Students can define three-dimensional

 

 

 

1st Grade “LOVE IS IN THE AIR!”

I have an airplane drawing template in my TpT store for this lesson HERE

WINTER LANDSCAPES

This lesson took 2 (40 minute) art classes to finish. A fun quick lesson right before the winter break! Students had so much fun creating them especially when adding flecks of white paint for the snowflakes with toothbrushes!

TO VIEW STEP BY STEP PHOTOS OF THIS LESSON TYPE IN “WINTER LANDSCAPES – 1ST GRADE” IN THE SEARCH BOX TO GO TO THAT BLOG POST

DAY 1

After reviewing what a landscape was, students drew 5 triangles on a sheet of 12×18″ 80# white paper with pencil. I encouraged them to draw them in various sizes. Students could use rulers if they wanted as well.

Once drawn, they went over their lines with a black colored pencil to darken their lines. This is so kids could see their lines better when cutting them out, after gluing down tissue paper on their triangles.

Then they glued colorful cut tissue pieces all over their triangles using watered down white school glue. Students overlapped tissue as they glued, making sure to cover all the white spaces within their triangles. It’s important here to apply thin layers of glue, then one tissue at a time, then add another thin layer of glue on top with their brush to make the tissue lay nice and flat.

I mentioned to students they could go beyond their triangles edges with tissue since we would be cutting them all out later on.

These were set aside to dry until the following art class.

DAY 2

Students cut out their snowy hills from white paper and glued onto a sheet of 12×18″ black paper with a glue stick.

Then cut out their triangle trees and glued onto their snowy hills with a glue stick.

Then for a final touch, dipped a toothbrush (packs of 5 at the dollar tree!) into watered down white tempera paint and using their thumb ran their thumb across the bristles (bristles pointing downward to their landscapes) flecking snowflakes all over! Messy for sure! But fun!

LEARNING GOALS:

STUDENTS UNDERSTAND THAT SHAPES ARE LINES THAT CONNECT

STUDENTS CAN DRAW AND CUT VARIOUS SHAPES TO CREATE A PICTURE

STUDENTS CAN DEFINE AND CREATE A LANDSCAPE

There is another version of this lesson called “Winter Tree Landscape” on my Kindergarten page, using pink construction paper as the background and using their fingertips to creates snowflakes with white tempera paint!

 

 

WATERMELON WEAVINGS

I absolutely LOVE these fun watermelons!!! Thank you Nichole ( Mini Matisse) for sharing this wonderful lesson! My students loved creating them!

STEP 1: Creating the loom

Students folded a sheet of 12×18″ red construction paper in half. They turned the folded paper around so the opening was at the top. Then they drew a horizontal line all the way across the top, and wrote their name above that line.

After that, they drew a short vertical line along the line where they wrote their name, starting in the center, then finding the halfway points between the center and to both the right edge and left edge of their paper. Then splitting those areas in half again and drawing 4 more vertical lines.

Then they drew straight vertical lines from those marks to the bottom.

Then they cut along each of those lines, making sure to stop at the top horizontal line, where their name was written. 

STEP 2: Weaving the pink strips!

Students opened up the red paper, (the loom) horizontally, and wove 1″ x 12″ cut strips of pink paper all the way across creating a tight weave.

1st graders learned how to go over and under each horizontal cut red strip with their pink vertical strips of construction paper and noticed how it created a checkerboard pattern! Students could choose from pink strips, magenta strips or a combo of both!

The trickiest part of this step was to be sure to reverse the pink strip every other time they wove. If the very first pink strip started on TOP of the red (like pictured above), they had to start weaving the next pink strip underneath the red, then the following pink strip started ON TOP of the red and so on so forth…. all the way across.

If students finished this step early, they became my teachers assistant and helped kids that wanted help weaving! 

Once all the pink strips were woven in the red loom, they glued the pink tabs along ALL the edges (both front and back) with a glue stick. This helps make sure the strips woven in won’t fall out or move out of place.

STEP 3: Adding the rind and seeds!

Students drew a GIANT letter U along a piece of 12×18″ green construction paper with pencil. (drawing 2 upside down rainbow lines). Then cut out their giant letter U and glued to the weaving using a glue stick. Students applied glue heavily to the rind and pressed for 5 seconds to make sure it was stuck on!

Then they cut along the edge of the green rind, cutting off the extra watermelon weaving to create the watermelon shape!

For the final touch, students added watermelon seeds within each pink strip with a black sharpie!

Art educator, Nichole Hahn’s Mini Matisse Blog had an awesome and easily explained video my students watched for this lesson. Click HERE to check it out from her blog!

I also blogged about this with photos for each step- just type in “Watermelon Weavings” in the search box on my main (Home) page! 

LEARNING GOALS:

Students can demonstrate weaving techniques and can create a paper weaving

Students understand vertical and horizontal 

 

Tanglebird Collage 

Tanglebird Collage

First graders listened to the story Tangle Bird by Bernard Lodge as inspiration for this fun weaving lesson.

Students looked at pictures of birds, as well as a handout that I created and photocopied showing birds in various poses (in the nest, flying above, open beak or closed etc.). I demonstrated how to create their birds using simple shapes by drawing a half circle for the nest, then an oval for the body, a small circle for the head and triangles for the beaks.

Students could draw one bird or more than one bird within a nest, or flying above a nest, up in a tree. They could also add baby eggs, eggs hatching, worms in their beaks and other fun details as well!

After outlining with a black sharpie and carefully coloring in with crayons, they hole punched inside their nest and wove yarn, using their fingers, creating a “tangled” or “neat as a basket” nest. Then glued the back of their drawing with lots of glue using a big glue stick, and attached it to their favorite colored 12 x18″ construction paper to create a frame for their picture.

Then they hole punched measuring every two fingers width, along the edge of the 12×18″ colored construction paper, and wove either a wrap around stitch, or over- under stitch with yarn to create a woven edge for their bird drawing. Most students needed help tying a knot in the first hole before weaving in and out of the rest of the holes.

This is one of my favorite 1st grade art lessons! 

Students did such a wonderful job creating these tanglebirds. I love how some pictures have babies hatching, mama’s giving the baby birds worms, some flying in, tops of the egg on the baby bird’s head, and some eggs cracked -about to hatch-! So adorable! Some students even took on the challenge to weave BOTH styles within their frame!

Learning Goals:

-Can demonstrate weaving techniques with yarn in their artwork

-Develop observational drawing skills while looking at pictures of birds
-Experiment with characteristics of line

-Connection to math through measuring (every 2 fingers -width)

 

 

 

Pumpkin’s Starry Night

Pumpkin’s Starry Night

***I do another version of this lesson (2025)  (top of this page) that is on square paper (with my YouTube tutorial)***

As you might have guessed, first graders learned about Vincent Van Gogh for this lesson! On the first day of the lesson I showed students my example painting and then showed them a slideshow with some of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings– The first one being “The Starry Night”. They learned that he is one of the most famous artists of all time, is a Dutch painter who lived from 1853 to 1890 and grew up in the Netherlands later moving to France. They also learned that when he first began painting, he used mainly dark colors, but later switched to using more brighter, vibrant colors when he took a trip to France and was inspired by the bright colors his painter friends were using. They also learned that in just over 10 years he created about 2,100 pieces of art, about 900 of which were paintings, and many created in just the last two years of his life!

We also took a close look at his paintings, and again at “The Starry Night” and learned that he used lots and lots of short lines painted close together to create a sense of movement. Then students got to work creating their Van Gogh inspired masterpieces! I had a pumpkin tracer for each student to trace their pumpkin on the paper. Students held their paper vertically rather than horizontally, so they would have more room on their paper to create the starry night sky.

I demonstrated each step under the doc camera as students drew along with me. Students then drew a line for the ground the pumpkin was on, a crescent or full moon and lots of small circles that were spaced out all over the sky. They then drew lines in the pumpkins stem, and curved lines inside the pumpkin. If students wanted to, they could also add a face for their pumpkin. 

They then moved onto using crayons, taking both a yellow and a green in one hand and drawing 2 lines at once all along the bottom, for the grass. Students were instructed to press hard as they drew (I explained we would be painting the drawing in the next class, and for the paint to work they would need to press really hard). Kids would be learning for the first time about crayon wax-resist painting in the next class, but I didn’t want to explain the entire process so they would be surprised and amazed at how the watercolor paint didn’t cover up the crayon parts!

They colored in the moon and stars with yellow, and outlined all the lines within their pumpkin and stem with orange and brown. For a final step with the crayons, just like Van Gogh did with his brush, students drew lots of short (dashed) lines with yellow, circling all around each star three times. Then with blue crayon drew more lines all throughout the sky curving around their stars to create a sense of movement.

On the second day of the lesson, students painted their pumpkin, grass and sky ANY COLOR THEY WANTED!  The only rule with color I had was, was that they had to paint their pumpkin, grass and sky a different color. That way they each stand out from one another.

When painting students learned about crayon wax-resist  technique. They brushed on just water where they wanted their first bit of paint to go, then painted with liquid watercolors. This technique helps spread the paint and helps the crayon’s resisting. I love how liquid watercolors look- they are super vibrant and saturated with color! By far, my favorite paints for art lessons!!

EVERYONE did a great job!! Aren’t they beautiful?!!

Learning Goals: 

– Students learn about the life and artwork of Vincent Van Gogh

– Demonstrate an understanding on how to create different types of line

– Learn lines can create a feeling of movement in artwork

– Learn about and demonstrate an understanding of wet-on-wet and crayon-wax resist painting

 

 

3D Line Sculptures!

First graders are continuing to learn more about the element of art line in ART! They created 2 of each of the following (curved, zig zag, and curly) to create these awesome three-dimensional paper sculptures!

They also learned that they created their sculptures focusing on 4 of the 7 elements of art (line, color, shape, and form) and how ALL artwork in the world is created using at least one or more of these elements! They also learned that 3D artwork means three-dimensional artwork that isn’t flat and sticks out and that sculptures are 3D.

Students did such a fantastic job creating these line sculptures! I love how they look all assembled together on the wall too! Thank you Cassie Stephens for the idea!

Learning goals: 

Students can describe and create various lines in their artwork

Students can describe what 3D art means

Students understand that a sculpture is three-dimensional

Students learn about the 7 elements of art

 

 

Not So Scary Scarecrow Collage

Not So Scary Scarecrow Collage

For this lesson, students learned what a landscape is, and looked at various landscape paintings by the artists Vincent Van Gogh, David Hockney, and Grant Wood. They then created their own landscapes by drawing rolling hills with different types of lines within each hill,  a few clouds and a sun either setting, or up in the sky, with crayons.

On day two, they painted over their hills and sky, creating a crayon wax-resist technique using watercolors.

On day three, students created a scarecrow using little cardboard shirts, pants, and skirt tracers (that I made previously) onto different cut patterned papers, raffia for arms, buttons and glued them onto their landscapes.

For a final touch, students added additional details with oil pastels, like hats, hair, facial details, and crows etc.  Thank you Patty at Deep Space Sparkle for the inspiration!

Learning Goals:

-Understand and identify what a landscape is

-Learn about the artists Van Gogh, David Hockney, and Grant Wood

-Be able to identify and create different types of line in artwork

-Understand crayon-wax resist painting

-Understand what a collage is

 

 

 

Primary/Secondary Color Mixing

I have a PDF Mixing Primary Colors Sheet in my TpT store below 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/art-with-mrs-filmore

Primary/Secondary Color Mixing

For this lesson, first graders learned about primary colors (red, blue and yellow), and learned that you can’t mix colors together to create them, but that they can be mixed in a certain way to create secondary colors (green, purple, orange).

Before any painting, I showed students a short, super fun 3 minute stop-motion video of the band OK, GO perform a song about the primary colors and secondary colors, as well as a “LEGO version” of the same song in stop-motion. Students LOVED watching these! Then, as students watched me demonstrate each step on how to blend colors together, they did the same on their own papers.

First graders practiced combining primary colors to create secondary colors (red and yellow to create orange, red and blue to create purple, and yellow and blue to create green) using watercolor paint on 12×18″ paper, then labeled each set of colors with a black marker. Students were amazed to see the colors change!!

Learning Goals:

-Students learn what the primary & secondary colors are

-Learn how to mix primary colors to create secondary colors

 

 

 

Mondrian Inspired Collage

Mondrian Inspired Collage

This fun art lesson also connects to math! While revisiting what the primary colors are, first graders also learn about the life and artwork of Piet Mondrian, continue to learn about various lines (horizontal and vertical) and learn about geometric shapes while creating their artwork.

After reviewing the artwork and life of Piet Mondrian, students created their own Mondrian inspired creations!

Students first glued thin and thick strips of black construction paper (that had been pre-cut) horizontally and vertically on 12×18″ white paper. Some strips were cut to 12″ long, some 18″, some 9″ long and some 6″ long.

Students could cut the strips and arrange them any way they wanted, as long as they created a combination of various sized rectangles and squares, filling their entire paper. We discussed how the strips (lines) had to connect and touch each other in order to create a shape- either a rectangle or square.

Students then carefully colored in a chosen selection of rectangles and squares with primary colors, (using markers), leaving some shapes white.

Learning Goals:

-Learn about the artist Piet Mondrian and his artwork

-Be able to identify primary colors, and use them in their art

-Be able to identify and create horizontal and vertical lines within artwork

-Be able to Identify and create squares and rectangles within artwork

-Understand that shapes are lines that connect

   

We created the same Mondrian inspired artwork again another year (see below!) except used black paint to print the lines, rather than black construction paper.

 

Mondrian Inspired Paintings 

On day 1- Students first stamped black lines on 12×18″ white paper using a cut piece of cardboard that had been dipped into black tempera paint. We reviewed horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines. We discussed how the stamped lines had to connect and touch each other in order to create a shape- rectangles, squares, triangles etc.

On day 2- Students then carefully colored in a chosen selection of shapes with primary colors, (using markers), leaving some shapes white.

Learning Goals:

-Learn about the artist Piet Mondrian and his artwork

-Be able to identify primary colors, and use them in their art

-Be able to identify and create horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines within artwork

-Be able to Identify and create shapes within artwork

-Understand that shapes are lines that connect

 

 

 

Nighttime Cityscape Collage 

Nighttime Cityscape Collage

For this lesson, students looked at pictures of cityscapes for inspiration and learned about the differences between a cityscape and a landscape (we discussed landscapes in a previous lesson, when we did the “Not so Scary Scarecrow collage).

We talked about how close the buildings are within cities, how some are tall and some are shorter, and some are wide and some are thin. We really paid attention to the shapes of the buildings, as well as the shapes of the tops of the buildings and shapes of the windows.

I laid out a variety of colored construction paper that I pre-cut in various widths and lengths for the students to choose from. Students created their city buildings by cutting out smaller shapes from the tops of cut rectangles and squares to create buildings with different styled tops (some can be curved like a dome, some can be pointy like triangles, some can look like steps). They could choose to cut the buildings thinner or make them shorter too. They then glued them down on black paper and added yellow and black cut paper windows from thin strips of paper.

For a final touch, students drew stars and a moon with oil pastel to create a nighttime scene.

Learning Goals:

– Learn that simple geometric shapes can be used to create images

– Develop and refine cutting skills

– Understand and be able to identify a cityscape vs. a landscape

 

 

Dream House with Patterns 

Dream House with Patterns 

First graders listened to the story “The Big Orange Splot” by Daniel Pinkwater as inspiration for this lesson. My video read-a-loud is below.

Afterwards, we talked about the messege behind the story ~ how it’s about creativity and individuality, and how it’s good to be unique and have different ideas, and to be accepting of people’s differences.

In the story, the main character, Mr. Plumbean, lives on a “neat street” where all the houses look the same. A seagull flies over his house and drops a can of bright orange paint on his roof, leaving a giant orange splot, but instead of repainting his house to look like all the others on the street, Mr. Plumbean paints it to resemble his dreams. He adds pictures of animals, people, and loads of color, as well as a tower with a clock on the top.

His neighbors send people to talk him into fixing/repainting his house to look like theirs, but everyone he talks to ends up painting and decorating their houses like their dreams as well. Each house ends up looking unique. In the end, all the neighbors say:

“Our street is us and we are it. Our street is where we like to be, and it looks like all our dreams.”

After sharing as a class some fun ideas on what they would include in their house, students drew their ideas in pencil, traced over their lines with sharpie, then colored using crayons.

Students included at least 2 different patterns somewhere within their drawing.

For a final step, students painted their sky either blue or black for daytime or nighttime (or space!).

I LOVE how all these houses came out so different! Some look like animals, some look like rockets in space, some are on another planet, some are like castles, and some look like a house but have cool colors and pretty details! Students had a lot of fun with this lesson and enjoyed it very much!

Learning Goals

– Students use their imagination to draw their dream houses while thinking about composition, color, and pattern

– Students gain an understanding of the background within artwork

 

 

 

SELF-PORTRAITS 

 

First-graders learned the difference between a self-portrait and a portrait.  This lesson took (3) 40 minute art classes to finish.

Students not only learn how to draw the face and facial details, but we also talk about color matching and trying to best match our own unique skin colors, eye colors and hair colors using crayons. We focus on the Elements of Art (Line, Shape, Color, and Form), as well as use (Principle of Art) Pattern in the background!

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DAY 1

First, students viewed a variety of self-portraits from first graders from previous years in my Powerpoint, as well as my own example drawings hanging on the board.

Students then watched while I demonstrated under the document camera how to draw the head by drawing an upside down egg shape. Then how to draw two curving lines for the neck and shoulders with the arms going off the page at the bottom.

I discussed how the drawing would be close up and not show the entire body, (like in their school photo that gets taken in the beginning of the year which I think helped them understand better).

They learned how to draw facial features in correct proportion and learned that eyes are drawn like the shape of almonds/footballs or lemons. I talked about how everyone’s eyes are different, but in general, that’s the basic shape of the eye. I also discussed how we have the iris (colored part, and the pupil, the black circle that allows us to see). And that the pupil is ALWAYS in the center of the iris, no matter what direction we are looking in! As I demonstrated how to draw eyelashes I talked about how we ALL have them, to help keep dust and dirt out of our eyes and to help protect them from direct sunlight, and showed them how they are more of a slight curving line rather than straight lines.

I demonstrated a few different ways to draw the nose, which students could choose what they felt they liked best for their drawing (as long as they tried drawing the more “realistic” looking nose (explaining as I demonstrated to to draw “a c shape, curving line up, a “u” shape, then a backwards c shape, as one continuous line), as well as how to draw a more realistic looking mouth, simple “c” shapes for the ears and curving lines for the eyebrows through a demonstration under the document camera.

Kids had a tricky time drawing the nose and lips the most, but they did a fantastic job!!

Once they finished their self-portrait in pencil, students added a pattern of circles in the background, by tracing a circular jar lid, then traced over all their lines with a thick black sharpie to make their lines stand out more.

DAYS 2-3

On the second day of the lesson students began coloring in with crayons.

I explained to look for a crayon or two that would best match their own unique skin color. We discussed how people’s skin have a variety of colors in the world, and that they are ALL beautiful!!

I talked to them about how it’s important to appreciate each others differences and how boring the world would be if we were all the same skin color! Students agreed it would definitely be a boring world if we all looked the same!

Students then found a crayon that best matched their own unique skin color, eye color and hair color and colored in their self-portraits. I demonstrated that they could combine and layer colors to create the colors they needed if need be. I encouraged students to press hard when coloring and to try to color in completely so no white paper showed through. They did such a fabulous job!

 

 

 

Lines That Wiggle- Sketchbook Cover Drawings

 

Lines That Wiggle- Sketchbook Cover Drawings

For every grade level (1st-5th) I have students create a drawing that gets mounted onto a sketchbook for each student to use throughout the year. The sketchbooks stay in my art room in grade level/ classroom bins. Each grade has a different drawing lesson and creates different artwork from other grades.

To create the actual sketchbooks, students folded a sheet of 12×18″ 60# paper in half horizontally, for the cover. Students then staple in 12 sheets of pre-cut 8.5 x11″ paper (donated extra long printer paper -8.5 x 14″- Legal size- that I cut to 8.5 x 11″ ahead of time).  *Any left over cut scraps of white paper are then used for other collages/lessons. Then their drawings get glued onto the cover. 

Great for when kids finish early, plus it keeps all (what usually would be) loose practice drawings all in one contained place. Students use sketchbooks to free draw in once finished with an art lesson (if they finish early), as well as to practice drawing/plan out their ideas, before doing a final version. 

Growing up, I had sketchbooks and diary’s that I would draw in, and I think it’s so fun to be able to look back on something like that. My students will have sketchbooks from 1st-5th grade, a new one every year to be able to look back on and see /track their own artistic growth throughout the years! Especially fun when you’re older to dig up all your old sketchbooks from your parents keepsake chest and flip through as an adult! 

So for this particular sketchbook cover drawing lesson, first graders drew overlapping, wiggly lines to create an abstract drawing.

To start students off, I read them the book “Lines That Wiggle” by Candace Whitman, for inspiration. 

After reading the story, we went around the room and shared what different types of line we noticed looking around the art room.

For the lesson students drew 8 loopy lines from one side of their paper to another in pencil. I encouraged them to draw large loops so it wouldn’t be too time consuming when it was time to color. Lines could overlap one another and I pointed out while demonstrating, that when a line connects it creates a shape! Plenty of shapes were created once the 8 loopy, overlapping lines were drawn.

Students then went over all their lines with a thick black sharpie, then colored in each shape carefully with different colored markers. I demonstrated how to use larger markers for larger areas to fill in and thin tipped markers for smaller areas. Students were encouraged to fill in all the white spaces on their paper.

Students learned that artist’s use sketchbooks to plan out ideas for paintings or other artwork, to jot down ideas, to experiment before making final decisions and to practice their drawing.

Learning Goals: 

– Understand the purpose of an artist’s sketchbook

– Can draw looping, wavy lines (and can identify other types of line)

– Understand that a shape is a line that connects

TEXTURED PAPER QUILTS

This first grade lesson took about (2) 40 minute art classes to create.

Students first learned about the artist Sanford Biggers and we discussed his AMAZING artwork. We also discussed how we’d be utilizing the elements of art; Line, Shape, Color, and Texture to create these fun paper quilts.

DAY 1

After reviewing his artwork, students each received a sheet of 8.5” x 11” copy paper with a grid as seen in the photo below.

Then students colored in each corner with marker, and drew a pattern with black sharpie on the edges.

After that students colored in 8 sections with whatever color they wanted using marker.

Then they drew patterns in the remaining 8 sections with sharpie.

Then students drew ”stitches” with black sharpie all around each rectangle and corners.

DAY 2

On day 2 students cut all around the edges of their paper, creating fringe.

Then students crinkled up their papers into a tight ball and then carefully pulled it apart and repeated crinkling it into a ball and uncrinkling it about 12 times to create texture! Students were surprised they were told to crinkle up their artwork and were amazed that their papers had also shrunk!

LEARNING GOALS

• Students can define and create a variety of patterns in their artwork
• Students can define and create real and implied texture in their quilt

FALL TREE DRAWING

This lesson took 3 (40 min.) art classes to complete.

DAY 1

Students followed along with me as I drew under the document camera for each step of drawing the tree. We started with two straight lines that were parallel to create the trunk.
We used the letters Y and V and M to create the branches.
Then we discussed texture and how adding various short and long lines within the tree creates the texture of the bark. Students then added the zig-zag line for the roots, then another one for the grass. Then they could add a hole if they wanted for a critter to live in, and leaves (on branches tips, but also falling down).
Students added swirly lines for wind, clouds, a sun, and other details as well.

DAYS 2-3

Students continued where they left off and then added sharpie over all their lines and then colored in with marker. We reviewed what the warm colors were and they colored their leaves using warm colors.

LEARNING GOALS

• Students can identify and create a variety of line in their artwork
• Students can create and identify where they used texture within their artwork
• Students can define and identify warm colors within their artwork

LINES MAKES SHAPES “HOUSE”

This lesson took 2 (40) minute art classes to complete. First we reviewed all the lines we learned about. Vertical, horizontal, diagonal, curved, zig-zag, wavy, bumpy, spiral, dotted etc.

Then we reviewed how lines that connect create shapes, and we reviewed a variety of shapes. Then following along with me under the document camera, students drew their 3D house. Students learned how to create a brick chimney with wavy lines for smoke, and added any shape windows they wanted. They then added landscaping and any other additional details in pencil.

Once finished, they traced over all their lines with sharpie, and colored in with marker.

LEARNING GOALS

• Students can define, create, and identify various lines in their artwork
• Students can create various shapes and identify them in their artwork
• Students can use line to create various textures within their artwork
• Students understand how lines can create something that looks 3D on a flat surface

SUNFLOWER DRAWING INSPIRED BY VINCENT VAN GOGH

This lesson took 2 (40 min.) art classes to create. Students learned about Vincent van Gogh then watched a cute cartoon video about him by Art with Mati and Dada on YouTube.

Students then followed along with me as I showed them how to draw the flower, on 9×12” 80# drawing paper. I encouraged students to draw big and make their flower large on the paper.

Once complete, they traced over all lines with black sharpie and colored in using crayons. Students could fill in their backgrounds with a blue sky or a sunset sky. I encouraged students to press hard as they colored to create a more vibrant color.

LEARNING GOALS

• Students learn about and can identify Vincent van Gogh’s artwork
• Students can utilize line, shape, and texture to create a picture of a sunflower
• Students can define and show overlapping in their artwork (flowers petals)

K / 1 “FALL LEAVES” 

My students in grades K and 1st created these beautifully vibrant leaves for the fall trees I made on my schools bulletin board recently! It took just 1 art class (40 minutes) to create. 

I did this a couple years back and I’m always SO impressed at how bright and vivid the colors come out! And how rarely any leaves end up being brown or muddy! 

We used Roylco brand diffusing leaves (you can purchase these on Amazon in packs of 80 leaves -3 different leaf varieties). I’ll also share a pic of how I did the bulletin board one year with the leaves as a wreath for the holiday season below. 

Kids colored on their leaf (1 per student) with any colors of the rainbow they wanted (plus teal and pink) with bingo daubers until the entire leaf was colored in. Before they colored, we talked about colors and discussed what two primary colors make secondary colors. I was VERY impressed with my kindergarten students knowledge on this!! 

Once they finished coloring, I sprayed their leaf (while on top of a messy mat) with a water spray bottle (about 4-5 sprays) about 12” away from their leaf. Students loved seeing the water spread the ink and watching their colors blend! 

After letting the leaves dry in the drying rack black veins were added using oil pastel, then I stapled them on the 3 trees I created earlier. I made them out of crinkling brown construction paper strips and stapling them together. 

I love how the trees came out and how it brightens up the hallway for fall! 

I’m planning on using the remaining leaves that didn’t fit on the trees, to decorate the edges of my second bulletin board for other “fall” artwork soon! 

Here’s a photo of how I used the leaves a couple years ago for the winter holiday! 

Learning Goals:

• Students learn art making techniques when marker and water are mixed
• Students  experiment with color mixing and can create secondary colors 

Paper diffusing leaf lesson idea from @mrsgreenartartbaby

”Pumpkin’s Starry Night” 

Gahh! These pumpkins are just SO stinkin’ cute! I LOOoove how they turned out, and my students did too! So proud of their hard work and effort. 2 out of my 8 classes finished so far. Here’s some of their finished work- and photos and details on how we made them!

I love all the different facial expressions! 

But students didn’t have to include a face in their pumpkin if they didn’t want to 

This was a 4 day lesson (40 minutes each art). My YouTube tutorial is posted below the artwork / steps for the lesson. 

DAY 1: 

This lesson was inspired by “The Starry Night” —Kindergarten and 1st grade students learned about the life and artwork of Vincent van Gogh. 

After learning about Vincent van Gogh, I showed students step-by-step under the document camera, how to draw the pumpkin on a 12×12” sheet of 80# white drawing paper. I began with drawing a large “C” on the left side of the paper. Then drawing a backwards “C” on the right side- leaving a little space in between. We then connected the two C’s at the top with a slight curving line, then connected the bottom. 

Then we drew the pumpkin’s stem, adding a few bumps at the top and lines inside for texture. After that, we drew a straight line down the middle of the pumpkin, and then curving lines on either side to create more texture, and to make our pumpkins look more rounded. Then students drew the face (if they wanted one) and added a zig-line for the grass (making sure to go OVER the bottom of the pumpkin a little bit to show overlapping). 
Then we erased the parts of the pumpkin that was below the zig-zag line. For the final step of day 1, we drew a moon in the sky. 

DAY 2: 

Students traced over ALL pencil lines with a black crayon making sure to press real hard as they traced. Then students filled in their pumpkin’s eyes and mouth with a black crayon; pressing hard. Students then drew stars in the sky using a yellow crayon (also making sure to press really hard, and to fill in the circles completely). 

DAY 3: 

Students then painted their sky using black watercolors, creating a crayon-wax resist technique. It never gets old seeing students watch in awe as the paint glides right over the crayon and doesn’t cover it up! Then they painted their grass, pumpkin, stem and moon. 

DAY 4:

On the final day, we looked at Vincent’s StarryNight painting again and talked about all the short dashed lines in his work- particularly around each of the stars, and how it made them look like they were twinkling, and how it created a lot of texture throughout. 

Students drew short dashed lines in the grass with a dark green crayon, dashed lines with a red-orange crayon inside the pumpkin, and white dashed lines all around the stars; making sure to press down hard as they drew. 

Learning Goals: 

• Students can identify and create various types of line
• Students can define texture and show texture within their artwork 
• Students can define overlapping and show overlapping in their artwork 
• Students can define and create a crayon-wax resist painting
• Students can identify artwork by Vincent van Gogh

I just added 8 NEW Resources (printable PDF sheets for various art lessons) in my TpT store (11/5/25) link is https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/art-with-mrs-filmore