Teach Drawing Facial Features Without Overwhelm
Teaching drawing facial features used to make my students (and me!) break out in a light sweat. The second I said “portrait,” I’d see panic in their eyes! Teaching portrait drawing to beginning art students like those in a General Art 1 or Middle School Art courses can be so tough! Over the years, I’ve […]
5 Engaging Art Projects for BOYS
Getting boys excited about art can sometimes feel like convincing a cat to take a bath. The secret sauce to engaging boys in art class is tapping into their interests with projects that feel fun and relevant and adding in some physical activity if possible. So, I’ve tried to compile a list of engaging art […]
Fair Use for Art Teachers: The 4 Factors, a Parable and 4 Classroom Tips
Let’s talk about something that’s not as fun as a new box of markers but :::sigh::: I guess it’s more important: Fair Use for Art Teachers. You know, that magical set of rules that lets us use copyrighted stuff without getting into sticky situations. The one many art teachers cite but don’t really understand. (eeek, […]
Teaching Copyright in the Art Classroom: 4 Ways to Make it More Engaging
Ugh. Teaching copyright in the art classroom can be just frustrating and complicated. To me, copyright issues can be a little fuzzy and hard to define the edges…and that makes me want to avoid it…especially when I’m trying to look like an “expert” in front of a class of high school students. However, it’s on […]
Haunted House Art Lesson with Perspective
Haunted House Art Lesson: A Fun and Spooky Addition to Art 1 The last week of October, I tried a haunted house art lesson for the first time with my high school Art 1 classes, and I have to say, I think it was a hit! The lesson, originally created by Amy Ward Creates and […]
Literacy in the High School Art Classroom
“We need you to incorporate READING into your art classes.” ::::::crickets::::: Have you been asked to incorporate Literacy in the High School Art Classroom? Wait, what? Reading? ELA? Literacy? In art? Aren’t we already juggling enough between managing supplies, guiding students through creative projects, and trying to avoid daily glitter explosions? But hey, standardized test […]
This Emphasis Art Lesson is my #1 MOST Engaging Lesson!
Looking for an ENGAGING Lesson to teach Emphasis and Focal Point (that’s super easy!)? This Emphasis Doodle Battle Art Lesson is it! I kid you not.. this emphasis art lesson has easily been the most engaging art lesson I’ve done in the last two years! And I’ve only done it for two years! More students […]
6 Steps to an Amazing Op Art Lesson using Line
Have you ever done an Op Art Lesson using Line? It’s typically one of the very first Artworks I do with my Art 1 classes. I’ve been thinking about changing it up because I’ve done the exact same lesson for a long time now… but they seem to like it. It gets good participation and […]
2 New RYB vs. CMY Color Wheel Teaching Resources
Do you Teach the RYB or the CMY Color Wheel? I have always taught the Traditional RYB color wheel in my classroom. I knew about the CMY color wheel but I had personally never explored it much. So, I set off to learn more about it! I started experimenting with color mixing my colored pencils […]
Brand New 3 Page Water Based Marker Techniques Worksheet Packet
Need Students to learn Basic Beginner Marker Techniques? I have a new resource to share today that can help. It’s a Water Based Marker Techniques Worksheet Pack. Markers can be a HUGE struggle for students. They love to use them, but most of the time the craftsmanship is plain terrible! I just started a brand […]
13 Free Pages of THUMBNAIL SKETCH Printables!
Shhh! These Thumbnail Sketch Printables are my Art Teacher SECRET Weapon! For my Art 1 students these small, quick, and often overlooked drawings play a HUGE role in shaping their artistic journey in my classroom. Here’s why they matter and why you should incorporate MORE Thumbnail sketches: Visualization: A picture is worth a thousand words! […]
The POWER of Creativity: 3 Printable Creativity Exercises
Why would you want to take an Art Class? Why would we want to complete Creativity Exercises? Did you know? According to a report from Americans for the Arts, students who participate in the arts are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement. Art education can be a catalyst for success across […]