How to Exercise your Creativity with Symmetrical Flow Drawing

Symmetry

As artists, it’s completely common to hit a creative block. Whether you are simply feeling a little down, uninspired or overthinking it all, it can really affect your creative drive. One method I like to use to kick start my art is creating a symmetrical flow drawing. It is also a great activity to build … Read more

How to make a digital grid on your art reference image

Digital grid

Did you know artists of the past used a tool called the camera obscura to enhance the realism in their artworks? The great Johannes Vermeer is one of the most notable painters who used this tool. A camera obscura projects an image of the subject onto a surface so the artist could trace it. My … Read more

Need art inspiration? Take the #birthdayCOLORchallenge

limited color palette challenge

Looking for some art inspiration? Take the #birthdayCOLORchallenge. For this creative challenge, you will use your birthday to generate a random color scheme with 5 colors and a setting for your artwork. In this tutorial, I will show you some tips, tricks, and a video tutorial of how I accomplish my own birthday prompt (a … Read more

Digital Drawing for Beginners Using Kleki

digital drawing projects

If you are new to digital drawing, it can be overwhelming trying to decide what program to use. There are so many fantastic programs with so much capability. There is one free program that I’ve found to be a perfect introductory tool for beginning digital artists…. www.kleki.com! As an art teacher, I’ve seen so many … Read more

Fun Games to Foster Divergent Thinking Skills in Your Class

Divergent thinking

One of my favorite topics to teach in my art class, no matter what the age or skill level, is divergent thinking. What is divergent thinking? One of my favorite videos to introduce divergent thinking to my students is the lecture by Ken Robinson.  Divergent thinking is the ability to come up with multiple solutions … Read more

Exploring Birth Month Bouquet Paintings

Paint palette

I’ve been totally blown away lately by the dutch still life painters of the 17th century. Take a look at this painting by Maria van Oosterwyck’s painting “Bouquet of Flowers in a Vase. “ Holy bagumba! I’m so impressed by the detail and realism van Oosterwyck captured in the 1600’s WITHOUT technology and often hand … Read more

How to etch an eye on scratchboard

Scratch eye

Etching away on a piece of scratchboard is so satisfying to me. It creates instant contrast of black and white to make eye catching artworks. This post is going to teach you all about scratchart, materials needed, show you how to create an etching from start to finish. Also, there is a video tutorial! What … Read more

Three ways to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week at your school!

Teacher appreciation apple

If there is anything the world has learned from having their kiddos home during the pandemic, it’s that teachers deserve lots of love and appreciation! Every year, there is a week of Teacher Appreciation dedicated to honoring teachers (usually the first week of May). So, how can art teachers help to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week … Read more