Blog posts about art teaching
After a decade of teaching high school art, I’ve recently moved to teaching middle school art. It’s a blast and there is truly NEVER a dull moment. Through some trial and error, I’ve learned that some projects are more engaging than others. Below are some of my favorite middle school art projects that have yielded … Read more
We hear so much about thinking “outside the box”… but what about thinking “inside the box?” See what I did there? Creating a shadowbox artwork allows artists to create a little imaginative world in a 3d box. It challenges artists to be innovative with materials, focus on craftsmanship, and create engaging compositions. In this blog … Read more
One of my favorite ways to start off a new school year with my art students is to create art portfolios. I believe art portfolios help to instill a sense of responsibility in an artist. It tells them, “Your creations are worth taking care of and protecting.” This year, students created about-me portfolios that featured … Read more
For years, I’ve been on the hunt for an inexpensive yet effective tool to create texture in art projects. We were recently remodeling our house and I was watching as my husband using a caulking gun on our new baseboards. I started asking him a thousand questions like how do you use that thing?…. how … Read more
A tradition in many art classrooms across the globe is painting drop ceiling tiles to bring some color into the classroom and repurpose a panel into art. Additionally, it allows students an opportunity to leave their legacy on the art room for years to come. If you are interested in learning more about how to … Read more
Have you ever struggled to draw something in your art composition where the object was pointed directly at the viewer? This is a common struggle and requires the use of a perspective technique called foreshortening. While foreshortening can be quite tricky, with practice it gets easier and more intuitive. This blog post features information, a … Read more
Looking for some FREE and FUN web-based art making websites that you can incorporate into your art curriculum? Below is a list of some cool programs that involve a variety of art techniques and that come recommended by me for their ease of use, quality and creativity! Enjoy! Gartic.io Gartic is like a digital, interactive … Read more
Looking for a helpful resource to teach the elements of art to your wonderful student artist? Check out this elements of art video series with matching guided notes sheets for students to complete with each video.If you use these FREE resources, please be sure to follow Make a Mark Studios on Facebook. Thanks in advance! … Read more
Imagine this: 90% of your art students are working hard on the current project, but you have a small 10% who are finished. The early finishers are staring at you and saying the line we hear all too often, “I’m done! What can I do now?” It’s probably not that hard to imagine, because it’s … Read more
Check out the variety of free posters I’ve created below including elements of art posters and color theory posters. I would love to see how you display your posters in your own art room so feel free to share photos of your art room. If you use download these resources, please follow me on Facebook … Read more