Leaf Rubbings
Although this project sounds easy, it can take kids a bit of practice to get clear details. Don’t give up after one or two attempts.
Go outside and collect some leaves. When possible, use leaves that have fallen on the ground. If that doesn’t give you a good variety, carefully pull leaves from trees and shrubs. Try to limit yourself to one leaf from a plant; remember, plants use their leaves to make their own food. Now, bring the leaves inside or work somewhere outdoors where your materials won’t blow around.
Set one leaf on a table, vein side (bumpy side) facing up; cover the leaf with a piece of paper. Hold the paper in place with one hand. Now, take a crayon and hold it sideways so you can rub the length of the crayon over the section of the paper covering the leaf. The crayon should reveal the shape and texture of the leaf on the paper.
If you can’t see the details of the leaf, press down harder with the crayon. If the outline and veins are doubled or fuzzy it probably means that you shifted the paper while rubbing the crayon over it. Sometimes it takes two, three, or even six tries to get a really nice looking leaf rubbing. The leaves shouldn’t get harmed by the process, so you can practice as much as you need.
What to Do with Leaf Rubbings
• Cut out the leaves and layer them into a collage. Use small pieces of double-sided foam tape behind a few of the leaves to add some depth to the collage.
• Cut out a leaf and write a poem on the back of the leaf. Punch a hole in the leaf and add a piece of string or yarn so the leaves can be hung.
• Mount the leaf rubbing on a piece of cardstock and cut out the shape. Glue a magnet on the back and attach to the refrigerator or another magnetic surface.
• Try doing a leaf rubbing on a colored piece of paper with a contrasting color crayon for variety.
• Cut out the leaves and layer them around the edges of an inexpensive picture frame.
• Create a matching game. Do two leaf rubbings of each shape leaf. Cut out the leaves and glue them onto two index cards. Try to make a set of at least twelve cards with six matches. Shuffle the cards and set them picture-side down on the table or floor. Players take turns flipping over two cards looking for a match. The player with the most matches wins that round.
Resist Paintings
Add another level of interest to texture rubbings by painting over the page.
Do crayon texture rubbings of leaves, bark, or manmade objects. Cover a lot of the paper with texture rubbings, but avoid having the different shapes overlap. It is okay if just a corner of a leaf is on the page. Now, go over the entire page with watercolor paints. You can use one color of paint or use several colors, painting splotches of color here and there. The wax crayon will resist the watercolor paint while the paint adheres to the paper. Paint over the entire piece of paper.
Another way of doing a resist painting is to draw a simple line picture with crayons (because the pencil marks could show through the crayon, you’ll have to draw with the crayons). Then paint over the entire picture with watercolors. To show off the resist, you will have to carry the paint over the lines. Otherwise, you’ll look like you are painting a coloring book page. Have fun with showing off the resist effect.
For a third option, draw with crayon a picture of your backyard or a place in nature that you love. Don’t color the sky, but you can add a few wispy clouds with white crayon. Paint over the entire scene with a mixture of blue, violet and black to make the scene a night scene.
Texture rubbings are a great way to reveal the details of leaves that you and your kids might not otherwise notice. This isn't just an autumn leaf project - you can do this during any season you can gather leaves.
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
Make Leaf Silhouette Artwork
Create a sort of reverse print by capturing the negative space, or the area around the leaf.
Even if you don’t live in area where you get to collect autumn-bright leaves, there are still plenty of art projects that feature leaves. Here’s one to get you started. You want to go out and gather leaves with a variety of shapes.
There are several ways to show off the silhouette, or outline, of a leaf. Set a leaf on a piece of paper and hold it in place with one hand. Then try one of these following techniques,
• Dip a paintbrush in watercolors, poster paints, or tempera paints. Starting on the leaf, paint over the edge of the leaf onto the paper, extending the brush strokes as far as desired.
• Dip a cut sponge in paint and dab the sponge along the outline of the leaf.
• Dip an old toothbrush in paint. Then run the handle of a paintbrush along the bristles of the toothbrush. The paint will spatter and fall around the outline of the brush. (You won’t hold the leaf in place with your hand for this variation.)
• Cover the leaf with a piece of cheesecloth or burlap that is larger than the leaf. With a sponge dipped in paint, dab the sponge over the fabric. Avoid using too much paint or rubbing the sponge over the fabric. With this technique, the textured pattern from the fabric will get added to the silhouette surrounding the leaf shape.
• Do several leaf silhouettes over a sheet of paper. Allow some of the paint surrounding the shapes to overlap, creating different colors.
• After the paint dries, go back and paint the white space with a brush in a complementary color.
After painting around the edge of the leaf, carefully remove the leaf. The shape of the leaf will be white, with paint surrounding where the leaf was held. Decorate around the silhouette as desired, including adding more silhouette images to the page.
Even if you don’t live in area where you get to collect autumn-bright leaves, there are still plenty of art projects that feature leaves. Here’s one to get you started. You want to go out and gather leaves with a variety of shapes.
There are several ways to show off the silhouette, or outline, of a leaf. Set a leaf on a piece of paper and hold it in place with one hand. Then try one of these following techniques,
• Dip a paintbrush in watercolors, poster paints, or tempera paints. Starting on the leaf, paint over the edge of the leaf onto the paper, extending the brush strokes as far as desired.
• Dip a cut sponge in paint and dab the sponge along the outline of the leaf.
• Dip an old toothbrush in paint. Then run the handle of a paintbrush along the bristles of the toothbrush. The paint will spatter and fall around the outline of the brush. (You won’t hold the leaf in place with your hand for this variation.)
• Cover the leaf with a piece of cheesecloth or burlap that is larger than the leaf. With a sponge dipped in paint, dab the sponge over the fabric. Avoid using too much paint or rubbing the sponge over the fabric. With this technique, the textured pattern from the fabric will get added to the silhouette surrounding the leaf shape.
• Do several leaf silhouettes over a sheet of paper. Allow some of the paint surrounding the shapes to overlap, creating different colors.
• After the paint dries, go back and paint the white space with a brush in a complementary color.
After painting around the edge of the leaf, carefully remove the leaf. The shape of the leaf will be white, with paint surrounding where the leaf was held. Decorate around the silhouette as desired, including adding more silhouette images to the page.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Photography for Kids – Composition
I’m focusing on photography for a few days because it’s summer and kids go to camp or on vacation or do things they don’t normally do. This all adds up to opportunities for taking pictures. Whether kids have a disposable film camera, a digital camera, or a camera in their phone, they can practice some of the skills that will improve their pictures.
The activity below is a to-do list of sorts from my eBook Art in Nature, Nature in Art. If kids work their way through the list, not just once but several times, using different subjects, they will teach themselves how to take interesting photographs. In this case, interesting relies upon composition or where things are placed in an image. In some cases, kids can move something around before they take its picture, but in most cases the object is where it is. When kids can’t move the objects around, they can change their position, which will allow also them to modify their picture.
For example, stand back from a tree and take a picture of it from the ground to the leafy crown – this is a 3/3 crop. Move in closer and eliminate the bottom 1/3 of the scene and you have a 2/3 crop (because you can see 2/3 of the entire subject). If you go closer (or use a telephoto lens) to focus your picture on the leafy top of the tree you’ll have 1/3 crop. Don’t worry about dividing a subject exactly in thirds.
Another thing to think about is the Rule of Thirds. Imagine a grid that divides the image into thirds horizontally and vertically. A photographer should line up the subject of their photo along one of the imaginary horizontal or vertical lines. This allows the viewer’s eye to flow across the image without jerking here and there without settling.
__Take an overall picture of a scene
__Move in for six detail pictures
__Hold the camera vertically
__Hold the camera horizontally
__Take a picture at a tilt
__Crop an image 1/3
__Crop an image 2/3
__Crop an image 3/3
__Fill the frame with the subject
__Place the subject on the left 1/3line
__Place the subject on the right 1/3 line
__Place the subject on the bottom 1/3 line
__Place the subject on the top 1/3 line
__Place the subject on a “hot spot” – where vertical and horizontal lines meet
Monday, July 11, 2011
Exploring Color in the Outdoors – Activities with Children
Color activities aren’t limited to preschoolers who are learning their colors. Color hunts and matching games can help young artists notice how the variety of hues around them goes beyond what a box of crayons or paint palette offers. Color activities work on observation skills and help children and adults become more aware of their surroundings. For more art-oriented activities, see my book, Art in Nature, Nature in Art.
Color Hunt
Go to the paint department of your local hardware store and gather an assortment of paint chip samples. Cut the paint strips into individual colors. For younger children who may be overwhelmed by the subtle variations of color offered by paint manufacturer’s, use a box of crayons so the children can stick with general colors.
On a walk, give each child one-to-three of the color chips. While walking, they should watch for items that are a close match to the examples. When they find a match, they can trade that color sample for another. You can also stop along the way and hand out color chips for the children to match while at that particular location.
Quick Colors
While walking, the adult stops and calls out “quick colors.” Everyone freezes for a count of ten and then starts calling out the different colors they see. Although younger children can be satisfied calling out colors like “green” or “blue,” older children can try to be more specific and imaginative and name colors as “blue-gray,” “cheddar cheese,” or “grape jelly.”
Just One Color
At any point during the walk, ask the children to look for items that share one particular color. Make the walk a challenge and select a color that doesn’t seem to be predominant in the area. Objects can be natural or manmade and can be any size. Depending on where you are walking, look for yellow in a swirl of a ball, the frame of a trampoline, a flower. If you are taking this walk with young children who are still learning their colors, bring along a crayon or piece of construction paper to show the color.
Color Hunt
Go to the paint department of your local hardware store and gather an assortment of paint chip samples. Cut the paint strips into individual colors. For younger children who may be overwhelmed by the subtle variations of color offered by paint manufacturer’s, use a box of crayons so the children can stick with general colors.
On a walk, give each child one-to-three of the color chips. While walking, they should watch for items that are a close match to the examples. When they find a match, they can trade that color sample for another. You can also stop along the way and hand out color chips for the children to match while at that particular location.
Quick Colors
While walking, the adult stops and calls out “quick colors.” Everyone freezes for a count of ten and then starts calling out the different colors they see. Although younger children can be satisfied calling out colors like “green” or “blue,” older children can try to be more specific and imaginative and name colors as “blue-gray,” “cheddar cheese,” or “grape jelly.”
Just One Color
At any point during the walk, ask the children to look for items that share one particular color. Make the walk a challenge and select a color that doesn’t seem to be predominant in the area. Objects can be natural or manmade and can be any size. Depending on where you are walking, look for yellow in a swirl of a ball, the frame of a trampoline, a flower. If you are taking this walk with young children who are still learning their colors, bring along a crayon or piece of construction paper to show the color.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Super Simple Sun Prints
You don’t need to hunt down that special blue sun print paper to entertain your kids with this art project. This technique even allows you to skip developing the print under water. Chances are you have the supplies at home – ordinary construction paper and something to hold lightweight objects in place.
Materials for Crafts
You need construction paper that hasn’t already been exposed to the sun (by sitting on a tabletop, etc.).
You’ll also need different objects with interesting shapes. This project is a great way to get kids to focus on the shape or silhouette of an object. For preteens, they may recognize this concept as positive and negative space. (Learn what that means and get a couple of art project ideas at Positive and Negative Space Art Projects and Positive and Negative Space Cut Paper Designs.) This is an inexpensive project, so kids can experiment and discover the silhouettes that various objects will leave behind.
For lightweight objects that might blow away, you’ll need pebbles or pins
that will allow you to hold those items in place.
A sunny day
How to Make a Sun Print
You’ll need to work in an area that will get sunlight for two or three hours. Work on a flat surface – short grass is okay.
Set down the paper.
Place the item or items on the paper. If the items will blow away (as leaves will), weigh them down with small pebbles or use map pins or push pins to tack the item to the paper. Make certain that the pebble or pin is on the object and that it’s not sitting full on the paper or it will create its own shape.
Leave the items in the sun. Check after two hours by lifting the items just a bit. The dye in the paper is protected by the object. The paper that wasn’t covered will fade in the sun.
Ta dah! You’ve created a sun print of an object. Experiment with items that have a variety of shapes.
Materials for Crafts
You need construction paper that hasn’t already been exposed to the sun (by sitting on a tabletop, etc.).
You’ll also need different objects with interesting shapes. This project is a great way to get kids to focus on the shape or silhouette of an object. For preteens, they may recognize this concept as positive and negative space. (Learn what that means and get a couple of art project ideas at Positive and Negative Space Art Projects and Positive and Negative Space Cut Paper Designs.) This is an inexpensive project, so kids can experiment and discover the silhouettes that various objects will leave behind.
For lightweight objects that might blow away, you’ll need pebbles or pins
that will allow you to hold those items in place.
A sunny day
How to Make a Sun Print
You’ll need to work in an area that will get sunlight for two or three hours. Work on a flat surface – short grass is okay.
Set down the paper.
Place the item or items on the paper. If the items will blow away (as leaves will), weigh them down with small pebbles or use map pins or push pins to tack the item to the paper. Make certain that the pebble or pin is on the object and that it’s not sitting full on the paper or it will create its own shape.
Leave the items in the sun. Check after two hours by lifting the items just a bit. The dye in the paper is protected by the object. The paper that wasn’t covered will fade in the sun.
Ta dah! You’ve created a sun print of an object. Experiment with items that have a variety of shapes.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Nature Art for Kids – Word Art
Use rocks, twigs, and seashells to write messages to others who'll visit your location after you've left. You can do this art in nature project almost anywhere. This is a fun activity for children just learning their letters; but, it is even more enjoyable for children who can spell. For this kids’ craft, children use natural materials to write messages to others who will later discover their simple endeavors.
Children will need to gather a supply of twigs, pine cones, seashells, pebbles, acorns, etc. with which to write a letter or word. The location will determine the materials the children use. Kids might decide to write out each letter with a different object or use a mix of natural materials to create each letter. Encourage children to experiment and then judge the results.
When you select a location, you want it to be somewhere others will see the message without destroying it should a walker who isn’t paying attention accidentally scattering the letters with her feet. You should also be careful to avoid doing this on lawns – when a lawnmower comes on the scene, it could be dangerous for the operator and anyone in the area if pebbles or twigs start flying as the cutting blade runs over your project.
Children will also find it easier to work if they select a location where others don’t have to sidestep around a child to get to where they are going – so, no doorways, pathways, etc. It can be a challenge to find a spot where kids can work but where others will see their artistic messages.
With a work area and a supply of natural materials, children can write out words or messages to those who’ll come along at a later time and discover these expressions. This can be as simple as “Hello,” or can encourage an action, “Shhh,” or “Look up.” Letters six-to-twelve inches high work up quickly. You may want children to start with words containing approximately five letters.
Young children who are just learning their letters can use their gathered materials to form letters. Have a bit of fun by making a “T” next to a tree or an “S” from seashells. This is a casual way to reinforce what a child is learning in school. If your child is enjoying the process, you could help him write out simple words. When possible, scratch the letters in the sand or dirt and allow the children to form the letters with found objects.
This is a fun and easy kids’ activity to do while you are resting alongside a natural trail or while you are picnicking or having a snack. Children may become inspired to write a series of words, which develop into a short phrase when read together as someone moves along a quarter-mile or even a mile section of trail.
Find more nature-inspired art and craft projects in Art in Nature/Nature in Art: Art Experiences for Kids Ages 8 – to – 14 and their Creative Adults.
Children will need to gather a supply of twigs, pine cones, seashells, pebbles, acorns, etc. with which to write a letter or word. The location will determine the materials the children use. Kids might decide to write out each letter with a different object or use a mix of natural materials to create each letter. Encourage children to experiment and then judge the results.
When you select a location, you want it to be somewhere others will see the message without destroying it should a walker who isn’t paying attention accidentally scattering the letters with her feet. You should also be careful to avoid doing this on lawns – when a lawnmower comes on the scene, it could be dangerous for the operator and anyone in the area if pebbles or twigs start flying as the cutting blade runs over your project.
Children will also find it easier to work if they select a location where others don’t have to sidestep around a child to get to where they are going – so, no doorways, pathways, etc. It can be a challenge to find a spot where kids can work but where others will see their artistic messages.
With a work area and a supply of natural materials, children can write out words or messages to those who’ll come along at a later time and discover these expressions. This can be as simple as “Hello,” or can encourage an action, “Shhh,” or “Look up.” Letters six-to-twelve inches high work up quickly. You may want children to start with words containing approximately five letters.
Young children who are just learning their letters can use their gathered materials to form letters. Have a bit of fun by making a “T” next to a tree or an “S” from seashells. This is a casual way to reinforce what a child is learning in school. If your child is enjoying the process, you could help him write out simple words. When possible, scratch the letters in the sand or dirt and allow the children to form the letters with found objects.
This is a fun and easy kids’ activity to do while you are resting alongside a natural trail or while you are picnicking or having a snack. Children may become inspired to write a series of words, which develop into a short phrase when read together as someone moves along a quarter-mile or even a mile section of trail.
Find more nature-inspired art and craft projects in Art in Nature/Nature in Art: Art Experiences for Kids Ages 8 – to – 14 and their Creative Adults.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Seasonal Color Wheel
What are the colors of spring? Summer? Autumn? Winter? Each season offers a unique color palette. If an interior decorator selected colors for four rooms in the colors of each season, chances are that you’d have no difficulty telling what season was represented in each room. Once children become old enough to be aware that they’ve experienced a season in their past, they too would recognize the colors of the seasons.
You can do these activities during any season; you could even do them each month of the year. The activities go beyond simple color recognition to noticing the variations within colors. Try these as art projects, even if you don’t feel that you yourself are artistically inclined. Do the activities along with your children, students, scouts, or campers.
Color Match
Go to the hardware store and collect an assortment of paint chip samples (start with greens, browns, and grays). If you have the time and inclination, cut the strips apart into individual colors and toss them in a bag or envelope. Now, go outside with the kids and give everyone at least one of the paint samples and encourage them to explore the area looking for as close a match in nature as they can possibly find.
Players can switch to different colors if they can’t find what they are trying to match, or they can hold onto a color in the hopes of matching it elsewhere along their walk. Try this activity in natural settings as well as urban or suburban settings to contrast the colors of not just seasons but environments.
Color Wheel
This activity is a bit more complex because instead of matching colors the participants are creating color matches. Each player will need some paper and either colored pencils or watercolors. Although the manufacture is providing a range of colors, point out those colors can be mixed or layered to create other colors.
Take a plate and draw a circle on the paper. Divide the circle into six, eight, or twelve pie sections. Now, go outside and select a color distinctive of the season and color in one of the pie sections. Again, the yellow of forsythia might not be the yellow of the colored pencil, so encourage exploration and experimentation with the materials as participants practice mixing or layering colors.
Fill in each pie section with a different color. Notice how not all green leaves are the same color green and try to duplicate these different hues. Label the page with the season or the month. Try to repeat throughout the year, creating a color palette for each season.
Try either of these activities with preschoolers all the way up through adults. They give you an awareness of the variety of colors around you as well as bring clarity to the distinctive qualities of each time of the year.
Color Match
Go to the hardware store and collect an assortment of paint chip samples (start with greens, browns, and grays). If you have the time and inclination, cut the strips apart into individual colors and toss them in a bag or envelope. Now, go outside with the kids and give everyone at least one of the paint samples and encourage them to explore the area looking for as close a match in nature as they can possibly find.
Players can switch to different colors if they can’t find what they are trying to match, or they can hold onto a color in the hopes of matching it elsewhere along their walk. Try this activity in natural settings as well as urban or suburban settings to contrast the colors of not just seasons but environments.
Color Wheel
This activity is a bit more complex because instead of matching colors the participants are creating color matches. Each player will need some paper and either colored pencils or watercolors. Although the manufacture is providing a range of colors, point out those colors can be mixed or layered to create other colors.
Take a plate and draw a circle on the paper. Divide the circle into six, eight, or twelve pie sections. Now, go outside and select a color distinctive of the season and color in one of the pie sections. Again, the yellow of forsythia might not be the yellow of the colored pencil, so encourage exploration and experimentation with the materials as participants practice mixing or layering colors.
Fill in each pie section with a different color. Notice how not all green leaves are the same color green and try to duplicate these different hues. Label the page with the season or the month. Try to repeat throughout the year, creating a color palette for each season.
Try either of these activities with preschoolers all the way up through adults. They give you an awareness of the variety of colors around you as well as bring clarity to the distinctive qualities of each time of the year.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Shadow Art
Originally published 4/12/2011 at explorealongtheway.com
Have kids do this project on a sunny day that isn’t too windy. They can do this in their own backyard. They’ll need to start with a large piece of white paper and a pencil. They will also need a sturdy piece of cardboard that they can use as a drawing board and a couple of binder clips to hold the paper in place as they work.
Walk around outside looking for interesting shadows. It doesn’t really matter what is casting the shadow, they’re interested in the shadows themselves. Look for shadows on the ground as well as shadows that may fall on walls. Don’t worry if the entire shadow doesn’t fit on the piece of paper. Hold the paper so an interesting part of the shadow falls across the paper.
Work quickly to trace the shape of the shadow. If there is a slight breeze the objects will move a bit, so they should do as good a job as they can; this doesn’t have to be perfect. Because of the angle of the sun, a traced shadow won’t look like an outline of the object. This can be fun because people looking at the finished artwork won’t necessarily know the inspiration for the piece. After tracing the shadow onto the paper, the kids will want to get some other art supplies. For this project, they can use watercolor paints, colored pencils, pastels, marker, crayons, etc.
Tell the kids to color in the shadow(s) however they like, using a solid color or changing colors when they want. After coloring in the shape, they may want to cut it out and glue it onto a piece of colored construction paper for additional contrast.
Walk around outside looking for interesting shadows. It doesn’t really matter what is casting the shadow, they’re interested in the shadows themselves. Look for shadows on the ground as well as shadows that may fall on walls. Don’t worry if the entire shadow doesn’t fit on the piece of paper. Hold the paper so an interesting part of the shadow falls across the paper.
Work quickly to trace the shape of the shadow. If there is a slight breeze the objects will move a bit, so they should do as good a job as they can; this doesn’t have to be perfect. Because of the angle of the sun, a traced shadow won’t look like an outline of the object. This can be fun because people looking at the finished artwork won’t necessarily know the inspiration for the piece. After tracing the shadow onto the paper, the kids will want to get some other art supplies. For this project, they can use watercolor paints, colored pencils, pastels, marker, crayons, etc.
Tell the kids to color in the shadow(s) however they like, using a solid color or changing colors when they want. After coloring in the shape, they may want to cut it out and glue it onto a piece of colored construction paper for additional contrast.
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