Artist: Modigliani Style Self Portrait
Students either love or hate self portraits, so i tried having them do a self portrait in the Modigliani style and they all loved it. Amedeo Modigliani (1884 – 1920) was a late-18th century European artist who never lived to see his success, but his paintings are some of my all-time favorites. He settled in… Read More
Artist Bateman – Saw-Whet Owl
My students love drawing birds and their favorite is bird is owls. I recently used a Robert Bateman Owl painting as our inspiration. Bateman was always interested in art, but he never intended on making a living from it. He was fascinated by the natural world in his childhood; he recorded the sightings of all of… Read More
Senufo Spirit Drawing
I like to mix geography and cultures into some of my lessons. The Senufo Spirit Drawing project is perfect to learn about the small Ivory Coast county of Cote d’Ivore. The Senufo people of West Africa’s Ivory Coast are renowned for their cloth paintings. They believe their artwork has special meaning and helps protect them… Read More
Henri Rousseau: Bird drawing
The students love to draw animals, especially birds, For this lesson we use Henri Rousseau Merry Jesters for inspiration. Henri Rousseau (1844 – 1910) was a French artist did not start painting until he was in his 40’s. Ridiculed during his life, he came to be recognized as a self-taught genius whose works are of… Read More
Getting Started: Three Letter Word
We all have days where its difficult to get started drawing, so i have a number of exercises to get the pencil moving. A exercise I used with my teen art journal class was the three letter word. I have the students list a bunch of three letter words that have some action to them…. Read More
Jim Dine Heart Project
One of my favorite pop artist is Jim Dine and he is perfect for Valentine’s Day project. He loved to used hearts in everything from paintings to sculptures. Jim Dine (born June 16, 1935) is considered an important contemporary artist who helped to create the Pop Art movement. He was born in Cincinnati Ohio and… Read More
Chinese Water Dragon Drawing
The Chinese New Year was just a few weeks ago and it was great excuse to draw some dragons. 2012 is the year of the water dragon in the Chinese horoscope. Water has a calming effect on the Dragon’s fearless temperament. Water allows the Dragon to re-direct its enthusiasm, and makes him more perceptive of… Read More
Animal Drawing: Giraffe
I have always liked giraffes, i got sketch them last summer when visiting the LA Zoo. The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest living terrestrial animal. Its specific name refers to its camel-like face and patches of color on a light background, which bear a vague resemblance to a leopard‘s spots. The… Read More
Getting Started Exercise #106 – Facing the Blank Page
The big problem in getting started on a blank page is where to start or what to draw. It can be such a problem that we put down the pencil and do something else. For my teen art journal class we tried an exercise to break through the blank page. This exercise works for your… Read More
Artist Bernard Hoyes “In the Spirit”
With February being Black history month, I wanted to feature a project inspired by Bernard Hoyes. Jamaican-born artist Bernard Hoyes is a Caribbean national who has served his country well. Now residing in California, Hoyes is among the most widely collected and exhibited of contemporary artists. Through his art, many have been able to connect… Read More