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Make Sax® Your First Stop at NAEA!
Are you attending the National Art Education Association’s annual convention in Chicago? We’ll be there, too, looking forward to greeting old friends and meeting new ones. We’d love to see you there...
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Gesture Drawing 101
Gesture drawing is the study of the human figure in motion, and can be taught in a few simple steps, outlined below: 1. Start by working from a photograph that shows movement like an athlete, a child...
View ArticleHot and Cold Press Paper 101
You may have noticed that the paper you purchase for drawing, sketching, and painting comes in a few different surfaces. Many artists choose a paper and stick with it, without experimenting with the...
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Student Artist Spotlight: Megan Spencer
We’re inspired to spend the day sailing the tropical seas thanks to 8th grade artist Megan Spencer’s evocative pastel piece! Blue skies and puffy, white clouds drift above a rugged coast line, while...
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Tried & True Tips – April 2016
Now that spring break is over and we are all refreshed, it’s time to concentrate on painting and composition. As Manet stated, composition is the difficult part in painting. Here are some tips to help...
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Teach Your Students to Make Their Own Emojis
At some point in our art teaching careers we’ve encountered lessons that have been total disasters and others that are hits. This year I have been piloting a new Digital Art and Design class for 8th...
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Perspective 101
Perspective brings art to life by presenting a scene exactly as a viewer would see it in reality. This includes providing a focal point and adjusting the scale of the objects in the scene according to...
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Graphic Design Principles 101
Graphic design can be a fun addition to your art program. A handful of basic principles are the foundation of every successful design. One of our favorite design teachers, a die-hard Springsteen fan,...
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Student Artist Spotlight: Arianna Chiapetta
It’s a jungle out there! We went wild for Arianna Chiapetta’s art submission, titled Richard Parker. Inspired by the Bengal Tiger of the same name in the best-selling novel and blockbuster movie The...
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Double Self-Portraits in the Style of Chuck Close
Chuck Close has always been one of my favorite artists. Not only do I love his strikingly inventive style of painting large-scale portraits, but I also love his story. Close overcame many obstacles in...
View ArticleGraphic Design Elements 101
Once you’ve introduced your students to the principles of graphic design, they’re ready to explore the basic elements of design. Check out our easy-to-understand explanations of each of the elements,...
View ArticleTransparent Dragons: Art Lesson Plan
Evolved from Greek and Middle Eastern mythology, the European, or medieval dragon has been referenced as early as 217 BC. Its name comes from the Latin “huge serpent” and most dragons do, indeed, have...
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Tried & True Tips – May 2016
It is almost the end of the school year and now is a great time for us to start cleaning up our rooms. It is also a great time to use all of our “stuff” to create some very expressive three-dimensional...
View ArticleArt Room Philosophy: Teaching More Than Art
Art teachers teach color theory and perspective, shading and layering, and so many other artistic techniques crucial to bettering their students’ artwork. But, between those drawing and painting...
View ArticleWrapping Up For The Year
Congratulations! You’ve almost made it through another school year, instilling in another batch of students a love of art that will last them their entire lives. Honor the work you’ve all put into this...
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10 Tips for Creating a Teaching Portfolio for Your Next Interview
This article is compliments of The Art of Education. One of my final tasks as an undergraduate was to create a teaching portfolio that I could utilize when I started interviewing at different...
View ArticleArt Class Modifications for Children with Special Needs
An education rich in STEM components becomes even more viable when adding the “A” for Art to make STEAM. Engaging in the Arts helps build creativity, confidence, focus and collaboration. For students...
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Cardboard Cubism
I developed this “Cardboard Cubism” lesson plan from an assignment I really enjoyed doing while in college. I first taught it during my student teaching at Alcoa (Tennessee) High School, with Ms. Minda...
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Student Artist Spotlight: Andi Mo
Eleventh grader Andi Mo’s beautiful colored pencil piece, titled Ladybug on Flower, was discovered at a student art exhibit at the Lindsay Wildlife Experience in Walnut Creek, California this spring....
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A Step-By-Step Guide to Batik
This article is compliments of The Art of Education. Batik is one of those art making processes that requires a lot of preparation and supervision on your part but is totally worth the sacrifice. It’s...
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