Printmaking is the bomb when it comes to art processes. There are SO many ways to do it that range from process art made with materials nabbed from the recycle bin to processes that require a lengthy list of expensive supplies and a highly skilled artist. This linocut portrait falls somewhere in the middle. Ya’ need a little “stuff” but the process and result are SO worth it!
Whether you’re teaching your own kiddos at home as a homeschool mom (me) or you’re an art teacher trying to get the message across to a crowd (also me) the elements of art are a good place to start. They’re basics, building blocks for fun stuff to come.
I have opinions on art classes and little people. They definitely have a place in a child’s art experiences but they are not the be all end all. Kids can have an amazing art education right in their own home. With just a few basics from this art supplies list and their art education becomes a part of everyday life; not something on Tuesdays from 2-4.
Have you ever made linocut art before? Linocut is short for lino printmaking which is short for linoleum printmaking. It’s a traditional form of printmaking that’s gotten loads easier and safer thanks to new materials. This old fashioned process delivers super fun and modern results!
Making doesn’t have to be art and it doesn’t even have to be pretty to look at. To me “making” is about bringing something into being that didn’t previously exist. It might be useful like a machine or delicious as in dinner. These books about making are sure to inspire your kid inventor to make something new!
Wanna learn something? Then find a book about it and get busy. That’s pretty much my strategy to teach or learn anything; books. Despite all the online tutorials and directions that are available I still love opening a book and seeing what information it holds on each page. These Scratch programming coding books build a bridge between technology and literacy. What a win, right?
I love making something from nothing. That may stem from my days as a classroom teacher when I saw five hundred kids a week with a minimal budget. I love projects that use up scraps and bits and things that otherwise might get hidden in our craft cupboard never to be heard from again. Chalk prints are perfect for that.
Art doesn’t have to be sophisticated or fancy or require advanced technical skill to be totally worth making. I love introducing kids to art processes that are spontaneous and somewhat random in their results. One, because everyone is successful and who doesn’t love that? And two, because it’s fun. This paper marbling definitely fits the bill.
If you’ve got a short list of art supplies oil to keep available for your kiddos oil pastels should make the cut. They’re cheap, crazy vibrant, and can be used in dozens of ways! This oil pastel painting technique, however, is a new one on my radar and it’s the perfect way to introduce kids to blending oil pastels and creating smooth color transitions!