How to Fake it Like an Art Teacher

ARTS Express 2018 by Christine Palmer

TBH (as kids say) It’s not really faking it. It’s about trying some things out. Sometimes they work, other times not so well, and then you try again. To be a great art teacher you really just need to follow three simple steps:

1. Be Brave!

2. Provide Open-ended Opportunities

3. Provide Interesting Materials

Printmaking

Tar Paper and Glue with Oil

Pastels and Paint

Iron-on Fabric Collage

Goodbye Diorama, Hello Retablo

Jeronimo E. Lozano- Utah Artist!

The never-ending sketchbook will save your sanity.

As an alternative to reading for fast finishers, provide

your students with an “art corner” only available at

certain times when quality work is passed off. I limit

my students to one page at a time in their sketch-

books to ensure that they are doing their best work.

Sketchbooks are accessible to the students and idea

prompts* and materials

are found in the art corner.

*See some cool sketchbook

prompts attached.

Utah Core Standard Connections

These art methods can span many grade levels and core subjects.

Here are just a few suggestions:

Note: I always include some form of writing to accompany all project based learning– even in Kindergarten

See one example (A poet when they didn’t know it…) attached

Retablos: Life Cycles, Plants, Living and Non-living things, Things In the Sky, Commu-

nities, Day and Night, Pioneer Life, Famous Battles or Events, Ecosystems, Solar Sys-

tems/Planets, Under the Sea/Earth, Native American Dwellings, Migration of Animals,

Habitats, Imaginary Worlds, Earth Changes, i.e., volcanoes, Egyptian Life, Holidays

around the World

Fabric Collage: Folk tales/Fables, Arrays, Geometric Patterns, Architecture, Famous

Journeys or Events (Pioneer, Historical), Family Traditions, Communities, Portraits,

Creative Creatures, Patterns, Seasons, Middle Ages, Renaissance, Mythology

Printmaking: Logos, National Symbols, Landscapes, Designs, Geometric and Organic

Patterns, Patterns to create arrays or combine to create equations, Slogans, Advertise-

ments, Portraits/Self-Portrait, Animals, Butterflies/Insects, Trees/Nature, Dinosaurs/

Fossils, Ancient Egypt, Middle Ages, Positive/Negative Space

References and Resources:

Jeronimo E. Lozano http://www.mastersoftraditionalarts.org/artists/194

Supplies:

Sculpey Clay- Oven-bake clay (ANY polymer clay will do)

Presto Foam for Printmaking (or you can use the bottom of Styrofoam plates from the dollar store)

Tar Paper– Available at Home Depot (Huge role $20 in roofing section & lasts forever)

Brown or Rose Craft Paper– Also called painters paper ($13 for Huge roll at Home Depot in paint section)

Black Glue– Elmer’s All Purpose (not washable) glue mixed with a black acrylic paint

Fabric Adhesive– Wonder Under or Heat-n-Bond can be found cheapest by the roll at Walmart

Sketchbook Ideas

Draw Your Happy Place

Draw a Haunted House

Create a new character for your favorite cartoon or video game

Draw an Animal in a Costume

Create a New Superhero

Draw Food Doing Something Humans Do

Create a Logo Using Your Initials

Design a Ride at an Amusement Park

Draw an Alien Dancing

Design a Dream Car

Draw Laughter

Create a New Fish

Draw What is Under Your Bed

Draw a Teacher with Two Heads

Draw a Strange Flavor of Ice Cream in a Cone

Combine 3 Animals Together into a New Species

Create a New Invention

Fill a Whole Page with Eyes

Create a New Musical Instrument

Draw Something You Found Outside

Draw Something You Found on the Floor

Find Something Tiny and Draw it Humongous

Draw Something You Hate to Eat in a Lovely Frame

Draw Your Favorite Memory

Draw an Owie You Got

Create a New Flag

Draw Yourself When You are 100

Draw Yourself Drawing Yourself

Create a New Planet

Sketchbook Ideas (Continued)

Design a Robot

Design a Tree that will Grow Something Cool

Draw Your Teacher Without Looking at Your Paper

Draw Wings on Something that Should Not Have Wings

Draw a Magical Garden

Draw a Monster with Bad Breath

Draw Something in a Cave

Draw a Comic Strip

Draw Your Feet... Draw on Your Feet…Draw with Your Feet

Design a Spaceship

Design a Business Card for Yourself

Draw Your Dream Real Bedroom

Draw Your Dream Bedroom

Make a Map of the School

Make an Escape Route out of the School

Make a Treasure Map

Draw an Animal as a Pirate

Draw Something You Fear

Draw Something in the Deep Sea

Draw Something Unexpected in the Deep Sea

Draw a Food or Object Running Away

Combine a Tool with an Animal

Draw Your Dream Home

Design a CD Cover for Your Favorite Band

Draw Stuff About You

Draw 5 Stems with Leaves and Draw Your Friends Heads Growing on Them

Draw a Delicious Dessert

A poet when they didn’t know it... By using formal structure of poetry, students are able to create a successful

piece of writing while developing skills in Language Arts, Art Criticism,

verbal communication, observation, and evaluation.

A Cinquain is a Five Line Poem

(adapted for elementary use)

Line 1: One Word (one-word name or title)

Line 2: Two Words (adjectives that describe)

Line 3: Three Words (action verbs- ending in “ing”)

Line 4: Four Words (a four-word statement– a complete sentence)

Line 5: One Word (synonym, another noun or title)

Line 1 ______________________

Line 2 ___________________, ___________________

Line 3 _________________, ________________, ______________

Line 4 _________________________________________________.

Line 5 _______________________