Making Holiday Cards int he After School Program

With a selection of blank coloring cards and assortment of coloring tools the students had a chance to start building their collections of greeting cards for the upcoming holidays.
Coloring with Crayola Super Tip Markers and Faber Castell Albrecht Durer watercolor pencils.

Lead teachers monitoring a group of students as they try out the coloring tools and card templates.
Some whimsical coloring choices.
Coloring with Derwent Watercolour pencils and using some of the finished samples for reference.
Watercolor pencils used dry.
Sprinkle of glitter for finishing touches.

Painting Ceramic Bowls in the After School Program - Part 2

Today we had several middle school students start their bowl painting project.
The first step was to apply a base coat of acrylic paint. Dabbing worked better than rubbing or wiping the paint with the sponge and we were told that should prolong the useful life of the sponges.Then each student will paint their own design on the prepped surface in the following art session.
While the students started work on their bowls, I used some Caran D'Ache Neocolor I wax pastels to color the dragon pattern on the sample bowl.
Even opened this metallic set I had in storage forever to apply some decorations on the terracotta side of the bowl.
Pretty happy with the finished sample. The Neocolor I crayons wax-based pigment readily adhered to the base coated surface of the bowl. If your kids have grown bored with the performance of average crayons, it might be time to introduce them to the Neocolor wax crayon sets. Their strength and high pigment load make them a great choice for coloring on paper and even ceramics as shown above.The following day, a few students took their 30 minutes art period to continue work on their bowls.Using a Sharpie to draw her coloring outline on the pre-painted bowl.Painting some decorative patterns.Finished applying golden crayon to the flame design and front paw.

Painting Ceramic Bowls in the After School Program

Since we had planned a paint your-own -ceramic-bowl for the after school program at the Middle School, I tested a boxed kit to check the supplies' performance and produce a sample finished bowl.
After applying a beige paint coat all over the bowl to prime the surface, I sponged some blue and rust acrylic paint for background colors. The dragon pattern was painted with a round synthetic brush and soft body Liquitex Mars Black acrylic artist color.
Painted this sample dish to show the students a possible outcome for their projects.
We managed to scrounged a few bottles of acrylic paint from different donation sources and remnants from previous year.
The first step for the students was to apply a "base coat" of acrylic paint that should facilitate adherence of subsequent paint applications.
The sponges allowed for faster coverage than the brushes.
Dabbing the paint with the sponges resulted in a more uniform thicker paint layer that should resist cracking.
Early color pattern approach: colorful dots over beige background. We''ll probably continue this project through the end of December, so that students may gradually develop and adjust their design and decorative patterns in their bowls.

Spending an afternoon doing art with my Nieces

Had the chance to conduct a few art activities with my nieces during the weekend.
Reference shot.
While using dry media, the girls drew and colored in the living room.
Finished butterfly drawing.
Tackling the Sketchbook Scavenger Hunt Project that I have been using in November with 6-8 grade students.
Also wanted to see what Nicole might do with the references I have been using at the Middle School After School program this past week.
Quite impressed that a second grader could draw this illustrations at the first try by simply studying the reference materials that we had on hand.
Fashion design has been a popular subject lately.
We moved to the kitchen, so the girls could use the potentially messier watercolor kits
Picking some color from the pre-moistened Faber Castell Aquarelle Sticks.
Doodling a puppy in a Cachet watercolor sketchbook.
Just finished replicating the coloring pattern of the sample turtle.
Both girls were quite happy to try my newest watercolor kit.
Camila making another happy heart.
Ta-da! it's finished.
One happy Tulip girl.
Drawing additional coloring outlines with a Staedtler Mars Technico 780 2 mm leadholder.
Wiping the waterbrush clean on a paper towel.
Doing watercolor pieces is always a big hit with the girls. Just make sure you protect the table from accidental spills and remind the kids to properly wash and rinse their brushes. The Sakura Koi Pocket Field Sketch Box proved to be quite efficient and a likable coloring kit for both of them. Colors were quite bright and pans readily release saturated washes.

Holiday Card Coloring Templates

This holiday card project should prove suitable for Elementary and even some Middle School kids judging from the frequent requests I get for coloring activities.Holiday card samples colored with watercolor pencils used dry.
Print any of the coloring templates below on white card stock. Add your personal greeting or draw additional decorative elements with a fine point black Sharpie marker pen. Color the black and white outlines with crayons or markers. Fold in half twice. Add some glitter glue for finishing touches. Let dry and get caught up with your holiday correspondence.