Tag: art

Summer Art for Kids

If you are like me, you are ready for the children to go outside! There are plenty of art activities they can make or draw outside. Plenty of children of all ages like to draw with sidewalk chalk. Children can be inspired by drawing a large circle or square and adding a variety of lines and shapes and colors. Older ones can print out abstract paintings of Picasso with noses going in one direction and eyes in another. Tomato Soup cans of Warhol can be inspirational.

I have a product containing art lessons for the outdoors for sale in my store on teachers pay teachers. Here is the link: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Art-Lessons-for-the-Outdoors-3849980

 

What Makes Art ART?

Why is Art Art?

What is the difference between GREAT ART and mediocre art?

I don’t really know. The phrase “I know it when I see it” makes art a perception but art is still art whether it is perceived as such by one or not. So then the idea of art becomes quite subjective depending on the viewer’s opinion or mood of the day.

For me really good art is that which has been drawn well and somewhat realistically but is then turned into an abstract or an impression or an abstract impression. I am a bit of a conservative in that I believe for artists to create really good art they have to be able to draw. I have told my students that drawing is the basis of all other art techniques.

My favorite artists who have demonstrated the ability to draw realistically and turn a painting or sculpture into an abstract, impression or abstract impression are Pablo Picasso and David Hockney. There is a video/DVD called “Behind the Scenes, Volume:1 Painting and Drawing” (available on Dick Blick’s website) during which David Hockney draws a chair from many different views while explaining perspective, depth, and vanishing point. I showed it many times to my middle school students. The result is a cubistic chair (Picasso’s influence).

Today I discovered a painting of David Hockney’s called “Gaugin’s Chair” that looks like the very chair that’s in the DVD. It’s a painting with bright tropical colors similar to those Gaugin used but drawn in a cubistic manner like Picasso. That thought process is what makes a great artist and great art to me!

That’s MY opinion! Mizz Mac

Drawing is a good beginning

Did you know we only use five lines and two shapes when we draw? That’s all we use! That sounds easy doesn’t it?

What are the five lines and two shapes? The five lines are the horizontal line (straight across), the vertical line ( straight up and down line), the diagonal line ( drawn at an angle from top left to bottom right or top right to bottom left), the curvy line or wavy line, and the zigzag line.  The two shapes are natural ones (like clouds) and geometric ones (squares, rectangles, triangles, circles).

First we need to practice making the lines and shapes. Get some markers or crayons. If you like to use a ruler, go ahead and get one.

You will also need a white piece of paper.

A good practice would be to draw the five lines on your paper. Begin with drawing 3-5 lines of each kind of line on your paper. An example would be to draw 3-5 horizontal lines, 3-5 vertical lines, etc. Then draw 3-5 geometric shapes different sizes on the same paper. The different lines will divide the geometric shapes into natural ones.

Now color in the various shapes. lines,-patterns,-and-shapes-examples-006

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Hi I’m Mizz Mac

Hey there! I’m Mizz Mac, author of Art for Kids Online. A little about myself I was raised by a professional artist so we created art alot!! I majored in both art education and elementary education in college because I wanted to teach art to children.  I ended up getting a b.s.in education with a double major because our governor at the time eliminated art in elementary schools at the end of my junior year in college! I did graduate and taught elementary school, worked, got married, had two kids, and began teaching art when my friend opened her own art studio. After that I taught art to elementary and middle schoolers for close to 25 years at a private school.

Now I am retired and have lots of art lessons and thoughts and advice to share on my Art for Kids Online website.  There will be art lessons and projects and a link to my store on the teacherspayteachers.com website.