Homeschooling Art: Pattern Project

This picture is an example of a scene partially rendered with patterns to be used as an example for students.

Regular Moms Can Teach Art!

YOU can teach this art project! Sure you can. . . your students like to do art projects and just need a little nudge in that direction. All of a sudden their creative talents will kick in and wow! some art will be happening.

Project supplies: Bristol board or some other sturdy paper, 8 x 10 size, pencils, erasers, Sharpie or other black markers in regular and fine tip

This pattern project is a nice place to start. It is a 2 week project, a total of about 1 hour each week.

This project starts with some talk about patterns. For the first class, the student is instructed to come up with 12-16 ideas for patterns. We used paper from our copier and drew these with a black marker. My pattern paper looked like this:

Then we chose a subject to draw. For younger students, a fish works well. For older students (4th grade and up), I allow them to choose the object or scene they want to draw. Of course, some ideas will work better than others.

The drawing can be a scene, an object like an ice cream cone, or a vase of flowers. They need to finish the patterns and their drawing in about an hour. This would complete the art class for week one.

Use bristol board or some other sturdy paper cut to 8 by 10 inches for their drawing. They can draw in pencil but then they should go over their lines with a black marker. *See FAQ’s below.

Teaching tip: At this time, use your copier to make two photo copies of their drawing before they start filling in any patterns. One copy is in case they want to start over and the other is in case they want to do a second project with colored markers.

The second class is for filling in their picture with the patterns they have drawn. The second class should last about an hour.

Use permanent black markers in various thicknesses to fill in their drawing with various patterns. I like to use regular Sharpies as well as the fine-tip version.

  • Do they have to use all their patterns? No, but they should use 9-12 patterns.
  • Can they use black and white spaces, too? Yes, I let them.
  • Can they use color? I recommend doing the first project in black and white. If they want to do a second project with color, use the copy of the picture they made. (See teaching tip above.)
  • What if it doesn’t look very good to me? I ask my students, Did you do your best? That’s what God expects! If not, let’s start over.
  • How can this be displayed? You can frame it or cut out the object and mount it on colored construction paper.

Last step: Have each student sign and date their picture: Susie Doe ©2022

Bonus:

I don’t know how your week went but my husband painted our main bathroom this past week. That means it was taken apart, moved around, got new trim and paint and is now being put together. I could say it was an inconvenient week but I’m going to say, “Wow! I love the bathroom with the fresh paint.”

II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Isn’t it wonderful that we are new in Christ? We are not just painted over, but new from the inside out!

New Life in Christ by John W. Peterson

New Life in Christ! Abundant and free!
What glories shine, what joys are mine,
What wondrous blessings I see!
My past with its sin,
The searching and strife,
Forever gone, there’s a bright new dawn!
For in Christ I have found New Life!

Gym idea: The President’s challenge is a good February idea for gym class. With an emphasis on flexibility, strength, and coordination, the tasks for this challenge are different enough from most sport activities to capture students’ interest. You can find more information HERE.

Mom: Help! Any suggestions for activities for the kids to make it through the winter blues of February? or a muddy Spring?

Every. Single. Homeschooling. Mom. is wondering the same things . Seriously can’t wait for spring to get here so we can go outside regularly.

EVERY homeschool mom needs some extra ideas to get through February. Don’t get “blue” like this little pup! Click here for some new ideas to help you!

Bonus: If you or your child (junior or senior) is interested in learning free-lance video editing for weddings, make sure you contact my friend Sarah Rosendahl at SarahRose04@gmail.com to take her class. This class is good for a side-hustle for moms to bring in extra income or for students! If you want more information about Sarah, you can read here.

And just for FUN, here’s a couple of reels from this past week: Let’s RaceGiraffe in the Nursery, and The Puzzle.

If you need some homeschool mindset coaching, let’s chat! Let’s create a plan tailor made for your family. Email me at homeschoolchristianmom@gmail.com.

Art Project: Acrylic on Canvas

Use an illustration to start your own creative juices flowing  in this acrylic on canvas art project.

Tacky is getting ready to eat his fish sandwich! This 🎨#artproject 🎨 from Homeschool Christian Mom FB group is Acrylic on Canvas.

Get FREE instant access to my teaching videos to help you manage your time with your kids,  teach effectively and keep your cool while homeschooling. My new 🎨🎨 #artprojects 🎨 encourages creativity and adds fun.

Materials: canvas, tracing paper, pencil, eraser, acrylic paints, paint brushes (narrow, medium and large), plate for paint, water and a picture from a children’s book.*

I recommend wearing an apron when using acrylics as they change from liquid to a plastic.  You can only get it out of clothing if you scrub it off right away.

  • First I painted the whole canvas white.
  • I used the tracing paper to copy the picture, scribbled with pencil on the back and then used that to transfer the picture to my canvas.
  • Use tracing paper to move the illustration from a book or screen to your canvas for this art project.
  • I added extra water to the acrylic paint for the background colors.
  • A wash of acrylic with extra water makes a soft background for any art project.
  • Then working from light colors to darker colors, I began painting.
  • This picture shows the illustration of Tacky the penguin from a children's book and my partially done picture below it. Text reads: Work from light colors to dark colors. You can follow the color scheme or make your own.
    YUM! This fish sandwich is delicious!
  • Project is suitable for 5th grade and up.

Let’s connect:

*(I am not a lawyer but as I am only painting one original picture, this is not violating any copyright laws. However, I could not and will not be copying this picture multiple times to sell.)