Art For Homeschool

May 1 is the deadline for the next Art For Homeschool Art Show. Since we have not had a themed show in a long time, I thought it would be a nice change. The May show theme is “Home”. Since everyone participating is a homeschool parent or child, I thought “Home” was a perfect choice. I know you will all have wonderful artistic interpretations sharing what “home” means to you.

Each homeschool student and parent may enter two pieces of two dimensional art work of any medium. All media competes against each other in three age groups. That means you can use colored pencil, pencil, markers, crayon, paint of any type, chalk, pastel, collage, pen and ink, photography, etc.

The age groups are 5 – 8 years, 9 – 13 years, and 14 – 18 years. First place winners from each age group will receive a gift certificate donated by Dick Blick. Dick Blick has been wonderful in sponsoring this show since it first began. Parent work will be shown separately from the student work.

If you are new to Art For Homeschool and want to learn how to enter this show. Go to the tab above titled AFH Art Show or click the link here. The deadline is midnight Central Daylight Time on May 1. On May 15, the awards will be announced.

Please spread the word about this art show to any homeschool students and parents you know. I think it is a great learning experience for all.

If you have any questions please let me know through comments or email. If you know someone with a homeschool website or blog, please inform them of this event. My dream is to make the AFH Art Show an event all homeschool families look forward to. Have a blessed day.

Has spring sprung where you live? It has in Texas, at least where I live. The bluebonnets and other wildflowers are showing up all along the country roadways. This is the perfect time to go outside to create artwork.

In fact, there will be a paint-out held at a park in Grimes County very soon. It will be at Washington on the Brazos for any of you that may be local. If you are local, head out April 10, 2013 to paint with other artists from the area. The Brenham Fine Art League is sponsoring this event to raise money for their scholarship fund. Therefore a $30 donation is requested from participants.Sorry for the commercial, but I am a member of the League and feel that they do a great job helping support future artists.

If it is nice outside, then spend an afternoon drawing or painting from nature. If painting sounds like too much trouble. Then just go out to sketch. I have taken my art classes out to draw with just a piece of paper, a pencil, and a drawing board. You don’t need much. You might consider a folding chair and a hat if it is going to be really sunny.

Something else you might want to take with you is a viewing frame or view finder. You may not be familiar with using one of these. A view finder is used to help the artist choose their composition. Because the outdoors is so large and there is so much to see, some people tend to get overwhelmed and have trouble determining what should be put in their drawing.

A viewing frame or view finder can help you limit the area in your design. Just look through the view finder for the composition you think looks the most pleasing. The edges of the view finder block out the rest. You can hold the view finder horizontally or vertically depending on the type of drawing or painting you want to do.

You can simply make a view finder for your use. It can be made out of paper, a large index card, or card stock. Regular paper makes for a very floppy viewing frame, so I would use something a little sturdier. If paper is all you have, then glue several pieces together to make it more sturdy.

To make a view finder out of card stock, cut your card stock to the size you want. A 5″ x 7″ would be a good size. Then measure and draw a 1 inch border around the 5″ x 7″ piece. Cut out the interior portion leaving just the one inch border or mat. You will need some really sharp scissors or a utility knife. Punch out the center and now you have a view finder.

To use the view finder, hold it up in front of you. You may need to bring it closer to you or further away depending on the distance you want to show in your art work. Play around trying to find the composition that you think is the most pleasing.

In the image above, I am in the school parking lot. You can see how the view finder limits your view which essentially helps you design your composition. If you have never used a view finder, you might want to give it a try. Of course, it is not necessary.

Wishing you good weather for a very nice outdoor art day. Plus, Happy Easter! Have a good one.

Let’s say it’s a dreary day outside and your children have nothing to do but stay warm inside. They have done their school work and are looking for something to do that will entertain.

Let’s play a drawing game.

Have you ever imagined that doing a group drawing could be entertaining or considered a game? Well some artists in the early 1900′s started a game like this and called it Exquisite Corpse. You can look it up on the internet if you want to to see how it got started.

Here’s what you need:
You need paper and something to draw with. Each child needs a piece of paper. You can also use colored pencils later when the drawings are revealed.

What to do:
Divide the paper in thirds vertically. This can be done by folding or measuring with a ruler. Once you know the size of each section draw lines showing the division.

You need to have at least two people participating in this activity. So parents with one child will need to play the game also. Get others to participate such as grandma, auntie, or a friend.

If your paper is 12 x 18 inches, you would make a line at 6 inches and 12 inches. Each person takes their paper and draws the head of a creature in the top portion of the paper. Do the drawing away from the others so no one can see what you are creating. Use your imagination. It does not need to be realistic. You can draw a horse head, a television head, a water hose head. When your creature’s head is finished, extend your lines into the middle section about a half inch.

Why do you extend the lines a little? Because you are going to fold your head drawing over in half so that the head can not be seen. You are hiding your drawing. You can even tape the fold down so no one will be tempted to peak. Notice the folds in the photos of the student drawings.

Now trade papers with someone. Once you have traded, then you draw the body or torso and arms of an imaginary creature. You have to make your drawing connect to the lines that come from the head portion. You have no idea what is on the top of the paper. Draw whatever comes to you. Have fun with it!

Be sure that your torso drawing lines extend into the third portion of your paper. Fold the drawing so only the third portion of paper can be seen. Trade again.

Now draw the legs and bottom of your creature. I bet you will end up with some very unique and crazy looking creations. Now you can color them to make them even more interesting and fun.

Hope you enjoy playing this game! I also hope spring gets here soon so we can go outside and play. Email me some of your drawings if you like. I would love to see them. The pictures in this article are done by my Art I students.

The results of our 2013 February AFH Art Show are in. Cindy Falco was kind enough to judge the show for us. Cindy has been a teacher for 31 years. 19 of those years she spent teaching art at the junior high level. Cindy studied at Texas A&M University, Texas State and Lamar University.

At this time, Cindy is a Teacher Trainer through a special program at Navasota Independent School District which is funded by a 5 million dollar grant. Her personal creative passions are photography and scrapbooking. Thank you Cindy for judging this show!!!

Cindy took a great deal of time and thought looking at each entry. She made comments on all the entries. Her comments are meant to encourage and also help the artists look at their work and see how they might be able to improve. I am going to include Cindy’s comments in quotations and italics so that everyone will know when she is speaking throughout this article.

Cindy said about her suggestions, “Please remember that they are only my opinion, so don’t let my suggestions make you doubt your ability or the quality of your work. The important thing to remember is that your artwork is simply that…yours, and you should love it! Don’t make changes to your creation just because someone else makes suggestions. ”

First of all: Cindy said, “What a great group of entries. The quantity was small, but the quality certainly was not.”

Age 5 to 8 Years Old: First Place

“Isaac, your photograph, Parading Around, was full of color, life, and movement. The negative space (sky) was a great backdrop for the flags. I was surprised that this was taken by a 6-year-old. The smile on the face of the person in the center of the photo was amazing. I am glad you captured it. Continue to photograph events that you attend. You have a talent for seeing what needs to be captured in a photo. Great job, Isaac!”

Age 9 – 13 Years Old: First Place

“Kyla, your entries, Macro Rose and Big Sister and Baby, are amazing. I have photographed professionally, and I love Georgia O’Keeffe’s flower paintings, so I am really drawn to Macro Rose. Love it!! Your composition and cropping are excellent. I love the way you left some of the areas a little out of focus to make the viewer see the details of the petals. I love the way you included a little negative space on the right side of the photo. Great way to balance the dark areas in the center of the flower. I don’t have any suggestions for Macro Rose. Your photo is wonderful.”

Second Place:

“Big Sister and Baby is another really good photograph. By keeping the background bare, you have made these children seem vulnerable and in such great need. The plants in the foreground, however, help anchor the children in the composition. The highlights on their foreheads, shoulders and clasped hands bring the viewers’ eyes into the most important part of the photo…the children and how protective the Big Sister is of the baby. What a story this photograph tells. Really, really good! My only suggestion for this photo is to consider cropping the rock on the lower right side of the photo, as well as the small rock in the upper left portion of the photo. They can be a little distracting. Remember that this is only a suggestion. Please remember that the person you have to please is yourself. If you like them there, LEAVE them. Your photo is so good that it is hard to find anything that could improve it.

Kyla, you have a photographer’s eye. Continue to photograph nature and life around you. Consider photography as a future career, because you have talent! Thanks for allowing me to see your entries.”

To the other two students Cindy made the following comments:
“Grayson, your entry, Bird Couple on a Winter Pine, looks like a large pine tree in our front yard. The tree details are very good. You captured the bark, as well as the little twigs that are left on the branches that are left when the pine needles are gone. I really like the way you made the tree lean and slightly bend, as well as adding the bird couple at the bottom. It tells a story. Your composition was good.

Here are some suggestions.” Please remember what Cindy said above about her suggestions.

“Continue to work on shadows (like the bird’s shadow on the tree…continue it down to connect it to the bird’s branch.) and shading (around the edges if the trunk and limbs). You have a very good start, and I think a little more contrast (light, medium, and dark pencil lines) would make your drawing POP off of the paper. That’s the next step in shading, and I think you are ready for that step. My most important suggestion is this: Never, never, never stop creating. You have talent! Thanks for allowing me to see your entry.”

“Mackenzie, your entry, Autumn Get Away, instantly takes me back to the Caribbean. The colors are authentic, as well as vivid. I really like the way you made the waves come alive with the white tops, as well as adding depth with the darker water below the palm trees. I loved the foliage! Your composition was good.

Here are some suggestions. I think it could have been stronger if you had shown the tops of the palm trees with some sky over them, and then altered the sky’s color to make it stand out a little more from the water. Continue to work on objects in the distance (such as the sand on the left side of the island and the mountains on the right.) My most important suggestion is this: Never, never, never stop creating. You have talent! Thanks for allowing me to see your entry.”

Peoples Choice Award:

The Peoples Choice Award was voted by you the readers. I appreciate each and every one of you that took the time to look at all the work and to voice your opinion. Thank you for making this online art show a success.

This time Peoples Choice goes to Grayson with his pencil drawing titled, Bird Couple on a Winter Pine. Thank you Grayson for your participation and enthusiasm about creating art.

Each of the First Place award winners and Peoples Choice will receive a gift certificate from our sponsor Dick Blick Art Materials. It really is wonderful that this art supply company is supporting this venue for homeschool students.

I want to send my appreciation to each of the parents and students that participated. This art show would be nothing without you. The next AFH art show deadline is May 1. We will have a theme in the upcoming show. The theme is “Home”. I think that theme is broad enough to give people plenty of room for ideas. Plus, it sounds like the perfect theme for a homeschool art show.

Other AFH Art Shows You Might Enjoy:

November 2012 AFH Art Show

August 2012 AFH Art Show
May 2012 AFH Art Show

If you are thinking about doing a painting assignment in your homeschool art program, you might consider doing a pointillism project. You can study the work of Georges Seurat as well. Mr. Seurat is known for being one of the first to paint with the pointillism technique around 1866. Pointillism is one of the “isms” in Art that I think most children enjoy learning about.

Wikipedia defines pointillism as a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of pure color are applied in patterns to form an image. Go to the link above to read more at the Wikipedia site.

The objective of the following assignment is for the student to create an original painting using the technique of pointillism. I feel that as students use the pointillism technique they will better understand the method and will develop an appreciation for the work of others using this technique.

Supplies needed for this assignment are pretty basic. You need:

1. Drawing paper, watercolor paper, or Bristol board. You can also use computer paper but a heavier paper works better. If using computer paper make sure not to get the paper too wet when painting.

2. Paint. Tempera or watercolor paint works great. My students use a Prang 8 color watercolor set.

3. A water container. You don’t really use much water at all. A paper cup will work.

4. Cotton swabs. The swabs will be your painting utensil instead of a paintbrush. You will probably need about 10 if you do not put them in the water too much.

5. Picture of a butterfly or flower or whatever it is you want to paint. It should be something fairly simple so that you do not have much detail.

Steps for the assignment:

Step 1: Draw the subject you want to paint lightly with pencil. Do not shade. An outline drawing of the object is all you need. No details.

Step 2: Paint using cotton swabs. I limited my students to the primary colors and black. Get your swab damp and dip into the paint. If you are using a watercolor set get the paint wet as well. Once the swab has paint on it, touch the swab to the paper to create dots. Fill in the different areas with different colors. You can change the size of the dot by the angle that you touch the swab to the paper. Practice before placing dots on your drawing.

The basic knowledge of color mixing is helpful.

Red + Yellow = Orange
Yellow + Blue = Green
Red + Blue = Purple or Violet

If you want to create a green leaf using the pointillism technique the way Seurat did you would paint blue dots and yellow dots in the same area. Let the dots dry before painting one over the other. Leave a space between dots as you work allowing dots in one area to dry before layering dots on top of each other. If you don’t you will not have dots anymore.

How do you see green with blue and yellow dots? Your eye blends the two colors together and you see green. Amazing!

Step 3 : Evaluate your progress. I find that it is helpful to occasionally stop working and take a look at your art work from a distance. Even taking a break for a minute or two will help you have a fresh eye. Often you will see things you did not see before. Determine if you need to place more dots in certain areas of your painting.

Step 4: Enjoy your work!

Ways to modify this assignment:

Use a paintbrush instead of cotton swab.
Use any colors you wish instead of limiting yourself to the primary colors.
This assignment can be done by any child of any age. The art work shown in this article is done by my high school first year students.

Hurrah!!!! We have more art work for your viewing pleasure! I hope everyone will enjoy seeing the work done by these talented homeschool students and parent. The number of entries may be small but the amount of talent is HUGE!!!!!

Thank you for stopping by to view our online show. If you enjoy what you see, please tell others. We would love a mention on Twitter, Facebook, or whatever social media you use.

Award winners in the show will be announced February 15, so please come back and see the results. I am soooooo glad I am not the judge. What a difficult job my friend and fellow art teacher, Cindy Falco, has in store for her.

As always we will vote for the People’s Choice Award. I have decided this time to include our parent entries in the voting. We have one parent that entered two pieces of art work as an example for her children. There is a form to go to to vote. One vote per person. You must tell me your name and email address. If you vote more than once your votes will not be counted. Remember, this is not a popularity contest. Please look at each entry before recording your opinion.

People’s Choice and 1st Place in each age group will receive a gift certificate from Dick Blick Art Materials. Dick Blick has been sponsoring this show since it began and I really appreciate the support. I know you guys that have won in the past enjoy being able to buy quality art supplies from them as well.

The art work is in the gallery below. The art work is displayed by the gallery randomly. The images you see at first are just thumbnails, so take a moment to click on each one. A large image will come up so you can see better. If you click on the image twice an even larger image is available.

Vote for People’s Choice here.