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ART PROJECT & ACTIVITY IDEAS

If you're staying home a lot more than you used to these days, art making can be a great and fun way to keep busy, explore your creativity, spend time with family, and make something beautiful! If you're looking for some fun and interesting art project ideas to help you get started, we've compiled the following list of links and resources to help get you on your way! There are a variety of projects for everyone from kids to adults, beginners to professionals.

Do you know of a project or learning resource that you would like us to share? We would love to post it! Send us the details, we would love to share your project with our audience: supplies@artplacement.com

 

Kathy Bradshaw - Lesson Plans

Beginners to Advanced. Minimal material requirements, vary from project to project. Ages 12 and up.

Kathy Bradshaw is a Saskatoon-based Canadian artist, and self-described 'late-bloomer': "Though I began life as a physical education teacher, I always loved to draw and was an artist at heart. After taking a community art class and completing my first painting at 40, I returned to the University of Saskatchewan and completed my B.F.A. with Great Distinction in 2005. Since then, I have self-directed through workshops with local and international artists, an artist mentorship, artist retreats and solo and group exhibitions across Canada. I have received several awards for my animal portraiture and landscape work." Her encaustic paintings are beautiful, textural works that are loved by collectors near and far. Kathy is also a retired high school art teacher who generously shared some of her lesson plans with us! She selected some simple and easy to follow projects geared for students in grade nine. With minimal material requirements, these projects are fun and easy to tackle, no matter what your skill level. Click each link below, the projects will open as a PDF in a separate window and can be downloaded or printed. You should also check out Kathy's website to view some of her beautiful paintings. We're sure you'll be inspired! Click here to visit https://www.kathybradshawart.com/

Art History Hats n' Shoes
Contour Self-Portrait
Counterchange
Ink Monsters
Object as a Self Portrait
Short Coloured Pencil Exercise
Word Design

 

Heather Cline - Basic Block Printing

Beginner to Advanced. Moderate material requirements. Material List and some written instruction included below the video. Ages 10 and up. Younger children can try it with the help of an adult, and using easier to carve blocks.

Heather Cline is an accomplished Regina-based artist and educator. She has exhibited her work in group and solo shows across Canada and conducted workshops and lectures on a variety of topics throughout North America. In 2006 she was the writer, host and co-producer of a regional Saskatchewan television series, ‘Art from the Start.’ and she also wrote and hosted the television series 'Art Inclined'. In 2014 she received the Saskatchewan Lieutenant Governor’s Arts Award: Arts & Learning for her work on an innovative distance learning ‘Artist in the School’ program. She is currently an instructor at the University of Regina, where this Block Printing Project is a part of her curriculum. Though the project is great for a University level audience, the step-by-step instructions are easy for most beginners to handle. Heather has done the project with students in grades 5-8. With simple modifications to the choice of materials (Speedy Cut blocks, which are softer and easier to carve), any participant 10 and up can probably take it on. Block Printing is moderately material intensive (you will need paper, inks, tools, blocks, etc.). But it's a solid investment that you can enjoy for years to come.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgSJQOOHmg4F0l-wclkABkCKViqaNO_Dq

 

Samantha Williams-Chapelsky - Online Workshops and Instagram LIVE Sessions

Beginner to Advanced. Material requirements vary. Ages 12 and up.

Samantha Williams-Chapelsky is an artist and educator based in St. Albert, Alberta. She is also an official GOLDEN Working Artist, presenting workshops and lectures across Western Canada. We have had the pleasure of hosting several of Samantha's Lecture Demos at Art Placement over the years, and they are always a big hit, packed with tons of information and fun ideas. Samantha also runs her own workshops on a variety of topics, and in response to the current lockdown, she has taken her content online! She has created a new series of workshops that she will be rolling out via Skillshare on oil, acrylic and watercolor techniques. Her first workshop is titled ' Cold Wax and Oil Landscapes.' This workshop will be free with a Skillshare account (Free trial for 2 months and 99$ cost for 1 year). To sign up or get all the details, visit Skillshare. In addtion to the online workshops, she has also announced that she will be hosting Instagram LIVE Sessions three times per week! " I am also hosting LIVE Instagram sessions in my stories at 10 am MDT on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the time being. These are often demos but do feature the odd paint along workshop as well. All the details are listed the day prior on my instagram account - to follow along visit INSTAGRAM" Thanks for these great resources, Samantha!

Skillshare link: https://samanthawilliamschapelsky.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4e84b599650b703ff4652df23&id=3ef4635072&e=65f1fd4afe
Instagram link: https://samanthawilliamschapelsky.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4e84b599650b703ff4652df23&id=723d303a7b&e=65f1fd4afe

 

Art Placement - FUN with Neocolor II Water-soluble Crayons

Beginner to Advanced. Material requirements vary, but you can get started with just a few crayons and some paper. Ages 4 and up.

We made a video! We miss seeing your lovely faces in the store, so we're trying out some new ways to stay connected. This is the first in what we hope to be many videos where we give you a quick rundown of some fun art projects you can do and materials you can explore while you stay home. This first video features the Caran d'Ache Neocolor II Water-soluble crayon. This is a great product for any age, "Although Caran d'Ache water-soluble wax crayons do not have official cosmetic approval, they are accepted by the hobby and toy industry, which means kids can get them on their skin and even eat them without harm." As you'll see in the video, they're a really versatile product that can be used for all kinds of projects including colouring (they are super soft and creamy, so nice to colour with!), drawing, painting, and even printmaking! What else.... oh yeah, you can also use them for face-painting, something we somehow forgot to demo ; ). Check out the video to see some of the ways you can use this amazing product. The crayons come in sets, but they're also available in open stock, making it really easy to get started with just a few crayons for pretty minimal investment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3rbFWwMccU&fbclid=IwAR16WFxz3yFWx8Y1OiZQ_DZMccziVumstinZ1ePifjvME9DSsz9hJ1ORNSI

Caran d'Ache Neocolor II Videos:

Creating effects very simply: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geW2dc5bMcY

Drawing with Caran d'Ache Neocolor Crayons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcz5uMuULIY

 

artprof.org - Create & Critique

Here's a great website and YouTube channel that we stumbled across: artprof.org. "http://artprof.org is a free website that provides global access to art education. We have video tutorials, video critiques, portfolio critiques, resources for students applying for art school admission, pro development resources for artists, and more! Created by RISD Adjunct Professor Clara Lieu and Thomas Lerra in 2015." Check out the site, there's tons of great videos packed with information!

Tutorials and project ideas: https://artprof.org/courses/

Feature Video: Marker Drawing Techniques: Still Life - https://artprof.org/courses/drawing-with-markers/ There are tons of great videos on their site, jam packed with useful information, but we thought we'd get you started by highlighting one to start with. This video gives a nice overview of various types of markers, and what's really great is that the artist uses all of them together in her work! Who says you have to just stick to one kind of marker?! She also covers some of the different papers that you can use with markers, and more. Overall a great intro to sketching with markers! If you've ever wanted to try sketching with markers, you should check this video out!

 

Incredible Art Department - incredibleart.org

Beginner to Advanced. Material requirements vary depending on the project. Ages 1 and up.

This is a great site. Thanks to Kathy Bradshaw who referred us to it! She said it was "the BEST site out there for art lessons for any age". We totally agree! By sheer volume, there is just so much content here that you are sure to never run out of ideas! AND IT'S FREE! It's also very well organized, projects are sorted by grade/age level on the left hand column, making it easy to navigate and find a project that suits you. Detailed descriptions, instructions, and illustrations make it easy to follow along. Material requirements vary from project to project, but there are a lot of ideas for things you can do with pretty basic supplies that you probably already have available. There's even project ideas for children as young as 1 year old! Click the link to begin your dive into the rabbit hole! :)

https://www.incredibleart.org/lessons/

 

Dawna Rose - 2.9 Billion Birds Gone Facebook Group

Beginner to Advanced. No required materials, choice is up to you. Ages 5 and up.

This is a great art activity that anyone can take part in, offering an opportunity to support and spread awareness about an important environmental initiative, while also making art, and connecting and sharing with a community of like-minded artists. 2.9 Billion Birds Gone is "a creative response to research published in the journal Science that 1 in 4 North American birds--a total of almost 3 billion--have disappeared since 1970. We are creating birds on post consumer waste to spread awareness of their disappearance and to create support for a solution. We welcome you to join us by making (make paintings, drawings, sculptures, mixed media works...) and sharing your birds on this page. Any one can join the group and start creating and sharing their work, all you need is a facebook account. Thanks to Dawna Rose for sharing this group with us. Dawna is a very talented artist. Her paintings blend figuration and abstraction in a style that is painterly, visceral, and disorienting in the best possible way. You can check out some of her amazing work by clicking here: http://www.artplacement.com/gallery/artists_results_bycat.php?lastname=Rose&cat=contemporary

2.9 Billion Birds Gone Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/598716344064230/about/

 

CBC Arts - 5 stress-relieving activities that you can try at home right now

Beginner to Advanced. Very few materials required. Ages 5 and up.

A resource for anyone and everyone. It's not about the art, it's about the healing power of art-making. You don't need to be an artist of any kind, or have any experience whatsoever to tackle and of these stress-relieving activities, recommended by art therapists. "These five [activities] come suggested by art therapists as ways to relieve stress particular to this public health crisis. They are intended for people of all ages. The projects can be done by yourself or with whomever you're bunkered down beside (maybe whoever's on the other end of your FaceTime or Zoom call, too). And most importantly, no art experience is necessary. It's not about making something to hang on your wall — it's about all the positive things that can happen when you're creating." If you're feeling stressed right now (and who isn't!), why not give these activities a try!

https://www.cbc.ca/arts/5-stress-relieving-activities-recommended-by-art-therapists-that-you-can-try-at-home-right-now-1.5511512

 

EASY Art Lessons for Substitute Teachers

Beginners to Advanced. Very few Materials Required. Ages 9 and up.

This site is geared towards helping out substitute teachers. It offers a "collection of complete one-off Art lessons that can be printed at the click of a button and administered by any relief or substitute teacher, regardless of their background (or lack of) in Art and Design"! Even if you're not a substitute teacher, though, this site offer a nice mix of projects that are great for anyone to tackle. Most of the projects are drawing exercises that require very few materials (pencil and paper for the most part), so it's easy to get started with things you probably already have at home. Though most of the projects are not for very young children (ages 9 and up for the most part) they do offer something for any skill level. The instructions and concepts are easy enough for any beginner to tackle, while even trained artists are likely to find a new idea or two to take on as an interesting exercise.

https://www.studentartguide.com/lessons/art-lessons-for-substitute-teachers

 

TATE Kids

Beginners to Advanced. Material requirements vary from project to project. 6 and up.

Touted as "the best art website for kids", Tate Modern is a pre-eminent art museum in the UK. The TATE Kids website is a fantastic resource offering all kinds of art resources for kids, with all kinds of things to do including "play free games and quizzes, find art activities, explore homework help and share your art with Tate Kids." The projects are organized by medium and theme, like "Painting and Drawing", "Sculpture", "Performance", "Art and Technology", and many of them are inspired by the work of great artists like Van Gogh and Warhol (so there's a little art education built in!). The projects are really clearly laid out, including what you will need, and even time estimates! Most of these projects are geared for kids, probably ages 6 and up, but there are definitely some fun activities for participants of any age!

https://www.tate.org.uk/kids/make

 

Jackie Currie - Snow Painting

All skill levels. Minimal materials required. All ages.

Can't wait for the snow to melt? Why not make the most of it! Here's a great idea for an art project that requires very few materials and is something that the whole family can take part in. The best part is that it also gets you outside, for those who might need a break from being cooped up indoors! Bonus, it's also an art project that your neighbours and any passersby get to enjoy! "Snow painting is a lot of fun, and it's easy to set up, making it perfect for a winter play date or for getting the family outside for creative fun in the yard. Moms and dads will enjoy this activity as much as the kids will!" What a great idea! But act fast, because the snow may not be around for much longer!

https://www.cbc.ca/parents/play/view/snow_day_paint_it_with_bright_colours

 

MyModernMet - Quick Guide to The Rule of Thirds

Intermediate to Advanced. 12 and up.

This is kind of just an FYI sort of post, but for anyone who thinks seriously about composition in their paintings, or wants to up their composition game, this is a valuable lesson to consider. It really is a fundamental consideration when it comes to how we lay out our compositions, so it's something that beginner artists should probably be introduced to early on. But the lesson is a good refresher no matter where you're at on your creative journey. It's not really useful for very young children or the best place for an absolute beginner to start their journey, but it's also a pretty quick read, so you do you : ) The article is clearly written and easy to follow, covering the what and why of this valuable concept, with lots of visual examples and illustrations to show you exactly what they're talking about and how it can make a difference in your composition. No materials required per se, unless you're inspired to immediately take the lesson to the studio!

https://mymodernmet.com/rule-of-thirds-definition/

 

Artsy - How to Improve Your Art Skills

Intermediate to Advanced. 12 and up.

This is another resource that is more informational than hands on. It's an ongoing series from Artsy Editorial that offers practical, straight-forward advice to artists with some training who might be looking to take their practice to the next level: "Whether you’re looking to fine-tune your figure drawings, learn new watercolor techniques, or take your collage to the next level, our guides to improving your art skills can help. The articles are filled with insights from working artists and art educators, including strategies, tips, and tried-and-true art lessons that you’d find in art classes." Sounds good to me!

https://www.artsy.net/series/improve-art-skills

 

Stuck at Home? Free Drawing Lessons from Illustrators

Beginners to Advanced. Material requirements vary from project to project. 6 and up.

If you've got a little one at home that is interested in illustration, this site offers some great resources including demos and tutorials available via websites, YouTube, Instagram, and other platforms, that you can follow along with at home. Just a heads up, some of the resources link to paid access sites, which you may or may not find it worthwhile investing in, but quite a few are free access channels available at no charge. "Most are designed for kids—but all welcome the young at heart." Sounds like fun!

https://www.fastcompany.com/90478307/stuck-at-home-take-free-drawing-classes-from-famous-illustrators

 

Legion Paper - #CantQuarantineArt

Intermediate to Advanced. Material requirements vary from project to project. 10 and up.

Legion Paper is one of our main suppliers of paper products. In addition to a fantastic selection of papers, they also have great customer and comminuty support initiatives, including this amazing resource of project tutorials to keep you inspired! "We’re all in this together. Physical isolation can't destroy the personal connection art can deliver. So if you're stuck inside, don't keep it inside. Create, share and connect. Here are some tutorials to try out." Obviously, these project ideas highlight many of the papers that Legion produces and distributes, but the videos are well made, and cover a variety of different media and techniques on a variety of papers, including watercolour, hand lettering, and coloured pencils. Most of the content is geared towards intermediate and advanced makers. There's not a lot here for small children, but young artists looking for a challenge may enjoy giving some of these things a try.

https://legionpaper.com/edu

 

MyModernMet - Tips for Improving Your Drawing Skills

Intermediate to Advanced. 12 and up.

Another informational one, no materials required, just some light reading with tips and tricks to help you improve your drawing. With suggestions from actual artists, the advice is specific, practical, and easy enough for anyone to incorporate into the way they work. "To get you started on your path to sketching, we’ve spoken with some of our favorite artists about their best drawing tips. From how to get inspired to improving your skills, these are tried and true suggestions that these artists have figured out over many years of dedicated drawing." Interested? Click the link to read on for more!

https://mymodernmet.com/best-drawing-tips/


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