THE MOBILE ART STUDIO

Photography forms an inherent part of producing artwork because it offers a snapshot of reality. Perfect photographs are not always necessary but useful visual information that can be applied to painting. Having some mastery of photography will help the artist get the effect desired. Using Photography for Art Photos of Brotherwater in the Lake District (Rachel Shirley) Having a great idea for painting will often involve using photographs at some point. But the key to taking pictures that can be used in art lie in being in control of what is visible through the viewfinder before taking the shot. This means practicing visual awareness. It is a given that sharp photos are essential when using them to reproduce detail and this means spot-on focusing and minimal camera-shake. Making sure no part of the object is cut off is also important. This means having some understanding of how the camera works. These three photos of Brotherswater in the Lakes (UK) feature high tonal contras...

An ideal art lesson for kids is to use a standard Windows programme such as Paint. Windows Paint will enable youngsters to create eye-catching designs by simple means and also to explore computer software for the first time by using the mouse and clicking functions. How to Use Paint for Kids Microsoft Paint can easily be found by clicking on the Office graphic on the lower left of the computer screen and then selecting ‘Paint’. If Paint cannot be found, look under ‘Accessories’. Click on Paint and a blank screen with toolbars on the right and above can be found. Kids may explore what the different tools do, but a simple demo in the form of a Smartboard presentation will enable kids to see how it works before practice. Instruction for Creating Computer Art Lesson for Kids The teacher may show kids some examples of the sort of artwork that can be achieved by this simple software, as can be seen in the Youtube slideshow, comprising images created by 9 year old Joseph Busby. T...

Starting out in oil painting need not mean purchasing lots of art materials. With some guidance, money can be saved on needless pigments or art gadgets. The secret is to purchase only what is essential and also the most mobile. This will come in useful when starting an oil painting course. Essential Pigments for Starting Out in Oil Painting Essential Oil Painting Rachel Shirley There is a confusing choice of art pigments that can be used for art class, but not all are needed. In fact, many colours are redundant, such as orange, skin tone and grey. Regardless of whether the class focuses upon landscape, portraiture or abstract, a few pigments will cover most needs. Small 37ml tubes (with a larger tube of white, say 100ml) will be easy to carry. The following pigments will come in useful, as these include the primary colours: titanium white, ultramarine, pthalo blue, lemon yellow, cadmium yellow (pale), permanent rose, cadmium red, burnt umber and burnt sienna. Additional pigmen...

Incorporating literacy into art lessons is a good way of getting children to practice writing whilst completing an art project. Providing step by step instructions with accompanying illustrations will also practice logical thought, as can be seen in this art lesson plan. Drawing Exercise for Stage 2 Kids Literacy in Art Lessons H Busby The teacher may begin with a short quiz in order to prepare the class for the art task ahead. In this case, to put into the correct order various stages of completing a simple task, which might be to bake a cake, to take a dog for a walk, to get ready for school, or even make a cup of tea. Each stage must be put into the correct order. An example of such a preliminary quiz might be to place into the correct order how to bake a cake such as the following: Take the cake out of the baking tray to cool. Mix the eggs, butter, sugar and flour. Sieve the flour. Measure the ingredients. Place into a preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. L...

A beginner’s version of taking a line for a walk can be used f or children in preschool or those with poor hand to eye coordination. This drawing exercise is very simple and can yield satisfactory creative results regardless of ability. There are no pressures to make the drawing look like something or to practice exacting drawing techniques. The only lesson objective is to cover the paper with marks and/or colour. Ideal First Drawing Lesson for Kids Taking a Line for a Walk for Kids This basic drawing exercise for kids can be used as a first art lesson at school and even for preschool kids. Little artistic direction is needed and many different effects can be produced without too much effort by the use of several colouring pencils and a sheet of paper. An ideal stepping stone into painting a first abstract , this art lesson would suit children of any ability, including those with poor coordination as there is room to explore different shading techniques and the use of line. A...

Children may create their own aged artifacts after poring over history books showing old maps, illustrations or scripts. Creating aged effects not only spurs experimentation but also encourage children to discover more about our past. In this lesson, children are to create aged effects to paper after completing an illustration. Art Lesson on Aging Paper How to Make Paper Look Old H and J Busby There are several ways of aging paper, each method suggesting various stages of age. Steeping paper in coffee granules will give the paper a dark tone. A steeped teabag will give the paper a warm, burnished colour. For a paler brown colour, orange juice can be introduced into the tea. The beverage needs to steep in hot water for a few minutes and allowed to cool before paper can be immersed. Children may experiment with various effects of aged paper by trying out the different solutions and steeping the paper for various amounts of time. Recreating Old Artifacts in Schools A vessel s...

Combining art with geography engages more learning channels than the two subjects separately. This art lesson plan involves studying maps and expressing what has been learned in an art form with 3D elements, ideal for kids in secondary schools. Creating Maps with Art Materials Map of the World Joseph Busby Combining creative art activities with an academic subject matter, in this case, geography will help children absorb information more easily. In this art lesson, the shape of continents, countries and oceans are the focus of the lesson. Children will then recognize the shape of the world map instinctively, as each shape becomes meaningful. Emulating an old map such as that seen by Sir Francis Drake (see illustration) can be used as an example. Art Materials for Kids’ Activities A simplified map may be prepared. Intricate maps or one with small print or faded illustrations should be avoided. The map may be photocopied and overlaid with marker pen. Children may trace the ou...

A lesson on drawing a horse head is a great stepping stone into portraiture as animals are a slightly more forgiving subject matter yet offers lots of visual interest. A good photograph of a horse and good quality soft pencils are the requirements. In this lesson, grey drawing paper, or Ingress paper has been used. Requirement for Drawing a Horse in Easy Steps How to Draw a Horse Rachel Shirley When it comes to drawing anything that presents a fair amount of detail such as a horse, setting aside at least an hour or so of uninterrupted time will increase the likelihood of a satisfactory drawing. More time will be required if undertaking a horse painting . For this drawing exercise, the following art materials was used: Soft pastel pencils. Watercolour pencils or graphite pencils of 2B to 4B are also ideal for shading. Black, dark grey, cream and a white chalk pencil will provide an array of shading tones and highlights for grey paper. Grey paper or any mid-toned paper can b...

Looking for abstract ideas for painting may help create new ideas for art previously unthought-of. Even the most mundane objects can be made into abstract art forms if viewed under certain conditions. Patterns in nature and close-up studies often bear little relation to the subject matter from which it was derived. But how can such abstract forms be made into art? Where to Find Creative Ideas for Art in Abstract Forms  Ideas for Abstract Art Rachel Shirley Abstract art, non-representational or non-figurative art basically encompasses art that explores line and colour for its own sake. This might be to represent emotions or colour exploration. The beginner may be encouraged to look for interesting abstract shapes by looking at things in particular ways. The first thing to do is never discount anything, no matter how little it may first offer. Try the following techniques whilst looking for fresh ideas for art studies: Look for any contour or shape that repeats itself withi...

Learning how to paint dappled sunlight offers challenges in color mixing as some colour contamination is inevitable. But look at any Impressionist painting and dirty colours will be evident. It is the solemn colours that make the pure colour appear bright, as in the case of a sunlit scene. Art Materials for Painting Dappled Light and Shadow How to paint dappled light Rachel Shirley Pure colours are essential if bright and solemn colour mixes can be achieved. Recommended pigments (in oils, acrylics or oils) are: white, lemon yellow, cadmium yellow (pale), pthalo blue (or Winsor blue), ultramarine, permanent rose (or carmine red), viridian, burnt sienna and burnt umber. Other colours can be added. Several art brushes of various sizes are needed to dispense with the need to repeated washing between colour mixing. Soft brushes, such as sable sizes 3, 6 and 12 may come in useful. Larger fan brushes or (in the case of opaque paints) bristle brushes sizes, 6 and 12. Prefer the fi...