Just in time
for the holidays - here's an easy art lesson plan that's
suitable for ages 6 to adult using soft pastels, charcoal
pencil and red construction paper.
The finished
project, when scanned or photographed, can be printed
onto blank greeting cards to make personalized
Christmas greetings for friends and family!
Supplies:
Set of soft
pastels
Charcoal pencil
Kneaded eraser
Tortillion (paper smudger)
Red, heavyweight construction paper, 9" x 12" Photo reference of poinsettia (see below)
Get
a new, FREE project in your email box each month by signing
up for the "Teach Art
at Home" newsletter.
1. Using
the sharp edge of a yellow pastel, draw a small circle
in the center of the page for the yellow center. Draw very
lightly.
2. Draw
a line coming out from the circle for the center of one
of the red leaves.
3. Draw
the shape of the leaf around the line. Do the same
thing for all of the red leaves that are in front.
4. Now
draw the shape of the red leaves that are behind the front
ones.
5. Using
the sharp edge of a light green pastel, draw the
green leaves the same way you did the red ones. You do not
need to add every leaf in the photo, just the ones you want.
Erase the small circle.
6. Roll
the edge of the kneaded eraser into a point and erase the
small circle.
7.
Fill in one of the red leaves using the side of a red
pastel.
Smudge carefully with your finger.
8. Rub
on white highlights as shown, using the side of a white
pastel. Rub very lightly with your finger. Repeat these last 2
steps with all of the red leaves.
9. Choose
at least 3 green leaves that you would like to make
light green. Color them in with the sharp edge of a light
green pastel and smudge carefully with the tortillion.
10.
Color in the rest of the green leaves with a dark green
pastel.
Use
a sharp edge.
Smudge
them carefully with the tortillion.
11.
Add veins to the light green leaves with the sharp edge
of
a dark green pastel.
12.
Add veins to the dark green leaves with the sharp edge
of
a light green pastel.
13.
Draw the little yellow buds in the center with the corner
of a yellow pastel. Add a tiny red dot in the center of
each with the corner of a red pastel.
14.
Outline the buds with the charcoal pencil and shade all
around them.
15.
Outline each leaf carefully with the charcoal pencil.
Wherever
one leaf lies on another leaf, add a shadow under
the top leaf using the charcoal pencil and smudge
with the tortillion.
Do
this for the whole picture.
16.
Add a shadow under ONE side of each of the green leaves
and smudge with the tortillion.
This
makes it looks like it is sitting on the paper.
Photo
Reference
Poinsettia
Photo Reference by Scott Bauer, courtesy of USDA, ARS
Gallery.
Print
this photo before starting the project. Refer to
it at EVERY step!
Online projects
may be copied and used for personal or educational purposes
only. Copying of these projects for any other reason is unlawful
except with the consent of the author.
