Drawing Practice Sheets (50) Grades K-2

The inspiration for these worksheets came from Mona Brooke’s book “Drawing with Children”. She explained that one skill needed for realistic drawing is the ability to look at shapes and draw them for what they are, not what students think they are.

I created this set of 50 worksheets for warm up exercises. The students copy what they see in the empty boxes below. These exercises serve as a quick and easy way to get the students to focus while helping to sharpen their cognitive and motor skills.

This collection of drawings is suitable for grades K – 2. All of the worksheet pages are numbered for your convenience. You can purchase my pdf file with instructions for just $5. Click the “Add to Cart” button below to make your payment and receive download instructions.

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Landscape Collage

You can put your old paperbacks to good use by turning them into art collage paper.

1. Give each students several printed sheets from an old, preferably yellowed book. They are to paint each with watercolor paint, filling each page with large swatches of color. I made a red, yellow and green sheet for my sample.
2. After the pages are dry, the students are to cut out simple landcape shapes, such as a sun, grass, trees, and buildings. The shapes then get glued down to a background paper.
3. After the glue is dry, give each student a ball-point pen to trace around the edges of the shapes, and add details. Double-tracing the lines adds a kind of casualness to the art.

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Kandinsky Oil Pastel Circles

Kandinsky pretty much invented abstract art back in the early 1900's, and his “Study of Abstract Squares” is a fun painting to imitate.

1. Start with a 9" x 12" paper, and have the students fold it in half; and then in thirds so that you have 2 rows of 3 squares.
2. Using oil pastels, students are to make a circle in the middle of each square fill it in. Then they gradually add rings of different colors around it, some thick and some thin until they reach the edge of the square. The corners are filled in as needed.
3. Students continue until all the squares are filled in. Remind them that slow, solid coloring is going to look much better than quick scribbles.
4. Young students may just practice their coloring with a variety of pastels. The 4th and 5th graders could be challenged to use different color theme in each square. For example: warm colors, cool colors, neutral colors, complementary colors, etc.
This art was made by a 2nd grader.

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A Kinder Portrait

Sometimes when a student gets to use a new media for the first time, like oil pastels, a visible excitement can be seen the results.

These kinders traced a head and shoulder template and then drew a line down the middle. They were supposed to draw and color a “calm” and a “wild” side. But this young boy instead just had a blast coloring with as many colors as possible, watching how they would blend together. Not the directions, but I love the results!

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Plastic Bag Mache Pumpkin

This pumpkin is made from about 40 plastic grocery bags, some Saran wrap, 3 rubber bands, newspaper, paper towel and mache, topped off with a beautiful new orange glitter paint I found at Jo-Ann Fabrics. I'm so excited to have found this beautiful way to recycle plastic grocery bags. For my complete tutorial, click HERE.

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Butterflies from Chile

I was so touched to receive these amazing butterfly mural photos yesterday. They were sent by Lorena Siqués Sambuceti who teaches at “Centro de Tratamiento ASPAUT,” a school for autistic children in Vina Del Mar, Chile. The teachers printed out the butterfly templates and painted the borders with metallic paint or crayon. The rest was done by children ages 4 – 8. The students used watercolor, acrylic paint, little pieces of tissue paper, silk and cellophane. They showed off their work in the outdoor art show pictured above.

Thank you so much for sharing with us, Lorena. I just love the color and variety of these butterflies. I never thought of using tissue paper, but I'll have to try it now. Please congratulate your young artists on their beautiful murals.

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How to Draw a Clown

Clowns takes me right back to black velvet paintings, but the subject matter tends to really bring out the creative side of students. Maybe it’s the permission to be silly, which hopefully of goes without saying when drawing a clown face.

1. I started with a 9" x 13" black piece of paper and pencil. I know it is sometimes a little tricky to see the pencil lines, but using either dark pencils or really dark paper will help. Follow my diagram as follows:
a. Draw a large oval.
b. Draw an upside down hat on top.
c. Add two eyes, a round nose and a single line mouth.
d. Add arches over the eyes and two ears on the side.
e. Starting on the left side of the face, draw the ruffle by drawing down, lots of curves across to the right, and up to meet the right side of the face. Also add a flower coming out of the hat.
f. Add curly hair to fill up the space below the hat and above the ears.
2. Trace all the lines with a thick black oil pastel
3. Color in all the shapes with oil pastel. If some of the black lines are lost, trace again with pastel when complete.

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Japanese Watercolor Fans

If you need a Japanese-themed art project, this works well even for kinders. In fact, I personally like the “wobbly” lines of the young ones – who wants a drawing that looks like it was done on a computer?

1. These fans are all based on quarter circles, so you need to start with circle templates. Older students could cut their own from folded paper, younger may need to have some already made. (I used a 7" circle for 12" x 17" paper.) When students have their circle template, they cut it in half, and then in half again.
2. The quarter circle shape is randomly placed on watercolor paper and traced with a pencil. Repeat until the paper is full. Three lines are drawn inside each fan, along with a curve to indicated the inside edge of the fan. Trace all the lines with a crayon, pressing hard to make definite edges.
3. The inside of the fans are painted with watercolor paint, and afterward the background. The crayon lines will help keep the paint from running together.

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Layered Landscape

I found this project at www.artsonia.com, a wonderful source for creative ideas.

1. Each student is to position a piece of paper horizontally, and draw three lines that tilt a little to each side. These sections will each represent foreground, middle ground and background in the picture.
2. Draw three simple tree shapes, one extending up from each line. All should be spread out to give the branches room.
3. The ground lines within each tree then need to be erased. The students will then trace all the pencil lines with a black sharpie.
4. Lastly, the hills, trees and sky are to be filled in with oil pastels. Most pastels have a dark and light green, orange and yellow and brown, which may be used to shade each section to give it depth. If you use water-soluble pastels, you can brush the artwork with water to smooth the edges between the colors.

CA Visual Art Standard: Creative Expression, Grade Three
1.3 Identify and describe how foreground, middle ground, and background are used to create the illusion of space.

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Kinder’s First Art Project

I’m guessing that as an art teacher I’m not the first to overestimate, from time to time, the abilities of my students. I’m never more aware of this than when new kinders come to my art room at the beginning of a school year. Some are semi-prepared from preschool, but some are not. So as much as I want to dig in at first with some beautiful new project, I’ve learned that the first class just needs to be super, super simple.

1. Kinders in CA spend much of the year studying patterns, so this blends well with their curriculum. I spend a few minutes talking about all the ways that lines can make patterns (round, square, zigzag, etc.) and then draw some examples on the board. The students are all given a thick black marker and five strips of construction paper about 2" x 8" wide. They are asked to draw a different line pattern on each. No coloring in is allowed, only lines.
2. When the patterns are done, they get a sheet of black construction paper, about 9" x 15" or so. After instructions on how to use a glue stick, they glue the strips to the black paper. It helps to start at the top and work down, leaving some space in between. As more than one kinder teacher has taught me, it’s important that these new students have a successful experience their first time around in the art room. It’s worth it at this point to focus on the process and not so much on the product. The masterpieces can all come later. :)

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Abstract Oil Pastel Cat

Sometimes the simplest projects are the ones with the best results.
1. Have the student fold a piece of 9" x 12" paper in half both ways. Trace folds with a pencil.
2. Demonstrate how to draw a simple line drawing of a cat that fills up 3/4 of the paper.
3. Have the student trace all the pencil lines with a black marker and fill in the cat and background with oil pastel colors. The colors are to change whenever they go across a line.

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Watercolor Cityscape

This idea comes from one of the Usborne Book of Arts, which I have expanded upon greatly over the years. The important feature is that students first paint the rectangle shapes, and lastly draw building details on top. The result tends to be so much more creative than if they had drawn the buildings first.

1. Each student needs a sheet of watercolor paper and watercolor paint. I like to dissolve the watercolor tablets to make liquid paint, but trays will work fine too. Have each student paint a series of large rectangle buildings across the paper, leaving a bit of room on the bottom and the top.
2. When complete, they are to paint a background layer of buildings that are all connected, preferably with just one color.
3. A sky is added with some very watery paint that fills in the remainder of the paper. Let dry.
4. With a black Sharpie, the students are to trace their cityscape, and add lots of detail to the exteriors. I’ve had some of my best results with just direct black Sharpie tracing, and if students draw something they don’t like, they can fill it in and just continue.

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Art Journaling 120

Tissue paper not only comes in solid colors, but in multi-color sheets too. I found this madras tissue paper at my local Michael’s store.
1. For my city-slicker students, I like to start with an overview of some common leaf names and shapes so they become more aware of the variety that exist. To start their project, they need several sheets of madras paper cut into approx. 6" squares. If they fold the squares in half, they can cut symmetrical leaves of all shapes and sizes. I always encourage straight cutting without drawing to eliminate pencil lines and eraser holes.
2. When enough leaves have been cut out to fill the paper, the students take 50/50 water and white glue, and wet the entire paper. The cut out leaves are placed gently on top. More solution may be brushed on the tissue to get the entire leaf wet. Some color bleeding may occur. Let the leaves dry completely.
3. I used a bronze marker pen to trace the edges of the leaves and draw veins inside. More line drawing leaves may be added in extra spaces. Lastly, names of each leaf are written around the edges.

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Classroom Colored Pencil Labels

This is just a simple way to make a name label for a student, and could be used many different ways. I find that students tend to use their crayons and colored pencils most often with just one value. Most are just not in the habit of shading with them. These pencils are all made with just one color, using more pressure to make the darker values.

1. I cut tabloid paper into 3 equal sections, roughly 3.5" x 17", one would be given to each student. I drew a vertical line 4" in from the right side for the end of the pencil. A triangle is drawn inside that to make the point of the pencil. Three equally spaced lines are drawn across the length of the pencil. Names are written neatly inside the middle section, and all the lines are traced with a thin black marker.
2. The students are to choose one crayon or colored pencil, and color with the lightest pressure on the top panel, medium on the middle, and heavy on the bottom. The wood can also be shaded with pressure to match the rest. Cut out to make a fun display or leave in panels to label something.

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How To Draw a Bear

I used this bear drawing project a few years ago with not only kinders, but older students as well. They were asked to add lots of fur to their bears, with lines that were all going in the correct direction (away from the face). Good fine motor skill practice.

1. Make sure the students start by drawing a large upside down “U” shape, it should fill most of the paper.
2. A large upside down heart is added in the top half of the face.
3. A smaller “U” is added below the heart, and then a 2nd smaller “U” to make the lip shape.
3. Four or more pointy teeth are drawn inside the mouth.
4. A circle nose sits at the center of the heart, and two circle eyes up above.
5. Two ears are added at the top of the head.
6. Trace all the lines with a dark marker, and then color as desired. Black bears, brown bears, white bears, all will look good, especially if drawn on colored paper with construction brown crayons.

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PDF Sewing Pattern Giveaway

And the Rumpled Quilt Skins Pattern Winner is...
Valerie (who posted on 8/13)!
Congratulations, I will be emailing your pdf files to you today.

I’d like to thank everyone who took time to comment and tell such great stories about how they got started sewing. I too learned from my mother and the 4-H program that still continues today. It took many years to go from the starter apron to designing prom dresses, but I am so glad to have had that experience today. My wish is to encourage more young people to try sewing as it really can have a huge impact on your life. Knowing that you can take a bolt of fabric and turn it into something you really want and need is a truly great feeling!

Note: My giveaway winners are chosen with the help of a site called “Random Integer Generator”. I enter the number of comments that I have received, ask for one random number to be chosen, and then count down to see which commenter that was. It’s quick and easy and paper-free.

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Paint and Pastel Island House

This is another oil pastel over tempera project that worked well for a multicultural theme a few years ago. A teacher wanted an art project linked to the Bahamas, and this colorful house worked well. I’ve found that when students add oil pastel details over tempera paintings, they end up with a lot more color and detail in their art.

1. The students begin by drawing the angled roof shape in the middle of their paper.
2. The house side is drawn below.
3. The left side of the house is added. Younger students might be better off ignoring the little indents of the roof.
4. A base is added to the bottom house, and also a horizon line.
5. The house, sky and ground are all painted with colorful tempera paint. Let dry overnight.
6. A white pastel may be used to draw clouds, black to make edges on the house, and green to highlight some grass shapes.

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Frank Stella Abstract Drawing

Frank Stella is an American painter and printmaker who has fully embraced the idea that sometimes a painting can just be a flat surface, with no intention of having any depth to it. In the 1960s he created some paintings titled the “Protractor Series” which you can see HERE. For young students practicing geometric drawing, a protractor is the perfect tool to work with.

I like working with coated paper and Sharpie markers, so that is how I created this artwork. The pointy tips on the markers take some patience to color solid areas, so if I had young students (1st through 3rd grade) I would use some blunt tip markers and drawing paper. I’ve also found that limiting the amount of markers students may use (6 or 7?) forces repetition, which can create a kind of color rhythm in their art.
1. Every student will need a protractor and Sharpie, and should make overlapping shapes all over their paper. I would limit them to 6 or so protractor tracings, and that they all need to be either horizontal or vertical. Stella’s art is not freeform or random looking. It’s very clean and orderly and geometric, so that is the look the students should have as a goal.

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Mini Americana Murals Set

This Mini Mural Set consists of three smaller versions of my popular “Americana” murals. They are (left to right): a U.S. Flag, U.S. Map, and Statue of Liberty. My mini murals are great for small groups, ambitious individuals or family fun. Click on this image to view the templates and finished dimensions of all three mini murals.

You can purchase my pdf file with instructions for just $5. Click the “Add to Cart” button below to make your payment and receive download instructions.

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Back to School Decorated Pencils

Here’s one quick way for your kids to get creative and personalize their back-to-school pencils. I just pulled out my handy-dandy stash of Sharpies and tried a few different looks: animal skin, flowers and stripes. I’m sure kids could think of many more. Fish scales? Reptile skin?...

1. You may have read on my “Favorite Supplies” list that I prefer Ticonderoga pencils to almost any other brand. Others are often made off-center, or have wood that chews up in a sharpener, or lead that is too light. I like the quality of these, plus the nice yellow color is a good base to work with. The one coloring tip I can offer is that it helps to put your pencil on a little ledge of some kind (I used a book) so that one end can extend over. When coloring with the Sharpie, try to rotate the pencil in the air as you color so that the marker has a few seconds to dry before it touches the paper. The color does set up fast, but if you touch it right when it’s still wet, it will smudge. To make the leopard skin look. I started by making lots of brown spots all over, and then drawing black “C” shapes or “O” shapes all around them.

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Draw a Fish Fossil

I was inspired by a little stock photography image of a fish fossil (see the first thumbnail above) that I found on the internet. Given that 2nd graders in CA have an entire unit on fossils, and the earthy imagery of them can be fun to work with, I tried making a rubbing and resist painting that is based on a simple skeleton drawing. The idea is to have the students draw both the bones and the outside edges of an animal, just the way a fossil looks.

1. I first drew my fish on a heavy piece of paper, and followed the steps shown above. I started with the center spine, added the body around it, and lastly the bones and details.
2. When the drawing was complete, I traced it with white glue and let dry overnight.
3. I placed a sheet of 100 lb. watercolor paper over the glue drawing, and rubbed over it with a dark brown crayon, taking care to turn the paper often so that the lines would show up well.
4. I painted over the inside of the fish with brown watercolor paint, and then the outside with a peach. Other colors could be used, but I would limit the palette to nature colors so that the earthy look doesn’t get lost.

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Modigliana Portrait

Amedeo Modigliani was a late-century European artist who never lived to see his success, but his paintings are some of my all-time favorites. I love his portraits with elongated faces in soulful colors.

1. I started with black paper that was 9" x 15". Give the students a ruler and pencil to draw a line down the middle both ways, and then two more horizontally to make 8 equal sections. The students can start by drawing an oval that centers on the middle line and fills the top half of the paper. Neck lines are drawn down to the next line and then shoulders to the bottom edge.
2. Hair may be added in the style of the student, or the person they are drawing.
3. Modigliana drew his faces in stretched proportions as the eyes usually sit in the middle of the face. The students are to draw their eyes near the top of the head, and the mouth near the bottom. Continue with a nose and eyebrows.
4. Once the portrait is drawn, give the students oil pastels. They need to trace the pencil lines with a black pastel, and then color everywhere else, taking care to color around the black lines. Note: I recommend doing this project after you have done one that involves normal facial proportions.

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PDF Sewing Pattern Giveaway, $130 Value

Before I was bitten by the art teacher bug, I designed a line of stuffed animal patterns. I started with a simple fish, and ended up making more complex shapes like a snake that coils on itself. The patterns all have a common feature though, which is they are heavily top-stitched to muslin fabric, and hot washed and dried which creates a soft, rumpled, old-quilt texture...hence the name, Rumpled Quilt Skins.

I currently sell these patterns in both printed form and pdf format at quilt shops around the country. The retail value of all sixteen patterns is $130. I am offering my entire line as a pdf pattern giveaway, and because I will email the patterns to the winner, anyone with an email address may enter.

To enter this drawing, please leave a comment about the very first thing you ever sewed, or would like to sew if you are just starting. I’d love to read how other sewers out there got their start. This drawing ends Friday, August 13th at midnight PST. Please make sure your comment leaves a way for me to contact you. Links back to my site are always appreciated. Good luck everyone!

Large photos of each stuffed animal pattern may be seen at Rumpled Quilt Skins.

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Mini Assorted Masters Murals

This Mini Mural Set consists of three smaller versions of my popular master murals. They are (left to right): “The Scream” by Munch, “Tiger in Tropical Storm” by Rousseau, and a landscape by Hiroshigi. My mini murals are great for small groups, ambitious individuals or family fun. Click on this image to view the templates and finished dimensions of all three murals.

You can purchase my pdf file with instructions for just $5. Click the “Add to Cart” button below to make your payment and receive download instructions.

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“Things that Are Most” Creative Writing Project

I’m on a mission to find the most creative projects for my curriculum this fall, and have decided to reapproach this creative writing/drawing project from a book titled “Things that are Most in the World” by Judi Barrett. I tried it’s suggested followup a few years ago, but now have a more specific idea on how to have students push things a bit further.

Each page in this book is based on a different adjective, such as “The teensie-weensiest thing in the world is a newborn flea” or “The prickliest thing in the world is the inside of a pin cushion”. The end of the book just suggests that you have students come up with their own “most” creation, but lacks the guide on how to have them really exaggerate things. What I plan to do now is first ask the students to choose their adjective (prettiest, softest, bumpiest, etc.) Then they need to think of two things with those qualities, and put them together. For example, if they chose “prettiest” they need to think of two pretty things and combine them somehow. So maybe they think princesses are pretty, and say beauty pageants are pretty, so their sentence could read “The prettiest thing in the world is a princess beauty pageant.” It’s a formula that’s been around awhile, but I think could be pretty effective in creating some very funny combinations. And from funny ideas, hopefully come funny drawings.

One more idea: collect all the pages from your class to make one big book book, and go to www.tikatok.com/classroom to get hardcover copies made. Haven't tried it yet, but they are connected to Barnes and Noble and their prices start at just $2.99 each.

Click HERE to download my blank template for this project.

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Ando Hiroshige Mural

Ando Hiroshige (1793-1858) was a master Japanese woodblock print artist who specialized in very poetic landscapes. He significantly influenced European artists from the 1870’s onwards, most notably van Gogh, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Monet and Manet. The American painter Whistler even borrowed elements of Hiroshige’s style.

My pdf file is made up of a 30 pages and measures 36" x 54" when complete. You can purchase my pdf file with instructions for just $5. Click the “Add to Cart” button below to make your payment and receive download instructions.

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Stuffed Cow Give Away Winner

And the Stuffed Cow Winner is...Ginny!

Congratulations, please let me know where to send your cow Ginny.
Thanks so much to everyone for such great ideas
about how to re-energize your creative life.
I think the only thing better than finding a good solution
is sharing it with someone else.

Before I was a blogger, or even an art teacher, I designed and created stuffed animal patterns for a living. I still sew when I can, but it does take a back seat during the school year.

I have a few sewing models that I’d like to give away during the next couple of weeks, starting with this very cute brown cow. He stands about 8" tall, was made with my own little hands, and will be sent to a lucky drawing winner next week. To make this a little more fun, please leave a comment about how you best regenerate your creative juices when you feel them running low. I’d love to see a long list of everyone’s favorite ideas!

This drawing ends Sunday, August 1st at 12pm PST. Please make sure your comment leaves a way for me to contact you. Links back to my site are always appreciated. Will ship to US address only. Good luck everyone!

My complete line of stuffed animal patterns can be seen at Rumpled Quilt Skins.

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TED Video about School and Creativity

I’ve been researching the whole subject of creativity and came across this amazing video recently. If you have a few minutes, check it out as this man is so insightful and so charming. He’s basically asking that creativity be as valued as much as math and sciences in our schools. But check it out for yourself, he says it so much better than me. (Or is it “than I”?)
Click here to go to video

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