Free Jellyfish art tutorial for kids and adults! This stunning jelly can be recreated with a few watercolors and a bit of clear glue. This mixed media art project creates lots of interesting textures and designs that are sure to delight your students.

A blog about art making and art education explorations in a humble art room for adults and kids of all ages.

A school of tissue fish  - Print of an original ink & tissue (mixed media) painting. Paper Size: 8.5" x 11" This is for an unframed print only. (8 x 10" white frame featured in photos not included) Printed in our studio on Guemes Island, Washington using a high definition ink process on a 100% cotton fiber acid-free matte paper. Vibrant colors.

The kids and I loved doing this project. First of all, I love combining collage with painting and drawing, and I love big bustling cities. Secondly, this project was an opportunity for my students to visually communicate where they, or their families, comes from. Always big points for personalizing art. The New York artist, Elizabeth Rosen, was the inspired for this project. See her work here. Elizabeth Rosen Objectives were: creating a layered cityscape using various collage and book papers; overlapping buildings; variety in text, color and shape; balance and harmony; perspective (smaller and higher in back, bigger and lower at bottom); and creating depth with charcoal sticks, which we smudged with our fingers. We added personalized symbols which represent our home city of choice. We began by painting our sky in an opaque color. We only painted half way down, because we knew that our collage papers would cover the bottom up to middle portion (saving on time and paint is always good!) We then cut out various collage papers in simplified building shapes and were mindful of varying our shapes and sizes of our building, as well as choosing papers with different fonts, coloration and design, so as to achieve a well balanced and dynamic cityscape. We arranged and then glued, starting at the back of the city and moving down, so that those in front overlap those in back. We then drew symbols, signs or other indicators of the city we were representing (a shopping mall in Dubai, the City Hall in Zagreb, building top water tanks, yellow cabs and a bagel shop in New York, a church and clocktower in Prague are a few examples the kids came up with the identify their city). We cut these out and pasted them on our buildings. Lastly, we used soft vine charcoal to run a black line along the edge of all our buildings, and then smudged lightly with our fingers. This gives immediate and stunning depth and 3-dimension to our city. Represented in the below collages are Berlin, Prague, Milano, NYC, Minneapolis, and an invented city. Kids 7-9. Kids 7-9 Represent in the below collages are Dubai, Budapest, New York, an imaginary city, Zagreb and a Chinese city. Kids 7-11

What is Gesso and How to Use it by Rebecca Parsons for The Graphics Fairy.

This listing is for a high resolution scan of one of my original mixed media torn paper collages of a sunset/sunrise at sea. You will receive for download a .jpg for personal use only. If you'd like to use it for any professional manner, like marketing or business products and the like, please message me and I'd be happy to work out a license :) File is 8.5"tall by 10" wide so you can print it pretty large and retain the details.

When it comes to art, many of us enjoy the many sensual benefits that it has to offer but hesitate to take up any form of it as we feel that it is too tough.

Make your own DIY Rust Pastes with Heather Tracy for The Graphics Fairy!

Humans are cool. REALLY cool, actually. We’re full of complexities and eccentricities and a uniqueness that makes us one in a million! We can see ourselves in the mirror. We can see ourselves in photos. But have you ever seen yourself in a collage?! Here’s your chance to create a self portrai

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you mix one form of art with another? We are sure that you have had this thought once or twice and wondered what

Well, we're not quite there yet, but only a couple of more days till 2015--so an early Happy New Year everyone! And I thought of starting the new year off with a small tutorial. First--the finished piece-- But let me back up, and show you how I started. I began by getting out my paints and art tools and warming up by painting papers on heavy card stock paper (110lb paper that I get at Staples office supply store)-- there's actually a lot more where these came from, but these are the ones that I chose for my 'palette'. As far as the techniques I used for these papers--there are endless step-by-step tutorials on you tube--if you put in a search for art journal backgrounds--you'll find them. I also have tutorials on painting papers on my blog here-under the tab "Tutorials". A lot of my favorite little tricks are ones that I discover by just fooling around or by accident--the happy accident. And I also want to add my Gelli Plate--my new friend! This is what I do to get me warmed up, and what I really enjoy doing, but there's no reason why you can't use scrapbook papers--or any decorative papers that you may have. I worked on a 6 x 12 wood cradleboard with deep sides, which I decopauged with book pages-- I like working on the wood surfaces, because they're easy to stamp on and adhere papers to as opposed to the wrapped canvases, and I wasn't sure at the time what I was planning on doing--but again, this is whatever your preference is. Next, for my background-- I got out my inktense blocks--these are great--a very intense watercolor stick, but I used gesso (any gesso, it doesn't matter) instead of water--I like the effect that you get when you use the gesso. Also a little acrylic ink here and there--this was the first layer. Next layer-- I added a bit more acrylic paint here and there and some tim holtz tissue paper on the bottom with added color. There's no right or wrong--I could have kept going with the layers. So someone on my Facebook page requested a cat piece--and that's where the cat idea came from. First thing I did was make my 'template'-- And then I cut up the blocked-out segments of the cat and numbered them--making it much easier to cut out the same pieces with my paper-- ...kind of like a puzzle :-) So next--assembling this 'puzzle' on my cradle board-- my kitty with some daisies I just use regular gel medium to adhere all of these pieces. next step--the fun part-- bringing everything to life.....I wanted to define the different papers, so I used my new Fude Ball pen. I recently discovered this pen--nice dark black, writes over basically anything, and permanent when dry. I also used some acrylic paint to shade the sides of the papers. This is also the time when the organic process starts--no plan in mind--I just listen to my muse. I added the scrolls with the pen, the butterfly and the Imagine stamp. The finishing touches-- some brads for the flower centers, and..... don't forget the sides---I used a small flower stamp. And then I coated it with coats of gloss varnish--the gloss gives it that mosaic/stained glass look that I really like. If you have any questions about this project or to see lots more of my current art, please visit and like my Facebook Art page HERE That's the best way to reach me I have new artwork on there where I post most every day, and if you see anything that you would be interested in let me know!

Use Arrows above to toggle through examples! SUMMARY: We began this lesson by creating a series of oil pastel-patterned papers. Working with distinct warm or cool color schemes, the students c…

There are great rewards to be had if you break out of your creative comfort zone, like gaining more confidence and having a more fulfilling and satisfying art practice.

For centuries, artists have created self-portraits to give others a glimpse into who they are. Since our likes and dislikes, personalities, hobbies, and skills all contribute to making us interesting and unique, why not include those in a self-portrait, too? And what could be a more fun approach to this than a mixed media collage??!...

Learn how to make DIY mixed media ornaments!

Use Arrows above to toggle through examples! SUMMARY: We began this lesson by creating a series of oil pastel-patterned papers. Working with distinct warm or cool color schemes, the students c…

I’ve been making some little embellishments lately to use in my collage journals. My goal is to use some of the stuff I already have – you know, the stuff that keeps piling up… gel prints, pa…

The ultimate guide to make a steampunk art! Find out all the materials, techniques and tips you need to create your next steampunk project

In 2008, I developed a self-portrait art lesson to help students express both their inner and outer selves, combining drawing, collage, and typography. I recently updated the project to include techniques like mixing skin tones, understanding facial proportions, and depicting diverse hair textures. This refreshed lesson not only enhances students' artistic skills but also encourages self-expression and identity exploration; find the full lesson plan on my website or TpT store.

Mixed Media Art Summer Camp Project Ideas - Fun mixed media projects with full instructions and planning suggestions to make successful!

I've been wanting to do this project for ages, ever since I saw it on the blog [email protected]. You can find Natalie's original post here. After many illustration and painting projects under our belt, I wanted to do a paper art project with my kids, and knew this one would be perfect for all ages. And boy, was it fun! Be aware that this project is rather time-consuming, as it requires many steps and is done on a large format. It took us three 90-minute classes, but it worked out well, since we lumped the three main steps into one class each. Day 1: Students chose to do either a cat or a dog (large or small breed). I prepared tracers of cat eyes, dog eyes, cat nose, and a small and large dog nose. I used simple cardstock for this. I don't usually use tracers, but felt they were fitting for this projects since the focus was really on pastel blending, painting for dimension and definition, and collaging, and the tracers really saved us a lot of time and effort in an already lengthy, multi-step project. Students traced their eyes and nose on good watercolor or acrylic paper. Eyes were colored using 3-4 analogous oil pastel colors. Starting at the outer edge of eye ball with the darkest color, students colored a ring of color always coloring in the direction of the pupil. The next lightest color was applied in the same way, but slightly touching the first ring of color in order to have the two colors blend. The third and fourth colors was applied in this same way. This process created slightly blended colors where one color ring transforms into the next, and it really looks like the streaks of iris color. You're best off watching Natalie's eye coloring tutorial here. Once irises were colored, black acrylic paint was used to color in pupils and the outer edge of eyes. Reflection spots were added in white acrylic paint. The dog nose was painted using black acrylic paint with white, to create grays. Cat noses were painted with red with white, to create pink. Highlight spots were added here too. Watch Natalie's nose painting tutorial here. This was all we managed for day 1. Day 2: To hugely save on time and cut down on mess and waste, I had prepared and pre-torn strips of paper is various colors, patterns and textures. I used as many different kinds of paper as possible for maximum interest - atlas paper, book paper, painted paper, printed/stamped paper, deco paper, wrapping paper, graph paper, dotted paper, colored construction paper.... and I had my (biological) kids help me create paper using different mediums (watercolor resist, printing with stamps, painting with stencils, scribbling and drawing, printing with bubble wrap and other found objects, etc). I then tore these up into long strips. You could do this step on a separate day with your students (the kids would love it) but I was pressed for time. So, day 2, students were given a large 50x35cm black paper and were told to collage strips of paper in as many different colors and patterns as possible (mindful of balance and harmony, so perhaps repeating a few colors and patterns here and there). Strips should head towards the center and go slightly beyond the edge of the paper. We used acrylic gel medium for our glue. As always with gel medium, we glued under and over, which really helps to firmly seal our strips. This process took nearly the full 90 minutes of class. Collaged strips Day 3: We glued our eyes and nose onto our collage paper. We had many visuals of dogs and cats at our desks, to helps us visualize the facial order, features, texture and fur of our animals. We noted that with animals (and people), eyes are generally placed only as wide apart as the width of our noses. We glued these down and went over them with glossy acyclic gel medium, which gives our eyes and nose that glossy shimmer. Then it was time for adding definition, dimension and texture, and to make our eyes and nose harmonize with and look like they 'belong' to our collaged background. Using only black and white paint (and creating our own grays), we defined our eyes, created a snout shape and chin, considered dimension and facial structure. Again, we looked to visuals of cats and different dog breeds for inspiration. Cheeks, chins and snouts were pushed forward in that we used more white and light grays here, while eyes were pushed back in that we added more black around the edges. Using feather brushes and other fur-rendering paint brushes (fan brush, wisp brush), we added furry lines and texture around eyes, forehead, along the edges of our snouts, and anywhere we wanted that furry look. To make the eyes less 'startled' and to give our eyes more character, we painted over the upper edge of the iris. This softened the look a bit. We even abandoned brushes and used our fingers to finger paint some definition here and there. Fun! All my ages groups, from age 6-14, really enjoyed this multi-step process.... perhaps without even realizing just how much learning was happening! A real winner of a project! Thanks again to Natalie from Elementaryartfun.blogspot.com for the awesome inspiration! Ages 8-11 Ages 8-14 Ages 6-7

A mixed media line rug project to help first graders explore various materials, help develop fine motor skills and learn about various types of lines.

Our first project this year has been a very progressive, multi step, multi media project that has really evolved as we created! Our first p...

Welcome fall with this mixed media pumpkin project to decorate your home or to give as a gift to someone you love.

Create beautiful seascapes from upcycled magazines! This tutorial uses ripped and cut magazines as an alternative to paint. This tutorial will take you through the entire process of collaging and constructing the seascapes, it is the handout I give to students who attend my workshops. If using this tutorial for commercial purposes please credit Kirstie Adamson as the designer.

Looking for a way to get rid of all those little fabric scraps? Make fabric scrap foundations to create some real cool fabric art. Simple instructions.

This independent work packet is fully editable and ready to load into your learning management system. Classroom tested for high school students in a hybrid model. Two illustrated presentations will guide the learning with examples of contemporary and well known works of art. This project took 3 weeks during remote learning in a title 1 school. Students self-selected media based on availability and preference. WHAT'S INCLUDED 90 second "transfer a drawing" video demo with cc (subtitles) Editable introduction slidedeck provided as ppt for your convenience Editable step by step illustrated direction slidedeck Editable multi-page student packet with pages to plan, sketch and reflect (provided as word doc AND pdf - choose whichever you like) Rubric with basic categories and descriptive levels suggested (not just numbers) Formal lesson plan with national standards, materials, big idea and more Student and teacher examples embedded throughout QR code for a video about transferring image onto mixed media collage paper FEATURED ARTISTS The intro presentation contains a brief overview of each artist, as well as links to 3rd party websites, videos and interviews that will be extremely helpful to your students. The artists are: Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Florian Nicolle, Ben Heine, James Rosenquist and Shamekh Bluwi FEEDBACK Please reach out to me with any questions prior to purchase. Your feedback is valued as honest feedback improves the quality of all items on Teachers Pay Teachers. I love hearing about your student success stories. When you leave feedback you earn TpT credits, which may be used on products in any TpT store. TERMS OF USE Click to view DOWNLOAD INFORMATION This resource downloads as a zipped file. I have used the font "KG ALL OF ME" for my titles and headers and have a commercial license to do so. Grab a copy for free here.

Hello friends :) Happy New Year, lol! I can't believe that I haven't blogged in 6 months. Life has been busy I guess, right?! I recently had a lot of fun in the studio making little paper houses. I posted several photos on my Facebook page. The response has been great and I've had several requests for a tutorial, so I wanted to share that with you all. Here it is... Step 1: I took some mop up paper I had saved. It was basically a piece of paper I had taped down to my work space to protect it from paint, sprays, etc. Step 2: I cut out some basic house shapes, no measuring! Just wing it, more fun indeed. Step 3: I cut some windows and doors out of a contrasting color. This helps them to sort of pop forward from the house itself and adds some interest. Glue these down with a glue stick. Step 4: I used a water soluble journaling pen (Pilot G-2 07) to outline the house, roof, windows and door. Step 5: I took a water brush and brushed lightly over the lines I drew. This gave a darker definition and helps pop those doors and windows!! :) Step 6: I added doodles, dots and little design elements to unify colors and shapes. I also added some words and hearts. Don't forget to draw a door knob! Below are some pics of various houses I have made. Hope this has helped fuel your creative juices. Have fun making these, but be warned they are very addictive! :)

Printable playdough mats are the perfect way to help inspire creativity with very little guidance. We have created 5 PRINTABLE playdough mats for parents.

This Mixed Media Dress Free Knitting Pattern is so simple and quick to create and looks really cute. It is really a unique design to combine the two crafts of sewing and knit.

Our first project this year has been a very progressive, multi step, multi media project that has really evolved as we created! Our first p...