Everyone wants to make their mark on life. Learning to express yourself on paper is one way to do just that. Explore many ways to draw, paint, and make your own mark. Along with the many mark-making exercises this month, this PDF offers more drawing exercises. Drawing without a Pencil When you think of drawing, you might assume you need a pencil. There are many types of drawings that don’t need a writing utensil at all. You can rip the paper with your hand. This
Try your hand at making simple books and book-related objects. This month we have bookmaking tutorials plus some options for turning out artful bookmarks. Get Art: Why make your own sketchbook? Before we get to making, we might tackle the big question of the month. Project 1: Make an Accordion Book What do you need? Paper Try this? Fold your paper in even sections. That’s it. This is a simple book to make. Collection Connection: Muybridge was a photographer who explore motion by creating a
Summer is coming to an end. It’s a time to relish freedom, enjoy family, and spend a few more minutes in the outdoors. This month’s projects celebrate the end of the holidays.
Ah, peak summer — barbecues, picnics, outdoor fun. Who says snacks need to be just for eating? Gather your leftovers, your favorites, whatever you got — and let’s have an Art-BQ! We even have a kit of supplies to help you get started.
No beach? No pool? No problem! Explore different ways to cool off this summer with water art-making activities that don’t require floaties or a vest. Water takes on many forms during the summer. For some, summer means cooling off by swimming, playing in sprinklers, or simply drinking enough water to stay hydrated. Water moves in different ways with the museum’s collection, too. We have paintings of crashing waves (Torrey, Surf), abstracted landscapes of ponds (Thomas, Pond-Spring Awakening), and even works whose movement reminds us how water can
Bookmaking can be easy. Handmade books are perfect for pocket sketchbooks. Try This? This book is one of the easiest books to make. You need paper, scissors, and yarn. You can use a ruler to make you work neat and even. As with most books, you trim the pages to size, prepare for binding, and then bind the pages together. You can add panache to your books by using interesting colors for the yarn binding, for the cover, and for the paper.
Photocollages are an easy way to add complex imagery to an artwork. What You Need photographs or printouts, markers, glue, and paper Try This
Light and shadow turn paper into magic What You Need Paper glue, scissors, and a box Try This?
Rolled up cardboard can make an interesting artmaking tool. What Do You Need cardboard, hot glue, paper, and ink Try this? Glue the stamps. Let dry. Dip in ink or acrylic
Many artists choose to make their sculptures abstract, rather than realistic. When you have fewer details, everything you include takes on greater importance. Try your hands at making simple sculptures. How much personality can you put into your abstract figurative sculpture?