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At Blick, we love those "light bulb" moments when an idea inspires and the creative juices start to flow. Geared for a wide variety of age and skill levels, we offer hundreds of Lesson Plans designed to meet the National Standards for Visual Art Education and bring the value of creativity to any teaching experience. All original. All free. Help yourself! |
Rex-Lace Appliqué |
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Students of all ages can mimic mosaic artisans throughout history with these easy tile-making and “grouting” techniques. Clay tiles are glued to a firm backboard and grouted with acrylic paint. This project is safe and simple enough for younger students and those with special needs. 
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K – 12 |
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The magic is in the color! Wax Pastels adhere to the slick surface of tooling foil and stay there. Students explore tools and texture plates to create designs in lightweight metal, then, using simple page-binding techniques, assemble a lovely hardcover book to use for notes, sketches, journaling, scrapbooking or photos. |
3 – 8 |
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Geometric patterns occur in rich profusion throughout Islamic Cultures. This lesson is an invitation to look at the history and meaning behind patterns and view the work of a contemporary Iranian artist. Students design and assemble a reflective mosaic pattern using metallic papers on adhesive film. Easy and tidy...no glue! |
K – 12 |
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What we think of as “quilts” today — pieces of fabric sewn together to form blocks that collectively make a whole — did not become popular until the mid 19th century. Making quilts was a means of “recycling” fabric from clothing that was no longer usable. In this lesson plan, students make a quilt block using paper and glue rather than fabric and stitching. It’s a great way to recycle materials and illustrate a number of design principles — rhythm, pattern, balance and unity. |
3 – 12 |
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Rather than traditional pages, the interior of these “books” will hold objects collected by students. An “art box” book could contain samples of texture, color, form, and line or other examples of design elements or styles. Or a more personalized box “about me” could hold a collection of tiny photos, poems and small keepsakes. |
3 – 12 |
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Around the 1920s, a movement in modern art began in Russia as a group of artists began constructing sculpture for an industrialized world. As new technology produced strong, shining surfaces of glass, steel and plastic, Constructivists pioneered the use of modern, mechanical materials in art. This project weaves a variety of classroom-friendly “metals” — papers, foils and wires — into relief and three-dimensional art. |
5 – 12 |
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Quilt-making spans multiple centuries and cultures. It can teach math skills, record history, recycle cast-off materials and encourage cooperative efforts within a group...just for a few ideas! This lesson looks at the story quilts of Faith Ringgold. She surrounds her narrative paintings with a quilted border, creating stories in color, texture, and pattern. Students select their own story to illustrate, then paint fabric using watersoluble pastels and watercolor.
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K – 12 |
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This project transforms traditional basketry into a contemporary fine craft. Paper Coiling Core is shaped and glued in layers in the same manner as a clay coil pot is constructed. Vibrant and fluid Blick Liquid Watercolors can replicate patterns from the Papago, Navajo, and Apache cultures of Native America and Northern Mexico, or painted in contemporary, abstract, or representational styles.
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5 – 8 |
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When one hears the name of Alexander Calder, the picture of kinetic hanging mobiles immediately comes to mind. These were only a portion of Calder’s vast body of work — he also painted and created stationary pieces called “stabiles.” Often, they resembled his mobiles — but without moving parts. In this lesson, students will create a “stabile” using Taskboard — a new, natural, wood-based medium used by architects and 3-D designers to create models.
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5 – 12 |
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Button Bracelets allow children to design a wearable piece of art with lots of color and texture — a new twist on craft bracelets! A leather wristband is used as a base and takes on a very different look when buttons and colorful wire are added. |
3 – 6 |
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This project demonstrates the physical process of osmosis. Water-based markers are diluted by filtering water through an ordinary wet wipe. The flow of the color is slowed and channeled by the presence of oil and alchohol in the wipe, creating random and interesting tie-dye-type patterns. Educational...and really fun to watch! |
K – 5 |
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The inside of the Earth holds hidden secrets very close to us, so dig a hole to uncover layers of mystery! A hole just 1" deep will show a very small example of soil strata or layers – including rocks, shells, fossils, geodes, water, oil and coal. This art project is based on geology but need not be scientifically accurate as students creatively incorporate texture and line. |
1 – 6 |
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Native American Story Necklaces One of the many rich crafts produced within the Native American culture is a "fetish," or story necklace, designed to illustrate history and legend with carved creatures representing spirits, animals or ancestors. |
K – 6 |
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Persian and Navajo Rug Bookmarks This lesson plan explains two diverse and beautiful style of textiles: Persian carpets and Navajo rugs. Similar colors and geometric shapes are two common elements of both. |
4 – 8 |
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Turn a black and white photo into a "riot" of color! Tinting is a simple technique that challenges students of all ages to pay attention to detail, and even young children can do it with success. In this project, class pictures are enlarged, printed in black-and-white and tinted. The use of non-traditional colors is encouraged. |
K – 6 |
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Collect and recycle product wrappers for a "green" art project worthy of good-citizen attention! Students save and trade wrappers to make a paper background, then choose words and phrases related to their "rapper" collage and cut them from thin foam to create a printing plate. "Rapper" Art is an easy process for making posters, book covers and signs in multiples. |
K – 6 |
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This is a whimsical introduction to nutrition and graphic design that invites students to make up an imaginary soup. National studies indicate that children eat about anything if the advertising is "crazy" or attractive to them, including vitamins and vegetables. Now its students' turn to entice peers to "buy" their soup! Anyone for Alligator Soup? |
K – 6 |
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Tissue Vases from Recycled Containers Turn recycled bottles or cups into "frosted glass" vases! This project allows students to work in three-dimensional designs as they build high-relief mini-murals "in the round." Younger students may create simplified and abstract work with white tissue paper and watercolors. Older students may achieve very sophisticated and detailed vases. Materials are quite inexpensive! |
K – 8 |
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This easily constructed project offers an exploration of texture, line and color – key elements of design. Younger children may take a more abstract approach with emphasis on texture and color. Older students will find the burlap easy to pull and the weave easy to manipulate, creating holes and lines. Subject matter such as buildings, landscapes and abstract designs are adaptable to varying grade levels. |
K – 6 |
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From the outside, this Storybook Theater looks like a simply constructed book, but open it and a puppet stage unfolds! Children make their favorite stories come to life with puppets, props and scenery. There's even built-in pockets for holding craft stick puppets. |
K – 6 |
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This game puts a new "twist" on an old favorite, and provides an enjoyable way for students to learn color-mixing. |
K – 4 |
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This is a great project for teaching recycling and renewal. Using a plastic stencil and screen, students make a shaped piece of handmade paper from cast-off scraps. Flower and vegetable seeds are added to the pulp. When dry, the rough-textured paper can be decorated with paint or drawing materials and glued to the front of a card. When planting season arrives, place the shape in the soil to make a beautiful garden.
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K – 8 |
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This lesson plan is designed to celebrate fine artists by honoring them with a "commemorative stamp." This project also introduces students to philately, the study and collection of stamps. |
3 – 6 |
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Students will hand-build dwellings for forest animals and birds, beginning with flat clay slabs and using slump molds (and even a soda can!) to shape the slabs into three dimensional forms. They will use sprig and press molds to texture and embellish their structures to simulate trees, leaves, knot holes and burrows reminiscent of natural habitats found in woodlands. |
4 – 8 |
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Model a Famous Painting in Friendly Plastic Students will use Amaco Friendly Plastic to create a likeness of a famous painting or work of art. |
7 – 10 |
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A "cyanotype" is a photographic print made when UV light is exposed to a photo-sensitive paper. This lesson plan is a simple new process involving two safe and familiar classroom favorites — Nature Print Paper and Scratch Art. The finished arwork has the appearance of a linoleum block print — without the use of cutting tools or ink.
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3 – 8 |
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During World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt delivered a State of the Union speech in which he spoke of four basic freedoms he dreamed of being available to everyone in the world. Artist Norman Rockwell interpreted these freedoms in a series of popular paintings published by the Saturday Evening Post in 1943. This lesson plan challenges students to consider the concept of freedom: what it meant to a president, an artist and what it means to them today. |
3 – 6 |
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Modern Figure Sculpture in the style of Alberto Giacometti To create the gracefully haunting look of a Giacometti figure, this lesson plan introduces Paverpol™, a unique product that can be used with a variety of materials — textiles, paper, self-hardening clay, paper maché and more — to make sculptures so sturdy that they can be placed outdoors. It's non-toxic, safe for anyone to use and dries so quickly, you can make a sculpture in one day. |
7 – 12 |
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In this lesson plan, students design and construct a 3-dimensional letter using one of their initials. The surface can be decorated with descriptive words and images that are personally meaningful and unique to the student's identity. Instead of wet, messy adhesive, this process uses paper packing tape to create papier mâché. This tape is inexpensive, easy, and tidy to use, and the finished letters are hard and durable.
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3 – 12 |
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Exercise for art is as important as exercise for sports or rehearsal for theatre, as it fosters a continual pursuit of excellence. In this lesson, to exercise their artistic creativity, students keep a day-by-day art journal. Each page should be a simple statement of a different idea or small thought for the day. |
K – 12 |
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EZ Encaustic uses only small amounts of soft decorating wax that may be softened by hand or by using low temperature heat. Also included are instructions for a Painterly Encaustic process, using melted wax.
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5 – 12 |
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Fine craft artists today are exploring texture and color in all mediums. The fabric beads in this project encourage experimental use of materials to enhance and enrich traditional techniques. |
5 – 12 |
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This project starts with a 12" x 12" piece of muslin upon which a variety of papers, fabrics, colors and textures are added. Paper Cloth can be sewn with a sewing machine, cut with scissors, folded and reused. It is hard to tear! The finished and dry material may be wrinkled, or placed between two sheets of paper and ironed to flatten. Color can be added using different mediums.
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K – 12 |
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Students monoprint images of their faces onto a piece of flat clay, then "morph" it to look like the face in Edvard Munch's famous portrait "The Scream". |
K – 4 |
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Learn leaf anatomy by recreating the patterns and structure of the original. Because the clay is paper-based, it accepts watercolors, which may be reworked and blended on the surface. Watercolors enhance the veining in the leaves, pulling out their natural characteristics. |
K – 12 |
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Rather than allowing more plastic to end up in a landfill, raise your students' level of social conscience and demonstrate the art elements of line, shape and texture with this lesson in "green" art. Twist and form recycled plastic into coils and shapes on a piece of adhesive-backed film and view in reverse. It's a tidy way to create a collage — no glue or paint required. |
3 – 12 |
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Where standard painting builds an image from the background forward, a reverse painting is created in a backward fashion — foreground first — with each phase applied so the background finishes the painting. A backing of metallic foil reflects light through the pastel in the same manner as gilding.
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3 – 12 |
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The traditional folk craft of straw appliqué — using various shades of dry straw adhered to a rigid surface — has been practiced in many nations. Students can create their own appliqué designs with a very modern medium: bright, vinyl craft lacing — familiar for making lanyards and bracelets — easily cut in pieces and laid side-by-side on an adhesive surface to form colorful designs. |
K – 6 |
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Low relief sculpture with design in mind. Layer by layer, piece by piece, this three-dimensional collage is assembled with repetitious shapes and elements, illustrating the principles of rhythm, balance and movement.
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3 – 12 |
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Suminagashi is a process in which Sumi ink is floated on the surface of plain water, then transferred to a sheet of paper. Each monoprint is like a fingerprint — unique and unreproducible.
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3 – 12 |
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Using flexible, translucent acrylic paint and soft, aluminum wire, students create abstract sculptures that can be formed and reformed. Addresses the design elements of form and shape. Displayed with a light source, they have the appearance of formed glass.
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5 – 12 |
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In this lesson students will make a piece that is basically a printmaking “sandwich” — part painting, part lithograph, and part monoprint — incorporating Z*Acryl D2P Polyester Lithographic plates
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9 – 12 |
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This lesson plan combines the processes of repoussé and chasing to design a piece that looks as if it may have been crafted by an ancient silversmith. Objects are fixed to a cardboard box before the metal is applied so that the design is embossed into the metal in the style of repoussé. With tools, students then chase the metal around the objects to further define the texture.
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K – 12 |
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Based on the sculpture of Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz, students create a 3-dimensional figure study in fiber.
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7 – 12 |
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Based on the scientific concepts of insolubility and density, this technique seals water-based paint and mineral oil inside a laminating pouch. The different densities cause the liquids to repel one another in an ever-changing and interactive piece that continually flows and responds to touch.
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K – 12 |
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This project is a simple, tidy way to create the look of pulp painting without the mess of a blender or even the use of adhesive. Non-bleeding tissue paper is combined with water and agitated (torn) so that the paper fibers separate and make a rough pulp. Pressing the paper onto an absorbent (canvas) surface causes the fibers to re-bond with one another and, when dry, form a thicker, stronger paper.
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K – 12 |
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Molas are the brightly colored applique panels made only in the San Blas region of Panama by the Kuna Indians. Once the paper Molas are completed, have the children discuss their importance to the Kuna Indian women and their culture. |
4 – 6 |
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Students learn the functionality of tooled metal and texture.
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5 – 12 |
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One means by which fossils are formed is "carbonization". Over time, compression and heat remove the elements from plants and leave a detailed carbon impression behind. Glass fusion can demonstrate this process in just a few hours.
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5 – 12 |
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Illumination is the decorating of books or manuscripts with ornate lettering, scrollwork, icons and images. This lesson plan introduces an easy and inexpensive way to apply metal leaf to a single letter, then embellish it using colored pencils.
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5 – 12 |
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