Spring Art Class for Kids

The Spring session is now enrolling! Find all the info on our classes page.

Inspired by the paintings of Pablo Picasso, my 7-8 year old students created their "blue period, cubist guitar paintings." With just one pure blue, white and black paint, students had to mix at least 5 different tints, and one shade of blue for their paintings. We did this project over 2, 1 hour sessions.

Step 1: Thumbnail sketches on paper to decide on scale and composition. 

Step 2: Sketching with colored pencils onto the canvas boards. 

Step 3: Blocking in a quick base coat

Day 2:  Students painted over the base coat, being generous with their paint and allowing their brush strokes to show.

...and a few close ups because they are BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

after the first day....

My older class of 9-12 year old students worked on their "blue period, self portraits."
Step 1: We walked through the proper proportions for the face and  sketched with colored pencils onto canvas boards.
Step 2: With small brushes, dark blue paint and acrylic medium students went over their pencil sketches with dark blue paint
Step 3: Students mixed tints of blue and acrylic medium to add add tranparency to the paint and slow down the drying time, then continued work on the paintings to get a base coat in place.
Step 4: Finishing their paintings.

This student missed the first session so he only had 1 day. I love how it turned out and really wished I could have kept it for myself!

Finished!!!

My students always inspire me! I had to go back into the studio that evening and do my own portrait. the hair is to big and i need to work on the shape of my face. Super fun to play in my sketch book at the end of the day.