Autumn is upon us and I know Fall and Autumn art projects are needed in classrooms so in this blog post, I will provide you with a simple yet effective art lesson to get primary and elementary students exploring art making mediums with simple strategies to create an art project featuring a cute Autumn Squirrel. Read on to find the steps for creating and the full art lesson and downloadable PDF lesson plan and worksheets.
Materials and Hook for the Art Lesson
For this art lesson, you will need two art mediums and a piece of paper. First, you need Oil Pastels and Watercolor paints OR Tempera Paint Cakes. As well, you will need thick white paper.
Begin the lesson with hooking your students on the lesson. You can click here and follow the full video art lesson and create an example to show your students or you can start off with a classroom discussion and ask them a question: “What do you think of when you think of the season Autumn? What symbols, animals, food, objects, and colors are you reminded of?” Record all their answers on chart paper or on the board. Try doing a Think-Pair-Share or have them write answers on a post-it note and add it to chart paper to increase engagement and participation.
Next, you can explain you will be creating an artwork of an Autumn Squirrel!
Step 1: Draw the face
Start the artwork by drawing the squirrel’s facial features (eyes/snout) on the right side of your paper (landscape format) with black or brown wax crayon. Model drawing it large or show them the full video art lesson that you can watch by clicking here.
Step 2: Create the Head
Draw more facial details, the head shape, and ears around the face.
Step 3: Draw the Body
Draw your squirrel’s body! Add an Acorn and other Autumn elements around the artwork. Give your squirrel a body and a tail. Model this or have students watch the full art lesson video you can access by clicking here and also the full lesson plan and worksheets.
Step 4: Paint the Squirrel and Background
Finally, paint your artwork with your chosen wax crayon color using watercolor or tempera paint cakes.
Paint your choice background paper with swatches of colors or practice painting different lines on your background paper to create visual interest. Let both papers dry.
Once dry, you can conclude the lesson by asking students to give a highlight from their art making process or have them complete the reflection included in the full free art lesson found here.
Watch the FULL Art Lesson and Get the Downloadable Lesson Plan & Worksheets
If you would like to watch a full video art lesson to learn how to make this art lesson or have access to it to show your students AND the Downloadable Lesson Plan, Step-By-Step handout, Rubric and reflection (in PDF format), then make sure you click here or the image below and you can grab the full art lesson FOR FREE!
Want more FREE Art Lessons to help you Plan your Year?
Look no further! I believe in providing art lessons to help educators and homeschool families plan their year efficiently with art lessons that teach the curriculum and engage students with interesting content and art techniques. You can find all my free art lessons in one, easy to access spot and they’re all organized by seasons/times of the school year, and by holidays. Find the resources by clicking here.
One Comment