After the heaviness of the previous post, I thought something cheerful might be nice. And thanks to my almost eight year old daughter (and her teacher) I have this interesting project to share with you! I should say that I’m normally not in favor of these “paint by number” type of school projects where every student does the same project, so I’m sharing this with you in the hopes that you’ll use this idea in a creative way that will encourage artistic exploration as opposed to perfection.
That said, encouraging a child to draw something, outlining it in black marker and then creating a piece of art with modeling clay could be a great project. For those in the family who simply won’t want to draw a picture, so you could give them a line drawing you’ve copied from somewhere, but do encourage them to fill in the drawing with lots of types of shapes. And, this project certainly isn’t for one sitting, it’s something to work on over the course of a week or so, since it’s the details that make it interesting!
You’ll Need:
- Modeling clay (plastelina)
- White Glue or Modge Podge
- A simple black and white line drawing (that the kids have drawn or you’ve copied)
- A piece of bristol or heavy weight cardboard to use as a backing for the picture
- A little patience!
How To:
- Glue line drawing to board, making sure paper is well adhered
- Apply glue or modgge podge to small areas with a brush or finger, and start filling in the drawing with small pieces of modeling clay. Clay can be smudged with fingers, or applied in small balls or strips (as seen in photo above), creating a thin layer of color.
- Once entire drawing has been filled in, check to make sure there aren’t any areas with modeling clay that’s applied too heavily, as the weight could make the picture buckle.
- Brush a coat of slightly diluted white glue (with water) or modge podge, over the entire picture.
- Once dry hang and enjoy!
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