Other Art Ideas

Rubbings

Equipment
Objects that can be rubbed over: leaves, cut-out cardboard shapes, buttons, coins,
textured materials, wood, concrete, sandpaper, fur, corrugated card etc
Crayons or candles
Paint and paint brushes
Paper

Ideas

1. Give each child a sheet of thin paper and a chunky wax crayon. Divide the page into sections (one per rubbing). Have the children walk around the school rubbing objects with different textures (walls, wooden doors, plastic bottles, materials, tree trunks,
metal poles, stones, etc).

2. Give the children a box of 'rubbable' objects and a tray of wax crayons. Try to help them remember that they have to place the object underneath the paper and rub on top. If the children are capable, have them make rubbings to form a picture (a simple face or tree shape).

3. Use both rubbing and painting: Rub a pattern or picture on to the paper with crayon, and then paint over using thin watercolour paints. Rub an invisible pattern or picture onto the paper with white candles - when the watercolour is painted on, it will only show on the areas not rubbed with wax, revealing the hidden picture.

Salt pictures

Equipment
1 cup paint powder mixed with 1/2 cup of salt
Paste mixture: 1 cup corn flour + 1 cup cold water
Paint brushes
Paper
Newspaper

Method

1. Cover work surface with newspaper.
2. Paint a picture on to paper with the cornflour paste.
3. Sprinkle mixture of paint powder and salt over the paste to create a picture that will
sparkle.

Marble-rolling pictures

Equipment
Glass marbles
Paint in shallow dishes
Shallow cardboard box
Paper

Method

1. Place a sheet of plain paper in the bottom of the cardboard box.
2. Cover each marble in a different colour of paint.
3. Place the marbles on top of the paper.
4. Tilt the box to roll the marbles around and create a pattern on the paper.

Marbling

Marbling is a technique that can be used to decorate paper, wood, cloth, plastic or metal. If decorating plastic or metal, cover with at least two layers of spray lacquer once ink is dry.

Equipment
Large plastic tray with sides about 10 cm high
Marbling ink (with dropper). This is a specialist ink; if unavailable, use a small amount of oil paint from a tube mixed with vegetable oil to make a runny paste.
Stick or straw for stirring
Paper

Method

1. Half fill the tray with water.
2. Drip a few drops of marbling ink onto the water.
3. Use 3 or 4 colours.
4. Use the stick to gently stir the inks that float on the surface (don't stir too fast, or colours will blend - if so, wait for them to separate).
5. Child then lays the paper on top of the water.
6. Gently pull paper up, and lay flat to dry.

Smelly pictures

Equipment
Paper with pre-drawn flowers (unless children are able to draw flowers themselves)
Colouring pencils or crayons
Glue
Talcum powder

Method

1. Draw a flower with a large centre (it may be easier to give the child a circle around which they can draw).
2. Colour in the flower petals and stem.
3. Spread a thin layer of glue in the centre of the flower
4. Sprinkle the centre with talcum powder.
5. Wait for glue to dry, then gently blow away excess powder.

Also try changing from flowers to fruits or sweets. Or, add other smells by soaking a cotton wool ball in the scent, then gluing the ball onto the flower. Try garlic, perfume, soap, mothballs, spices.