Let's Paint a Seashell!

Seashells are so beautiful, and I love collecting them at the beach!  That's what inspired this painting we'll do together!  In this acrylic painting class, I'll lead you step-by-step through painting a close-up view of this seashell while we paint together, but I'll include lots of options so that each person's painting can be totally unique.  We'll have fun with the tricks and techniques to make it look realistic and so 3D that it will look like you could pick it up off your canvas, but you'll still get to change up the color scheme and even add some colorful ocean water washing up on the shore in the background, too, if you'd like.  We'll even brainstorm all kinds of options to consider as we paint together, too.
 (No prior drawing or painting experience needed because I'll be leading each child step-by-step through this fun painting project.)  

We’ll chat about seashells and show each other a couple of our favorites as we introduce ourselves and get settled in at the beginning of class.  I'll even show them some of my seashell paintings to help open their mind to some of the creative choices they will have throughout our process.  I love to create an atmosphere where students feel comfortable & encouraged to participate in our discussions throughout our class, especially when we are brainstorming about all the options to consider. 
 
I’ll teach the children a paint-sketching technique to use instead of drawing with a pencil for this lesson, as well as my favorite blending techniques.  I’ll be sure to point out the parts of our painting process that will be most important for creating the 3D illusions and share my best tips with them as we paint together.  We'll even look at each other's paintings several times throughout the lesson to celebrate our progress and encourage each other.