This fun weekly art class is perfect for a full art curriculum for homeschoolers or any young artist seeking art enrichment with a variety of art media! Over six weeks, learners will explore a variety of famous artists such as MC Escher, Elizabeth Catlett,  Katsushika Hokusai and Andy Warhol as well as contemporary artists such as Favianna Rodriguez and Robert Hurt and Tim Pyle (artists who create the amazing illustrations that NASA uses to showcase their new discoveries.) Young artists will learn many new art techniques while creating their own drawings, paintings and prints! 
      
      This course is "Level 6" in the series of art classes that I offer, but it is not necessary for a student to have already taken "Level 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5" before participating in this course!  You may enroll in a different level before or after this class to complete a full semester or more of high quality art education.  

      In this Level 6 class, students will complete a pencil drawing of a sphere with realistic shading, a mixed media space art project focusing on using watercolor paint techniques and color mixing to create 3-D effects, and a variety of printmaking projects including engraving, monoprints, and relief printing.
 
     These projects introduce and reinforce art history, vocabulary and artistic skills that form a strong foundation of knowledge for young artists to progress in their creative development. I have designed these lessons in conjunction with my other classes to provide learners with a comprehensive art curriculum from ages 5-14 that is fun, process-oriented, and fosters personal expression and creativity!

     I focus on building skills, self-confidence, and personal artistic expression in all of my classes.  My teaching style is fun, easy going, patient and encouraging and all levels of artistic ability and experience are welcome and celebrated! 

Day 1:  Drawing and Shading Spheres
In our first class, we'll be learning how to use shading to create the illusion of 3-D art! We'll begin our class with a discussion about the meaning of value, shading, and blending and see how artists such as MC Escher use these techniques to create depth in 2-D artwork in order to create the illusion of three dimensions.  We will then work together step by step to draw a sphere and use shading and blending to make it appear 3-D! 

Day 2:  Mixed Media Space Art 1
In our second meeting, we will discuss how artists work in a wide variety of different fields including science and space exploration. We'll look at the exciting work of NASA artists Robert Hurt and Tim Pyle and briefly discuss what information the NASA artists use to create their art and how scientific data informs their illustrations. We will also learn why NASA needs to rely on artists' renderings of new discoveries, rather than photographs, and what purpose the artwork serves. We will be designing our compositions for our own space art, learning how to create a highlight to make a sphere appear 3-D, and practicing a variety of watercolor paint techniques.
           
Day 3:  Mixed Media Space Art 2
In our third class, we will briefly discuss some facts about the planets in our solar system and will then use watercolor paint and/or chalk pastels to add color to our planets using our imaginations or working from images of real planets - whichever the artist prefers! Learners may use the paint techniques and shading techniques we practiced in Day 1 and 2 to create a variety of different effects in their planets and to make them appear three dimensional. 
          
 Day 4:  Mixed Media Space Art 3
In our 4th class, we will finish our space art compositions and learn how we can create nebulae, solar systems, galaxies, comets, asteroids, and more as we complete our backgrounds using techniques with chalk pastels, colored pencils or crayons. Learners will be encouraged to use their imaginations and to share and discuss their artwork with the class if they feel comfortable doing so! 

Day 5:  Printmaking Exploration 1
In our 5th class, we will learn about the exciting art of printmaking and some of the many ways artists create prints using relief methods, screen printing, monoprints, intaglio and more! We will look at the work of famous printmakers such as Elizabeth Catlett, Hokusai and Andy Warhol and will begin creating our own prints with a variety of methods! 

Day 6: Printmaking Exploration 2
In our final class, we will look at the colorful work of contemporary artist Favianna Rodriguez, briefly discuss symmetry and radial symmetry in art, and will finish creating our prints. Learners will produce a variety of relief prints and monoprints. We will brainstorm some other methods and common household items that learners could use to make prints on their own in the future. Learners will be encouraged to share their work and their ideas with the class! 

Please Note: This class is officially 50 minutes long but may run longer for children that work more meticulously on their art. I am always happy to stay in class past the official time with these artists!