My Choice of Art

 What Could Be The Best Art Activities To Implement ?



Crayon
   The art medium "crayons" is a very common materials that is being use in school especially by children. Even children who are not schooling yet are using this material for their their plays, games and fun activities. One of the famous and familiar brand of crayons is the "Crayola" that comes with different variety from small to jumbo sizes and from 8 crayons in a box to 120 pieces of crayons in a pack. This material is inexpensive allowing everyone to be able to afford it. It may be inexpensive but it doesn't compromise the quality for it can still produce aesthetically pleasing artwork. Activities using crayons is suitable for learners because it will not only develop their creativity but it will also enhance their fine motor skills. One of the best art activities under the medium crayon is the "Crayon Etching".



Etching
   The art technique etching can also be considered as engraving. Originally, etching is performing the intaglio technique. Intaglio connects to all the printmaking techniques that perform indentions or incisions into a plate which ink is being placed on its surface then wiping the plate leaving the ink that went through the indents. The plate is immersed into acid. The stronger the acid and the longer the plate is submerge in the acid, the deeper the indents will become. Then the plate with ink in the indents is placed against a paper and passed through a printing press which will help to transfer the ink to the paper.
 


   Traditionally, this technique was used to decorate metal in the fourteenth century. But as early as sixteenth century, etching was not used for printmaking that much. This leads to the development of different etching techniques which relates to each other such as: soft-ground etching, spit bite, open bite, and photo-etching.

  Crayon etching is also an etching technique. It is a drawing made with crayons, where a heavy coat of black wash is applied. An etching tool is used to create patterns in the ink, removing the ink and allowing the crayon colors to appear. This can also be called as scratch art or scratchboard. Crayon etching allows the children to be creative in color and pattern creation. This activity is appropriate for students of all level because it can be adjusted to be more complex or simple. The following methods below are several ways a crayon etching can be created.

Crayon Etching Method #1 - Use Ink
1. Create a simple line drawing in graphite. The drawing should be simple and void of any value. The complexity of etching depends in the creation of patterns
2. Go over the line drawing with a permanent black marker or brushed ink making it relatively thick mark.
3. After the image is outlined, the artwork is colored completely with bright colors.
4. Be sure not to leave any white areas because this will accept the black ink and prevent it from being scratched off. 
5. Use a foam or synthetic nylon brush to apply the black ink over the entire surface of the crayon etching.
6. When the surface is dry, use a scratchboard tool, nail, or wooden skewers to scratch patterns into the inked surface to reveal the color underneath.
7. There are instances that some of the ink will scratch off that you did not intend to remove so you can apply additional applications of ink just so remember that it will be harder to scratch off the second layer.
8. When complete, apply clear acrylic over the work to protect it or add a shiny finish.

Crayon Etching Method #2 - Use Tempera Paint
    If ink is not available, tempera paint can be use which produce a dull matte surface unlike the ink that produce shiny finish. The downside of using tempera paint is that when it is scratched off, it will sometimes flake and not give precise lines. The good side of tempera paint is it may be less expensive.

Crayon Etching Method #3 - Use a Black Crayon
If ink and tempera paint are not available, black crayon can be use to cover the artwork. This method may be the best option to be implemented when working with small children.

What You Need :
- Paper
- Crayons
- Etching tool like popsicle stick, paper clip, nail or toothpick

What You Do :
1. Fill the paper with light or bright crayon with shapes and patterns by pressing the color hard.
2. Once the paper is filled with crayons, color heavily over the whole paper using black crayon.
3. Plan out a picture or design and using the etching tool, scratch the design into the black crayon.
4. The light colors will show through the area where scraping occurs.
5. Polish the picture by rubbing wax paper on it to give it a shine. You can also use a chamois cloth or even a plastic bag.

How to do crayon etching?

Mosaics
   The art technique "mosaic" uses tiny pieces or parts to create a whole image or artwork. To produced mosaic, the the small tiles that can be made of glass, stone or other materials are assembled to create image. The tiles can be round or with random shapes but normally these are in the shape of square. Tesserae is the term for the small square tiles while pebbles for the rounded tiles.

Two Mosaic Method:
1. Direct Method - the technique that places the tiles directly on the final surface like wall, table, or other objects.
2. Indirect Method - the technique that is ideal for large scale pieces with many intricate details. This method refers to the placement of tiles on a backing paper which the completed mosaic will be then transferred to the final surface. This allows working on a flat and horizontal surface, then placing this large sections at once on vertical surfaces such as walls or columns.

Mosaic History
    The Greek word "mousa" is where the origin of mosaic derived from which means "muse". This art technique have been around for thousands of years. In ancient Mesopotamia was where the first discovery of mosaics took place where small pieces of tiles were found in a temple from the third millennium BC. These mosaics project random and straightforward themes. On the other hand, the ancient Greeks and Romans were the one who began depicting real-life scenes, patterns, and symbols.

    Mosaic artworks had become more intricate and realistic as years passed that it became culturally significant all over the world. In the beginning of fourth century, famous basilicas and churches all over Europe were seen with mosaics depicting Christian scenes. There are also mosaics with colorful geometric patterns discovered by archeologist in the Middle East and Asia.

    This technique was eventually replaced by oil painting during the Renaissance. While during the Georgian and Victorian era, the mosaic jewelry had became popular. Jewelers would create micromosaic scenes and set them in brooches, necklaces, and rings. This art technique is not commonly seen today because the creation of the jewelry was tedious and time-consuming process.


Mosaics using paper bases

What You Need :
- Paper
- Colorful paper scraps
- Pencil
- Scissor
- Glue

What You Do :
1. Get some sheets of paper in different colors or different shades of the same color like construction paper, scrapbook paper, paint chips, and magazine pages.
2. Cut the paper into small pieces that can be different in sizes and shapes to make the tiles.
3. Draw shape on the sheet of paper which will serve as the outline of the mosaic and start gluing the tiles to the outline of the shape.
4. Glue the rest of the tiles inside the shape and if their are design inside the shape, outline it first with tiles before filling them in.
5. Consider filling in the background using a contrasting color or the same color with different shade to make the work stand out.
6. Set the mosaic out to dry and an acrylic sealer can also be applied, cover it or even frame it to make the mosaic last longer.

How to do paper mosaic? Clink the link.

Painting 
   The art technique "painting" is what mostly comes into mind when art is mentioned. Painting refers to the process of applying paint, or another medium, to a solid surface - usually a canvas. Commonly, paintbrush is being use when applying paints or other forms of color. However, sponges, spray paint and other different tools are used by artists. The word painting can have two meanings. The first meaning is it describes the action of creating an artwork and the other meaning is it refers to the artwork itself. The paint can create an artwork known as a painting, or it can be used practically as a protective coating or form of decoration. This art technique is a form of visual art which has the purpose of capturing the expression of ideas and emotions on a two-dimensional surface.

    Traditionally, painting are created on a flat surface where artists use the elements of shape, colors, line, tones, and textures in unique ways to produce painting that convey sensations of movement, volume, space, and light. A painting can portray a natural scene or object, describe a narrative, or it can be abstract.


   Tie dye is an easy way to make clothing more interesting for it adds variety of colorful designs and vibrant style into it. This effects are created by binding, folding or simply scrunching fabric before dyeing it. Tie dyeing is the process of creating patterns on fabrics. This art technique is considered as the oldest form of creating patterns and style on a plain piece of cloth. Tie dyeing in not exclusive to wardrobes only but this can be applied on household items such as pillowcases, napkins and tablecloths. The technique involves spirals, marbling, diamonds, ovals, squares, knotting, crumpling, pleating or folding the fabric into various patterns, then tying it with string.

    This art activity is appropriate for everyone whether it is for kids or adults of all ages. The dye or the pigment can be found at the craft store which you can buy it as pre-made. The are also natural dye that can be created by using natural materials. For children, it is suitable to use the pre-made dye for efficiency.
 What You Need :
- Cloth or fabric
- Dye
- Rubber bands
- Water
- Gloves
- Container (bowl or cup)
- Vinegar
- Spoon
- Plastic bag
- Newspaper
What You Do :
1. Put clean gloves, change into old clothes, and cover your work station with newspaper.
2. Fill the cups or bowls up a little over halfway with cold water.
3. Open the dye packets of the desired color and pour it into the cups of water individually.
4. Stir with a spoon until the mixture has completely dissolved.
5. Pour a cap full of vinegar into each cup and stir it with a spoon.
6. Using rubber bands, pull and twist the T-shirt around to create a warped shape.
7. Dip any desired parts of the shirt into the desired colors.
8. After dipping the t-shirt, place it into a plastic bag and tie to make it airtight.
9. Allow the t-shirt to sit in the bag for 24 hours or for as long as possible before removing from bag.
10. Wash and dry the shirt.

How to do tie die? Click the link. 




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