This project was a step-by-step 'follow-me' lesson on how to draw a realistic bluebird in acrylic paint. It was inspired by Angela Anderson's bluebird tutorial.
I initially did this project with my adults last year, and my kids have been begging me to do it with them ever since. I thought it would be too difficult for them, but I finally decided to give it a go, and made it our 'final' project of the spring term. Glad I did, because they turned out so beautifully and the kids were so proud.
The ones below were done by my 6-12 year olds.
Be began by cutting to measure and then pasting music sheets to a wooden block. We painted a light coat of brown paint on the music notes to give it a weathered look and to push back the notes a bit. We used acrylic varnish (or mod podge) to dilute the brown paint, to glue and to seal the paper. While this dried we used tracing paper to trace the outline of a bluebird picture. Using carbon paper, we transferred this drawing to our block. (Trace and transfer skills - check!)
We used a small cat tongue brush to create short feathery strokes. We worked in layers, starting with a base coat, then slowly adding top layers, and more texture as we move forward. The tree branch, legs and beak were given shadow and highlights. The eye, of course, a reflection spot.
Super successful. This just goes to show that with a carefully planned out step-by-step tutorial, kids as young as 6 can experience success (and be mega proud!) in super challenging projects.
