I learned many of my best methods for how to teach painting when I had an art room without a sink and when I was teaching on a cart. This forced me to get organized with supply distribution, clean up, work habits and finding the right painting experience for my students. Here’s how to get started with teaching painting to students.
Assume They Know Nothing
I demonstrate, remind, discuss and teach everything. Even if they know, a reminder is always helpful so I always begin byย teaching our painting procedures. I have classroom procedures for how to distribute the paint, how to clean the paintbrushes, where to put paintings to dry and how to wash tables and clean up. Students take notes on the procedures and keep their sketchbooks open to that page while painting.ย
I also have a video tutorial for everything. I have over 300 YouTube tutorials demonstrating every possible painting technique, using a variety of mediums and I even made a video about washing a paintbrush! It is sad to say, but my students always perk up when I play a video tutorial, compared to a live demonstration. My videos are available to anyone. Feel free to use them. Here is the video on washing paint brushes.
Paint Distribution and Storage
How to distribute the paint can be a struggle. My favorite method of distributing acrylic paint is using egg cartons. I label the egg cartons with the table name (I use colors) and store them in a large plastic bin with a lid that seals. The paint stays fluid for a good 2 weeks with this method. I have a student walk around with the bin to pass out and collect the egg cartons. My students use palette knives to scoop out the paint, which they love using. Students may also use a dry and clean brush to get paint from the egg carton. I remind them not to mix the paints or discolor them with a watery brush.ย
Another favorite method is using plastic trays or baskets and 2 oz. plastic cups with lids. This is a great way to serve up specific colors to each table group quickly. Sometimes I load up a cart and scoot around quickly to deliver or pick up paint. When I am teaching a value painting lesson, my students start with a 2oz. cup of white paint and the bottle of colorful paint is placed at each table. I either let the students choose a table color or the saying โyou get what you get and you donโt throw a fitโ works too. See this video demonstration of a value painting.
I have also used ketchup bottles and buckets. Each bucket contains a bottle of tempera paint in black, white and the primary colors as well as a magazine. This is how I painted for years at the elementary level. It forces the students to mix colors and teaches them self control by squeezing small amounts of paint at a time. They use the magazine as palette paper, and throw it in the trash at the end of class.ย
The easiest method of distributing paints is watercolors or tempera cakes. Tempera cakes are perfect for art on a cart, as you can stack the paintings as soon as they’re done. I would slip a piece of construction paper between the paintings until I could get them back to the art room with the drying rack. Iโve used tempera cakes at both the elementary and secondary level.
Minimizing the Mess and Teaching Good Painting Habits
I have stacks and stacks of newspaper that have been donated to me. My students have a stack in the center of their table. They use it under their painting to keep the table clean. They also use it to dry brushes. I have to buy my paper towels with my art budget, so my students know paper towels are only for hands. We use wash clothes to wipe down tables and clean up spills, etc.
If I can avoid using plastic palettes, I do. If students need to mix a small amount of paint, they use scraps of tagboard and throw it out at the end of class. However, if a student has a color mixed and needs the color day to day, they will place the palette in a zip bag for the next session. Once they are finished, the palettes soak in the โhot tubโ. If the acrylic hardens it becomes a plug in the sink, which is another reason why I line the bottom of my sinks with screens to prevent these hardened pieces from going down the drain. The โhot tubโ is just a big bucket used for soaking brushes, palette knives, and palettes. I have saved myself the stress and cost of paint brushes by cleaning them myself or having a trained student clean the brushes from the “hot tub”.ย
The Right Tool for the Right Job
I also spend some time talking about using the right tool for the job. Again, you would think it would be obvious, but it is not. I have flat, rounds, and liners in all sizes. I remind my students that big brushes for big jobs, and small brushes for small jobs. My students are expected to have several brushes when they are working. In addition, I remind them an underpainting may need to dry first if you do not want colors to mix. We use hair dryers to speed up the drying time if necessary. Palette knives are great for mixing paint. They prevent brush abuse too.
Painting Techniques to Teach Elementary Students
I think finding the right painting lesson is key. Building on skills is essential. At the elementary level, I have kids use a lot of crayon resist. Students draw with black crayon pressing hard and fill in shapes and spaces with watercolors. I also teach my young artists how to make the secondary colors with the primary colors. By second grade my artists have mixed paint, made painted papers, stamped gadgets and practiced brush control with simple paintings outlined with black crayon. My intermediate students learn how to mix tints and shades, mix the intermediate colors with primary colors and learn a variety of watercolor techniques. I show my students how they can make an ombre effect with water and tempera cakes or water and watercolor. They also learn how to work with two neighbor colors and blend colors together.
I have several elementary painting lessons that teach color theory and color mixing in my Music in our School Painting bundle. Creating painted papers for collage is another great beginning paint experience for young artists. My favorite painted paper collage lesson is my Eric Carle Insect Collage Lesson.
Painting Techniques to Teach Middle and High School
Many of the tints, shades and color wheel lessons are revisited. However, the older students spend more time learning about color schemes and how to use them in their paintings. My middle school students also get a lot of experience with color mixing. In addition, students learn different techniques to create realistic texture in their paintings. One of my favorite lessons uses watercolors or tempera cakes as an underpainting and oil pastels for implied texture. We experiment with sponges and brushes to create texture as well.
Intermediate students enjoy painting with tempera paint and acrylic paint. Sculpture is also great way to get students comfortable with painting.ย The first painting experience my 6th grade artists have in my room is painting their Bobblehead Clay Sculptures. It allows me to teach them about painting routines in my classroom, how to mix paint, and the difference between underpainting and overpainting. Unfortunately, many students have little to no painting experience when they enter middle school. This is why it is so important to teach them how to paint. Some of my favorite middle school painting lessons I use are available on TeachersPayTeachers, or just check them out for ideas. They include: Package Design Painting, which teaches recreating an image, Color Wheel Eye, which uses acrylic paint and teaches color mixing and Succulent Still Life,ย a stippling lesson using watercolor paints.
I hope these bits of information make your next painting experience a great experience for all. I honestly never get tired of hearing the squeal of a studentโs excitement mixing the perfect color, priceless.ย
Happy painting,ย Trista
If you liked this How to Teach Painting post, please subscribe by clicking here.
Check out my How To Page for more posts like this.