Basic Scratch Art Lesson

Lesson Plan Submitted by: Teri Schlotman
Elementary art teacher at Villa Madonna Academy, Kentucky
Grades: 1st - 5th grades

Procedure:

Kids LOVE this art lesson! It is a good two art period lesson. Using the size paper of your choice, have the kids cover it in BRIGHT crayon colors. Press HARD and leave no white showing from the paper.

Then YOU (as the devoted teacher) gets to collect them and paint them black (students may do this step themselves). Yes Paint them! Using black tempera paint, pour some into a large bowl and add a few drops of liquid soap. (The soap makes the black tempera adhere to the crayon-covered paper). Using an inexpensive foam brush, paint all the crayon covered papers and let dry over night.

The next day, have the students use a sharpened dowel rod (about 6 inches long) or even a tooth pick, to scratch the paint off and create a design. The LOVE to do this. The oohs and aahs are great! Some designs and scenes that work great are underwater scenes, clowns and circus scenes, vases of flowers, etc. A drawing may be done first then transferred to the scratch board (put white crayon or Chalk on back of drawing).

Materials:

• Crayons
  

• Drawing Paper (or white Tag board)
  

• Black Tempera Paint
  

• Liquid Soap
  

• Brushes
  

• toothpicks (or pointed sticks)

• If you don't have time to create your own, you can buy pre-inked Scratchboard

NOTE: When the high school students saw the results of my students project, they got their art teacher to let them do it too!

Resources

Books

Scratch and Sketch: An Art Activity for Magical Artists and Believers of All Ages- Scratch and sketch your very own gardens of flower fairies! In the magical world of flower fairies, daffodils dance and sunflowers sing. Enjoy verses about your favorite flowers and their fairies as you copy 20 pictures from the land of fantasy.

Wild Safari Scratch And Sketch: An Art Activity Book For Imaginative Artists of All Ages - Learn amazing facts about these wild animals as you copy simple sketches of 20 of the world's most exotic animals. Ages 6 and up.

Mastering the Art of Scratchboard - Master Scratchboard artist Norman Gaddini explains, from start to finish and in great detail, the Scratchboard techniques he has developed in more than 30 years of painting, bringing Scratchboard into the field of fine art.

Supplies

Scratchboards: Art & Drafting - Create black and white drawings by scratching through the black pre-inked top coat to the fine white china clay surface beneath.