One thing my family has tried to do over the last few years is to embrace the “cozy side of winter.” For us, this has meant adding in a few rituals to keep the cold months fun, creative and festive (even without major holidays.) We’ve found that candles, hot tea or cocoa, board games, and – especially – art nights can go a long way in making January cozier and more fun.

In today’s post, I especially wanted to share some creative ideas that you and your family can use to “embrace the cozy” of wintertime with your own family art night tradition! At Sparketh, we believe that staying creative is an important part of thriving in any season of life. Below, you’ll find some wintery family art ideas and craft projects straight from our team of creatives!

Maria’s Stained Glass Candle Holder 

Candles are one of my favorite things to always have at home during winter. They definitely help me through that little post New Year’s slump that many of us experience. They make the whole winter season cozier, more relaxing and more beautiful! If you like candles too (or know someone who does), you will love this craft art project from Sparketh Youtube content creator, Maria. It’d be great for a family art night, especially if you have older kids!

Maria is a talented artist in many mediums, and in this video she’ll show you how to transform something ordinary into a beautiful, stained-glass jar using art! When you’re finished, you can put a real (or battery-operated) candle inside for a luminous, stained glass effect. Even if you’re not a candle person, you can still enjoy the beautiful result as a container or decoration. (You can also gift it!) Click here to watch the video and learn how to make your own stained glass candle holder.  

Amy’s DIY Snow and Snowflakes 

Were you dreaming of a White Christmas that never happened? Don’t worry, snow doesn’t have to stick to a holiday schedule.

January- February is still a great time to get excited about snow, so why not make your own? In the links below, Sparketh’s TikTok content creator, Amy, will show you how to make DIY Fake Snow that’s fun to fidget and play with.

Click this link to see how to make your own fake snow at home! This is the perfect activity for little kids (just make sure they don’t eat it!)

Before Christmas, Amy also did a tutorial on paper snowflakes that you can use for decoration, but honestly we think it’s cool to decorate your space with snowflakes anytime during winter (or whenever you want!) If you’ve always wanted to try your hand at cutting out those perfect paper flakes, this is your moment!

Click here to watch the DIY paper snowflake video on TikTok. 

Beyond just snow-inspired videos, Amy is always sharing fun, quick art hacks and tips to try at home. Don’t forget to follow to our TikTok channel so you don’t miss any awesome tips! We strive to contribute to the creative community and offer art education via our social media platforms!

Katie’s “New Year’s Word” Art Night

Have you ever heard of choosing a single word for the New Year instead of writing a list of resolutions?

One of my friends recommended it to me a few years ago, and I love it! Instead of starting off the year with a list of restrictions or rules, starting off with a one word focus can be a very mindful alternative.  I have found that choosing one word to focus on is not overwhelming. I also don’t forget it as the year goes by!

Over the past few years, I’ve adapted the process of choosing a word for the New Year into a reflective art night. It’s a great family activity too, especially if you have kids who are old enough to understand the concept of choosing a focus for the new year.

How to do it:

First, you may want to do some reflecting and brainstorming.  What was last year like? What do you want to be different this year? What would you like to do (or be) more of in the coming year? What priorities would you like to have, going forward? Try to think of a word that describes the focus you’d like to keep coming back to throughout the year. For example, a couple of my previous words have been, “bravery,” and “Hygge” (which basically means “cozy and peaceful.”)

Once you have your word, it’s time to get creative! Using any medium you like, create a work of art that features and reflects the word you choose. This is a great way to spend time thinking about the year ahead!

Maddy’s Birch Trees at Night 

Birch Trees is a newer course in the Sparketh online course gallery! This watercolor course shows students (of any age) how to create a mysterious, wintery painting that shows birch trees at night. As is the goal with all of our courses, Birch Trees also teaches some pretty cool watercolor techniques that can be applied to original works. We think this is the perfect choice for a family art night. Just gather your supplies and follow along with our super instructor, Maddy! It could not be easier (or cozier.)

Sparketh members can login and follow this link to get to the Birch Tree Course!

Becca’s Decorative Melting Snowmen 

Our Sparketh Community host, Becca, is an art instructor in the digital and physical spaces! In addition to being one of Sparketh‘s art instructors, Becca also teaches art in the classroom. Becca shared this fun “melting snowman” art craft that she did with the students at her school. You need just a few inexpensive supplies for this one, but the kids in your family are going to love it! This makes a great winter decoration (and could be a Christmas ornament for next year, too). Follow her instructions below to create some adorable, silly melting snowmen at home!

What You Need: 

• Clear transparency sheet
• Pipe cleaners
• Beads
• Hole punch
• Black and orange paper
• Ribbon
• Shaving cream
• White liquid glue
• Glitter (white or silver)

Prep Ahead of Time (helpful if working with young/multiple kids):

• Cut transparency sheet into a square a little larger than your hand (including fingers)
• Cut brown pipe cleaners into pieces for arms
• Hole punch black paper to use for eyes, mouth, and buttons
• Cut pieces of ribbon for the scarf
• Cut orange papers into triangles for the nose
• Cut black paper into the shape of top hats

How to Make it:

1. The recipes calls for mixing together equal parts of white glue and shaving cream- roughly one cup of each material. However, from my personal experience, I found that overdoing the shaving cream made it even better! Start with the shaving cream and add the glue as you go, checking the consistency. The more glue you add, the denser (and more rubbery) the paint will be. We also sprinkled in silver glitter because- Why Not?!

2. Stir the ingredients together and then play around with it to feel the texture! Smear it, poke it, squish it! (It’s like a fluffy slime!) After you’re done playing, it’s time to assemble! Take a spoonful and place on the transparency square pieces and smear as much as desired. I recommend keeping the shape organic and wobbly like a melted snowman, so you do not have to spread it all the way to the 4 corners! And leave it thick.

3. Next, add in your pieces wherever you want. Part of the fun of the snowman being “melted” is that things can be arranged however you want. Add in eyes, nose, mouth, buttons, hat, and arms! Since your puffy paint is sticky, all the items will stay on their own! Just lightly place and give a little poke. Poke too hard, and your pieces will disappear into the fluff! Once you have everything arranged the way that you want, set your snowman in a safe space to dry overnight!

4. Use a pipe cleaner and beads of any color to create a colorful handle! Twist together the ends to keep the beads from falling off.
Once the paint has dried, trim the transparency piece to the shape of the dried melted snowman, and hot glue on your handle! We twisted the pipe cleaner together at the ends to make a loop and I only placed a dot of hot glue on the twist and then stuck that onto the back side of the melted snowman, on the transparency piece!

TAH-DAH! A textured, melted snowman decoration! So cute!

We hope that these fun art ideas prompt you and your family to have some creative and cozy nights in this winter! At Sparketh, we believe that creativity blooms at home and that art can be a wonderful way to connect as a family. If you try some of these ideas, be sure to let us know on our social media channels! We’d love to see and share your art! Happy creating. 

The post Winter Art Projects for the Whole Family! appeared first on Sparketh.

A kids’ drawing class teaches your child more about the world and themselves than you might realize. Here are just a few things that you can expect your child to learn:

1) How to draw

It goes without saying that a kid drawing class gives your child the fundamentals of how to draw. Kids who understand how to break down images into shapes, blend colors, and work with different mediums are able to gain so much more from each drawing project.

2) Fine Motor Skills

Drawing is one of the most effective ways to practice fine motor skills. A good kids’ drawing class works on fine motor skills without your child even knowing it is happening.

3) Expressing Emotions

Drawing gives kids the opportunity to express emotions that they might not have words to express. A kids’ drawing class gives them to the tools that they can use to draw their feelings effectively. Kids who practice the arts become more empathetic adults.

4) Appreciation for the Arts

Kids’ drawing classes not only give kids the knowledge to draw better, but they also allow kids to be able to understand and appreciate the arts better.

5) Calming

A kids’ drawing class can be an incredibly calming experience for some children. Many artists feel that drawing is a moving meditation that allows them to work at their own pace and in their own imagination. Kids who draw have the ability to escape from the many stressors in life with just a pencil and a piece of paper.

6) Problem-Solving

While kids are learning to draw, they are also learning problem-solving skills. A kids’ art class gives your child the fundamentals of drawing, but they also learn how to fix mistakes or look at a picture in a new way. Kids who draw often grow up to be excellent problem-solvers.

7) Confidence

A kids’ drawing class can give children an extra boost of confidence. When they realize that they have the ability to draw, their self-confidence increases in all aspects of their lives.

8) Social Skills

A kids’ drawing class can be a great way to increase your child’s social skills. Drawing alongside someone else, in person or virtually, is a great bonding experience.

9) Imagination

Giving your child the tools she needs in order to draw what is in her imagination allows her to let her imagination run wild. A great kids’ drawing class unleashes that spark.

10) Self-Directed Fun

These days, kids tend to participate in activities that require a device or a group of people to play. Drawing is a fun activity that can be done solo and enjoyed immensely. A good kids’ drawing class can help your child learn to enjoy time alone.

For a great variety in kids’ art classes online, check out Sparketh. They offer high-quality kids’ drawing classes, from beginner to advance. Each week, new content is released. Sparketh’s team of professional educators and artists are trained in teaching art in a way that is accessible to anyone.

The post Drawing Classes for Kids: 10 Reasons to Sharpen Your Kid’s Talent appeared first on Sparketh.

For any art student, learning how to draw a portrait is an important rite of passage. However, it is something that can feel complex and intimidating.  With that in mind, this post is devoted to all of the art students out there who want to learn how to master portrait-drawing at home.  Below, you’ll find a list of 15 online art classes that teach students how to draw portraits via step-by-step tutorials.  Links are given to each course in the description (all of them are free to Sparketh members.) There are many different styles of portraits represented in the courses here, as well as versatile artistic techniques that can help you on your portrait-drawing journey. We hope you’ll explore them and find something that fits your needs, helps you learn, and gives you hours of artistic inspiration and fun!

Pictured:  Dwayne Walker, Sparketh CEO/ one of Sparketh’s art instructors

1. Realism Portrait Online Art Course

Realism is (appropriately enough) a realistic style of drawing or painting that originated in France in the mid 1800s. A portrait done in the style of realism attempts to capture all details of the person being drawn as accurately as possible–like a photograph. This advanced, step-by-step Realism Portrait Tutorial shows students how to draw an accurate portrait in this style, sharing tips and tricks every step of the way.

2. Manga Portrait Online Art Course

Manga is a Japanese style of illustration that has become increasingly popular over the last several years. It’s a very fun and exaggerated  art style, which makes it really great for creative kids and teens to play with.  This Manga Portrait Tutorial will help Manga fans create an original character in this style!

3. Cubism Portrait Online Art Course

If you or your child/teen is looking for a unique or alternative take on drawing portraits, try exploring portraits in the art style of Cubism! The Cubism movement in art originated in the early 19th century and is most commonly associated with Picasso. This art form doesn’t just look groovy, though. It’s also great practice in mapping out shapes and showing the subject from multiple perspectives at once!  Use this online art course to draw a Cubism portrait–you’ll end up with a really cool drawing and some valuable artistic skills in your toolbox, too.

4. Pop Art Portrait Online Art Course

Pop art uses bright colors, bold lines and shapes, and popular cultural influences to form an artistic style that truly (*incoming pun*) pops. Kids and teens can learn a little bit about the Pop Art Movement and have a blast creating their own pop art style portrait with this Pop Art Portrait Online Art Course.

5. Surrealism Portraits

This Surrealism Portrait Course for advanced students will show students how to take a psychological, dream-like approach to the portraits they draw.  This online art course will help students think differently about how they approach portraits, and shares useful tips for blending realism and surrealism to create a mind-bending portrait drawing.

6. Gesture Drawing

Gesture drawing is all about keeping the artwork quick, loose, and focused on movement. Therefore, practicing gesture drawing can  help artists become quicker and more decisive as they sketch lines that reflect the subject’s basic shapes and lines. (These are all important skills for any artist who draws portraits, especially when drawing them from life!) This Gesture Drawing Course will help strengthen your child or teen’s art toolbox and portrait skills.

7. Harlem Renaissance Portrait

With this Harlem Renaissance Portrait, artists learn how to recognize and recreate certain elements from this dynamic artistic movement! Students will learn how to create an energetic, colorful portrait that makes a statement by intentionally emphasizing certain elements and features (and playing down others).

8. Facial Proportions

New to drawing portraits, or need a refresher? This online Facial Proportions Art Class for beginners teaches students how to sketch out basic facial proportions. This one is the perfect course to start with before exploring some of the different styles of art portraits mentioned here! Once you have a good understanding of facial proportions, you can apply that knowledge to any art style you like!

9. Hair Textures

Sometimes, young artists (and older ones, too) get in a “hair rut” in their drawings of people and start drawing everyone with the same type of hair. This fun, online Hair Texture Tutorial explores several different types of hair textures and will help students get comfortable with drawing each one. This is definitely a great skill for any artist to have a handle on.

10. Hands

Drawing hands doesn’t come naturally to many artists. However, including a subject’s hands in his or her portrait can make the portrait more interesting, expressive, and complex (in a good way!) This course, which was originally created for Mother’s Day, shows art students how to sketch out basic shapes for the hands before filling in details.

11.  Basic Colored Pencil Techniques

Colored pencils can be a versatile, convenient  and affordable art medium for kids and teens. They can be very useful in drawing portraits! You can actually do more with these tools than a lot of new artists realize. This Basic Colored Pencil Techniques Course covers some tips and tricks that will help you elevate your colored pencil game. Apply these tips to drawing portraits—or anything you like!

12. Basic Watercolor Techniques

This Basic Watercolor Online Art Course is perfect for kids and teens to the unique medium of watercolor painting! Watercolor painting is very different from other types of painting, so it can be a little confusing to know how to get started without a little bit of guidance. Students can use the foundational techniques in this online art course and apply them to watercolor paintings of all types (including, of course, portraits!)

P.S. One really cool method for watercolor portraits is to draw the portrait in a non-bleeding pen (using your preferred art style) and then paint over the more detailed lines with loose, wet-on-wet watercolor!

13. Fauvism Portrait

The art style of Fauvism is all about bright, contrasting colors and striking visuals, which can result in fun and exciting portraits! This online Fauvism Portrait course will show students how to apply some of the techniques of Fauvism as they follow the steps in the tutorial to create a vividly colorful portrait.

14. Impressionism Portrait

As the name indicates, the art movement of Impressionism focused on the impression of a subject or scene. Impressionistic art pays attention to things like light, color, movement, and feeling. Looking at an impressionistic portrait should therefore give a true impression of the living subject. This online art course will show students the basics that are needed to complete a portrait in the style of Impressionism.

15. I See You Challenge

This open-ended challenge has limitless possibilities. It challenges students to think closely about the details when drawing a subject’s eyes. How will the light be reflected in the shape of the eye? What “Easter eggs,” could you add into the eyes’ reflections to say something interesting or insightful about the person you are drawing? This detail-oriented challenge is perfect for students who are trying to think of ways to make their portraits stand out.

We hope that these courses make it easy for your (or your art student) to gain confidence, boost skills and have fun while drawing many different types of portraits! All of these courses are included in the Sparketh membership, but don’t forget to upload your finished products after completing each course! We love to see what you’ve been up to over in the gallery. We also have a special art track for portraits that contains most of these art courses. Joining this track can make it easy for you to keep up with which portrait courses you’ve tried, and what you’d like to try next!

Do you love drawing portraits? Which of these courses will you try first?

The post Want to Draw Better Portraits? These 15 Online Art Classes Will Help! appeared first on Sparketh.

Given that children have a blast when they get free reign over a table of art supplies (without any direction at all), you may be wondering:

“Why painting classes?”

The guided format of painting classes for kids goes beyond exploration and making messes (which are both good things, too, by the way). Among other things,  painting classes for kids can help children learn more about art, emotions, and ways to express themselves effectively! Today, we’re talking about 5 reasons that painting classes are fun and rewarding for kids.

1.  Painting Classes Help Kids Find Their Tribe.

Kids who are drawn to creative endeavors (like art) will have fun making positive connections with instructors and peers in painting classes. Many people don’t think about art as being a social activity, because so much of it is personal/individual. But even though painting classes do give kids projects that are individual, they do so within a collective, supportive group atmosphere.

Because kids tend to relax and focus while doing art, the painting class also presents a very calming social space for kids. This tends to help kids  (especially shy or introverted ones) relax in a group environment and ultimately feel more comfortable connecting with others.

And painting classes don’t have to be in-person to help kids connect with  “art tribe” peers, either.  Social connections can occur via virtual art classes, too! Virtual painting and art classes, like the ones offered here at Sparketh, are becoming an increasingly popular way for students to gain structured, professional instruction and connect with a supportive creative community. In fact, Sparketh recently started up the Sparketh Community, a free virtual space for artsy kids and teens all around the world to complete art challenges, talk about artsy things, and support each other. (You can check it out here.)

Whether in-person or online, painting classes can help kids develop unique bonds with their art instructors and classmates when they share in the fun of creating art together.

2. Painting Classes Teach that Learning New Skills is Rewarding

Learning a new skill under the guidance of a talented teacher is a very fun experience for anyone!  Painting classes for kids  can help grow kids’ creative skills and help them learn new techniques that can make painting even more fun and rewarding.

Think about it this way: everyone loves a challenge. When kids learn new skills and become comfortable applying them under the guidance of an art instructor, they get to face new, exciting challenges and discover the tools they need to create the kind of art they’ve always wanted to. Yes, kids can pick up a paintbrush and paint a picture without any instruction, but when you give kids the foundations to allow them to paint at a higher level, the experience becomes even more enjoyable.

As kids learn and improve, they also enjoy being able to visually see the progress through their own art!

3) Painting Classes Support Good Emotional Health

There are so many ways that art can help kids and teens express their emotions more effectively! Painting can be a helpful outlet for complicated feelings, and it can also be a calming and therapeutic practice. In fact, art therapy is one of the most commonly used techniques by mental health practitioners who work with kids and teens!

So where do panting classes come in? Signing your child or teen up for painting classes is a great way to support their creativity and provide a regular outlet to foster good emotional health, too! As already discussed, painting classes for kids will also help kids and teens grow their artistic skillsets and become even more comfortable using art as a creative and emotional outlet. As art becomes a regular part of your child’s life, it can also become a regular part part of his/her emotional well-being!

4. Painting Classes Grow Self-Confidence

Because art is something that many children and teens are naturally interested in anyway, art/painting classes can provide an awesome opportunity for kids to enjoy the satisfaction of learning how to do something they love– really well.

The experience of learning and growing in an area of interest is awesome for two reasons. Firstly, it shows kids how satisfying learning can be. Secondly, it’s a huge self-confidence boost!

Painting classes can teach kids so much more about how to paint. They can also teach kids to take pride in hard work and to have confidence in the results of that hard work. When kids and teens see how painting classes have helped their art improve, it gives them a huge sense of accomplishment as they learn that patience and perseverance can lead to very satisfying results.

Bonus: a self-confident child is better equipped to find fun in other parts of his or her life, as well!

5. Painting Classes Support Independence

Painting classes for kids give children and teens a skill that they can enjoy on their own…whenever they want! With remote/virtual art classes, kids and teens can even take ownership of art classes as an independently-driven elective course. For example, the online art courses at Sparketh are self-paced, and kids of most ages are able to navigate the course library and work through the courses independently to pick up new art skills, anytime!

And let’s be honest: of the many different independent activities that kids or teens could choose to be excited about, art is one of the best! Beyond that, knowing how to have independent fun is a useful skill that can benefit kids and teens for the rest of their lives.

Painting classes for kids allow your child or teen to have fun in so many different ways. Art classes themselves are enjoyable, but the lasting benefits of art and painting classes include meaningful social connections, a strong emotional outlet, and positive associations with learning, growth and independence!

Sparketh offers 1000 online and on-demand art tutorials, as well as one-on-one mentorship, and a free art community where artsy kids can meet other creatives in their age range. Classes are taught by art teachers who are passionate about both art and sharing their knowledge with kids. Right now, you can even sign up to try Sparketh free for 30 days.

The post 5 Reasons Painting Classes are Fun for Kids appeared first on Sparketh.

Part of the creative challenge with blackout poetry is how you will cover up the words that aren’t the main focus of your piece. You may want to cover some of them up in black or colorful opaque or transparent mediums, designs, detailed art, and even photos or art from other resources. You can use markers, paint, pastels, colored pencils. . . honestly any medium you want! As you can see, there are so many ways to be creative and express yourself with blackout poetry, through both the words you choose to highlight and the visual methods you choose to do so.

The underlying thought behind this form of art is that we can find deeper meaning by narrowing in on what’s already there, instead of always having to add more. Poetry and art are often about refining existing concepts and ideas down to what is most important, and blackout poetry really highlights that creative principle.

Who Should Try Blackout Poetry:

One of the nice things about blackout poetry is that it’s a great way to spark creativity at any level. You don’ t have to be an advanced artist, or an advanced poet, to try this art form. In fact, if you’re not feeling very creative, blackout poetry can even act as a helpful creative prompt.  This type of art is also a great way to discover new things about yourself as you start to notice what words or themes you are drawn to. It can even be a great form of creative journaling to support good emotional awareness and health.

If you’re a classroom teacher or homeschooling parent, blackout poetry would be a great way to celebrate National Poetry Month as part of an English or art class. It also makes a fun friend or family art activity! Since my family loves art, we got together recently to create some blackout poetry as a group activity. We had a blast and snapped some pictures in the process (which you’ll see below). Whether you’re an artist, a poet, a student, a parent, or a teacher (or some combination of these things), I think you’ll enjoy the creativity and freedom of expression that comes with creating your own blackout poetry.

What You’ll Need:

At bare minimum, you need a text that you are willing to sacrifice for the sake of art/poetry, and some artistic media to cover up words. Here are some specific ideas:

• Old books, newspapers, magazines that you don’t mind getting a forever makeover
• A notebook for brainstorming
• Sharpies, markers pens, colored pencils or your artistic medium of choice
• (Optional ideas) Modge Podge, glitter, fabric, relatively flat 3 dimensional objects (leaves, buttons, ect.)

How to Get Started:

1. Assemble Your Wordy Resources

Start out by assembling some texts that you are okay with using for this project. Go through your house looking for books you don’t need or want anymore, or maybe even peruse a library sale, yard sale, or used book store to find an inexpensive book that makes a perfect canvas. The nice thing about using a book is that it essentially gives you a whole journal for blackout poetry! If you prefer, you can also use newspapers or magazines. Note to parents: if you are doing this project with kids (especially young kids) make sure they know that they need to always check before attempting to do blackout poetry on random books at home.

 Does it make you feel guilty to write/draw on books?

As a booklover, I understand feeling a little squeamish about “destroying” books. If that’s you, here are just a few quick thoughts to can help put your mind at ease. Firstly, remember that you’re not actually destroying a book. You’re transforming it. Secondly, recognize that while there are probably many copies of the text you are using out there in the world, you are creating something original and new with it as a canvas. Finally, there are a lot of situations in which blackout poetry can actually repurpose media that was just collecting dust, anyway. For example, outdated textbooks, technical books, cookbooks, newspapers, and magazines tend to just sit around taking up space. When you use them as art, you’re essentially recycling. Recycling is a good thing!

2. Read and Choose Your Main Words

Look over the pages in your chosen text until you find one that catches your eye. Read the page, looking for words that jump out of you. Using a notebook and pen, write down every word that catches your eye, either for its meaning or sound (or any reason!) Tip: It helps to make sure you keep the words in the same order in your notes as on the page of original text. This will help your final poem visually make sense to the reader.

3. Brainstorm Your Message and Tweak Your Selection

Once you have your list of words, scan them them again, looking for a theme or a connection between them. This can be really cool way to gain some insight into your own subconscious thoughts and emotions. Once you have found a meaningful statement or a theme in your words, go back through the original text again and see if there are any other words that might help convey the idea more clearly. Maybe a couple of connecting words are needed, or maybe you’d like to find a couple of alliterative or rhyming words to add to your blackout poem.

When you’re happy with your choices, jot your final selection of words and read it through.

4. Draw Attention to Your Words on the Page

Once you know which words are going to be in your poem, go through the page and put a box or circle around each one of them. In addition to making sure you don’t accidentally leave a word out, this will help you as you as you begin to think about how you will highlight them visually.

Once all of your selected words are marked, start covering up/masking the words that don’t have to do with your poem. Some people black out everything that isn’t relevant to their poem. Others decide to draw lines or shapes that connect the words together. Some people faintly blur out the rest of the page and then create art over it. Check out our pictures below for just a couple of examples of what these different methods can look like:

5. Add Art!

Once the words for your poem are highlighted, you can start to enhance the theme of your message by adding the visual creative component: AKA art! Use your favorite artistic medium to create a design, drawing, or painting that goes along with the words of your blackout poem.

If you want, you can even incorporate elements like photographs, fabric, leaves, ect. to make it a mixed-media piece. There’s no wrong or right here. Just be creative! Here are the final results from my family’s art night. It’s fun to see how different and unique each one is!

Blackout Poetry by Ella Powell

Blackout Poetry by Emma Powell

Blackout Poetry by Kathryn Gustafson

Blackout Poetry by Dane Gustafson

6. Keep Creating

Once you’ve done your first piece of blackout poetry, you may find yourself addicted to the process! It’s a great way to create poetry and art while also gaining some insight into your own mind and feelings. (Plus it also can count as recycling, so….win-win-win-win!?) It could be a great habit to incorporate into your regular routine and nurture your own creativity on a regular basis.

Want more inspiration?

This video on Sparketh’s TikTok channel shows some more awesome blackout poetry examples from Amy— a Sparketh instructor you might recognize from some of the online courses!

Do you feel inspired to give blackout poetry a try? If you are a student (or the parent of one) we’d love for you to share your art with us! You can upload your finished products in the Sparketh member gallery or in our new online Community. You can also tag us on social media with @sparkethdotcom (Instagram) or  @sparketh (Facebook) when you share your art.  Have fun and stay creative!

The post How to Create Blackout Poetry at Home appeared first on Sparketh.

Before you start telling yourself things like, “But wait, I’m not a poet,” let me stop you there. Combining art and poetry does not have to be complicated. It’s not about perfection, or even technique. Instead, it’s all about exploration and fun.  As you connect meaningful words with visual art, you may even find yourself relaxing and connecting to themes and ideas that you didn’t even know were floating around in your brain!

Personally, I find that creative challenges (like connecting art and poetry) often give just the right amount of structure and direction to inspire and motivate me, and I hope that’s the case with you, too. Here are 5 easy ways to connect art and poetry.  Try these ideas to learn more about poetry and create your own unique masterpieces!

1. Blackout Poetry

Blackout poetry is a fun and relaxing creative activity for all artistic levels and ages. Essentially, you take discarded paper media (books, magazines, or newspapers you don’t want to read anymore) and use it as a template to guide your blackout poetry. You’ll start by choosing a page and finding the words that jump out to you most. These words will make the basis of your poem, and you’ll black out all of the other words (the ones that you didn’t select).

After you’ve blacked out the words you don’t want, you can go back over those parts of the page and create designs or artwork to complement your blackout poem! I wrote a more detailed tutorial about how to do it here, so be sure to check that out if you like step-by-step instructions!

Artist Credit: Emma Powell

2. Create a Work of Art That Incorporates a Word or Phrase

Do you have a word(s), phrase, or message that means a lot to you? If so, why not use it as inspiration for a work of art? This approach doesn’t require you to necessarily incorporate a traditional poem. However, creating visual art around a single word or expression will expand that particular word’s meaning, power and resonance to the viewer. This is something that great poetry often does as well (just in a different way).

Start out by writing your word or phrase and brainstorming about it’s significance and meaning to you. What images, colors, and feelings come to mind when you think of your word(s)?  The visual components that you come up with don’t need to be obvious (in fact, your art will probably be better and more original if it’s not), but the connections between the word(s), color choices, and images have to mean something true to you.

There are many great contemporary artists who feature words in their art to create a powerful message or draw attention to a concept or theme. You can check out some of these artists and their work by clicking this link.

3. Write a Poem Inspired by a Work of Art (Ekphrastic Poetry)

If you are an art enthusiast who wants to flex your creative writing muscles, then you may enjoy the challenge of writing a poem about your favorite work of art.  There is actually a name for this type of poem; it’s called an ekphrastic poem.

If you want to write an ekphrastic poem, start out by choosing a favorite work of art for inspiration. Study it.

What is the scene being set by the image?  What colors, textures, figures, or symbols speak to you or create strong images in your mind? What themes are at work?

Brainstorm words and phrases for your poem as you consider these types of questions, then begin constructing your poem, line by line, according to your poetry form of choice (or in free verse, if you prefer).

One tip for writing powerful poetry? More is less. That’s why poets are infamous artists of revision. So write your first draft and let it sit awhile. Then revisit and revise, taking out the words that don’t add impact to your poem.

If are a teacher (or #homeschoolteacher) this would also be a great way to include some art history into a writing activity, or some creative writing into art. Overall, I think ekphrastic poems provide a valuable way to think about what speaks to us in our favorite works of art.

4. Create a Work of Art that Represents Your Favorite Poem

This poetry and art activity is the the exact inverse of the last one! Whereas ekphrastic poems put art into words, this activity is all about creating art that visually represents a poem that you love.

First, start out by choosing a poem that speaks to you. It can be a be a well-known poem, a lesser known one, or even one that you write yourself! As you think about the poem, consider why you like it. Brainstorm about what you will draw to reflect the poem’s meaning (either an objective/literal meaning or a personal one). Two members of the Sparketh team tried this exercise at home, which you can see below!

Maria, who you can watch doing weekly art demonstrations on our Youtube channel, used part of Langston Hughes’ famous poem, “Dreams” as inspiration for the artwork below.  Her drawing (featured below) shows a sleeping girl, surrounded in a surreal haze which represents her dreams.

Artist Credit : Maria Sandoval

Poem: “Dreams” by Langston Hughes, 1922

(Watch her create this piece on our Youtube channel!) 

Becca, a Sparketh instructor you may recognize from some of  our online art courses,  shared the below piece with the students in Sparketh Community.  The poem that Becca selected reminds her of her relationship with her sister, so her drawing reflects her personal connection with the poem.

Artist Credit: Becca Scoggins

Poem by AnaSoulful

Check out the free Sparketh Community here

There’s no wrong way to do this activity (or really any of these activities). The important thing is to enjoy connecting with words and finding ways to represent them through art!

5. Create Art From Words (Concrete Poetry)

We’ve talked about ways to use words in your art, but did you know that you can create art out of words?  Concrete poetry (also known as shape poetry) involves writing poems in such a way that the shape of the poem creates a visual image.

This gives the poem visual meaning, in addition to written meaning. Poets who write concrete poetry make very deliberate choices about where each line of their poems will naturally end, so that the poem’s words, and its shape, flow together to create a unique work of art/poetry. Check out the below image to get an idea of what this can look like.

Poem:  “The Swan and the Shadow,” by John Hollander, 1966

You can have fun connecting words and poetry by writing your own concrete poetry! Especially if you’re working with kids, it is easiest to choose a simple topic, such as a favorite activity or animal.  Hint: Think about something that will visually translate well as a simple shape on the page that you can fill with words. Next, outline the shape of your topic on the page.  Brainstorm adjectives, descriptions and short lines as your words for the concrete poem. Lastly, put it all together by arranging your final word selection into the shape you outlined! If this is your first attempt at concrete poetry, remember that it’s perfectly okay to keep things simple. This is a fun challenge that is great to do together as a family–even young kids will enjoy it!

It’s always a good idea to mix things up and be creative with how we see the world around us, and these 5 ideas for connecting art and poetry will have you stretching those creative muscles and hopefully feeling inspired, too! Whether you are a student or an adult, we hope you enjoy trying these activities out at home, in your classroom, or in your homeschool! Let us know which ideas you try!

The post How to Teach Poetry with Art appeared first on Sparketh.

When you create original art for someone,  it’s always a one-of-a-kind gift, so creating art for your mom for Mother’s Day can definitely be a great idea. However,  you also want to make sure that the art you give to your mom (or aunt, grandma, etc. ) is presented in the best way possible, right? Not just any doodle will do! For most moms, I think that the thought that is put into a gift means just as much as the gift itself. With that in mind, here are 5 tips for giving your mom thoughtful art – the kind of art that will make her smile every time she see’s it- this Mother’s Day!

1. Start with a Plan

It may seem obvious, but don’t just start drawing something generic with no plans or intention! Stop and think about your mom (or other recipient). Consider things like:

• Would she prefer something she can hang on the wall,  something smaller, or functional art?
• What are her favorite colors?
• What medium does she like and/or what is your strongest artistic medium?
• What subjects might speak to her (more on that later)?

And last, but definitely not least:

• How much time do you have?

This last one is so important. It’s probably easy for a lot of us to imagine the work of art we’d ideally love to create for someone. That creative mind gets going and it can kind of seem like the possibilities are endless, right? While that’s a great feeling, creatively speaking, it doesn’t always pan out when you are trying to create a gift by a deadline. If you only have a couple of days before Mother’s Day, you want to make sure and plan something that’s realistic for you to finish…and to finish well! In other words, if you’re short on time, a bigger canvas is not always better. A simple, but well-executed idea, comes across as more thoughtful than a hurried attempt at a recreation of Starry Night (unless you’re totally confident that a recreation of Starry Night is your jam, of course.)

Brainstorming in terms of subject matter, medium, and practicality will help you get off to a good start with planning a thoughtful work of art for Mother’s Day.

2. Be Specific

A huge part of being thoughtful is being specific! In order to be specific in creating art for Mother’s Day, you definitely want to choose the topic/subject of your art with care. For example, if you have a mom who loves to garden, you may decide to draw her some flowers. That’s a great idea, and on it’s way to being specific! However, you can elevate that idea even more by being specific in the type of flowers that you draw. What are her favorites? What colors does she love?

You can also think outside of the box of typical Mother’s Day topics, too! For example, do you have a mom who loves coffee? You could paint her the perfect cup of coffee. Or do you have special memories of being with your mom at a particular place? Whether it’s your favorite restaurant or a beach vacation where you both made good memories, painting or a drawing a specific location that means a lot to both of you is a great example of being thoughtful and specific. You could also take a favorite photo of the two of you together to try to recreate with art!

Here are some more possible topics/subjects to get you thinking about being specific as you choose a topic for your thoughtful Mother’s Day art.

• What is your mom’s favorite book or movie? Could you draw inspiration from either with your art?
• Does she have any hobbies you could highlight in a fun way with your art?
• Does your mom love music or poetry? Could you use lyrics/words in your art? (Here are some ideas for using words in art).
• If you were to arrange a table with items that represent some of your mom’s favorite things, what would be on the table?

With a little brainstorming, it probably won’t be too hard for you to come up with some ideas about how to create thoughtful, meaningful, and specific art for your mom this Mother’s Day.

3. Consider Functional Art

Art isn’t always something you hang on the wall–it can come in many forms! As you plan and think about your mom’s specific interests, one thing to consider is whether or not she’s someone who would enjoy a functional work of art. This can be a particularly good idea if your mom doesn’t have a lot of wall space, or if you’ve already given her several pieces of traditional art. There are a lot of fun and creative ways to make art that your mom will use/interact with everyday!

For example, if your mom loves being outside and gardening, consider painting something for her garden! Instead of a canvas, you could paint a large rock or paving stone, a statue, elevate a birdhouse, etc.

Over on Sparketh’s Youtube channel, we have a couple of examples for DIY functional art that you can watch to get inspired! The first is a hummingbird feeder adorned with gorgeous, colorful, painted hummingbirds.

You could also create a one-of-a-kind frame that can hold a photograph of you and your mom. In the video below, you can see how Sparketh’s Youtube artist transforms a basic frame into a personalized masterpiece,  using air dry clay and paint!

If you like the idea of functional art, here are a few more ideas to get you inspired:

• Hand paint clay (or polymer clay) beads and use them to create wearable jewelry art!
• Create a miniature drawing or watercolor painting, laminate it, and gift it as bookmark.
• You could also create your art on a small canvas and use hot glue to attach magnet strips to the back. Voila! The most artistic magnet ever.
• You could take a basic lamp/lampshade (check your local thrift store for best results) and paint the inside of  the lampshade with acrylic paint. When the light is off, the lampshade will appear normal. Turn it on and your beautiful artwork will shine through the lampshade!
• Use your artistic skills to create a one-of-a-kind Mother’s Day card that your mom will want to keep forever.

4. Use Helpful Resources

When you’re creating art as a gift, you obviously want to do your best! One thing you can do to can ensure you are presenting your best effort is make use of helpful resources like the professional online art courses we offer at Sparketh. If you are already a Sparketh member, then you know that we have a large variety of online art courses that can help you sharpen your skills when working with a particular medium or trying to learn how to draw something new.

It’s amazing what a big difference step-by-step instruction can make, especially if you’re wanting to draw or paint something that you haven’t tried before. Many of our students are amazed by the artwork they are able to produce when following along with Sparketh courses and learning through a step-by-step approach.

Our course library includes courses on how to draw a variety of different animals, still-life objects, portrait styles, abstract art, and more. If you’re a member, and already have something specific in mind to create for your mom,  you should definitely check out our course library. We probably have at least one course that will give you valuable tips and techniques to elevate your Mother’s Day art!

5. Add Finishing Details

Once you’ve planned and created your beautiful work of art for Mother’s Day, it’s time to think about the finishing details –also known as the presentation. A thoughtful presentation is the perfect finishing detail to show your mom that you were intentional about every aspect of the work of art you’ve made for her.

For example, if you used pencils, pen or watercolor to create your art, “finishing details” might mean finding a pretty frame to protect and go with it.  If you created functional art, or art on canvas, you might want to take a little bit of time to wrap your gift carefully.

Don’t forget to write a few special words to your mom, too, possibly even describing what inspired you to create you work of art for her! (The ultimate finishing detail is always the note!)

Moms (and stepmoms, grandmothers, aunts, and other honorary moms) are already likely to love any work of art that you’ve taken the time to create for them. Hopefully these 5 tips will help you create an extra thoughtful gift for the special woman (or women) in your life this Mother’s Day!

The post 5 Tips for Giving Your Mom Thoughtful Art This Mother’s Day appeared first on Sparketh.

For all of that, though, watercolor is actually a really rewarding and fun medium! With watercolors, you can create an effect of lightness and flow in your art that no other medium quite captures. For many artists, there’s also something really fun about the looseness of the medium, because the art that you create seems to have a little bit of a life of its own.

John Singer Sargent. “Muddy Alligators,” 1917. (Photo: Public Domain)

If you are thinking of trying out watercolor painting for the first time, don’t be scared. While it may be different from other types of painting, watercolor painting is beautiful and fun. It’s just something you have to play with a little bit to get comfortable! To help, here are 10 basic watercolor tips for beginners (of all ages) that will help get you started. Happy painting!

1.Use real watercolor paper.

When it comes to watercolor painting, paper makes all the difference in the world. Most of us probably remember those cheap watercolor booklets from very early childhood. You know, the ones that came with a little watercolor set and brush that you could use to paint the Disney illustrations on the coloring paper? While that was a fun way to spend a few minutes when you were five, those materials (especially the paper) won’t hold up when you’re really wanting to watercolor.

Nope, you need watercolor paper. Watercolor paper is heavier and it will absorb the paint and water. This is important for a couple of reasons. Firstly, regular paper literally won’t hold up once you start putting water on it (which means that your art will be destroyed). Secondly, the thickness and absorbency of watercolor paper will help direct the flow of the water and the paint.

And just because I’m telling you to spring for real watercolor paper doesn’t mean you have to buy the most expensive kind, especially when you are first getting started. There are definitely some very nice (and pricey) watercolor paper brands out there, but there are also some inexpensive brands that are ideal for someone who is just starting out with this medium. Some types of watercolor paper are smooth, and others are more rough. (I like watercolor paper that has a little bit of “tooth” –a gripping texture.) I’d suggest starting with a less expensive brand and moving up from there as you get more comfortable with watercolor painting!

2. Pick the right paint and brushes.

In addition to watercolor paper, you obviously need watercolor paint (which is what makes it watercolor, right?) You’ll also want brushes that are designated for watercolor (especially if you do other types of painting)! There is a huge amount of variety when it comes to different types of paint and brushes, so it’s important to find ones that work the best for you. Below are some tips and suggestions for choosing what you’ll need to get started.

Watercolor Brushes:

You don’t need to spend a ton of  money, but you will want more than one shape or size brush for your watercolor endeavors (again, you are not looking to recreate those Disney watercolor booklets from your childhood).

Try starting with:

• a very small brush (for details)
• a large round brush
• a flat brush (for washes)
• a medium sized brush (any shape)

This will give you a good amount of diversity for a beginner! As you paint more, you can see what else you may want or need. Be sure to clean your brushes and let them dry after each painting session.

Watercolor Paints: Pans, Tubes and Watercolor Pencils

Watercolor paints come in many different  types, price-points and colors! Two of the most common are pans and tubes. Watercolor pans offer a full range of color options in a portable little set that you can swirl your wet brush in to pick up color. Tubes are – well they are what they sound like! With tubes of watercolor paint, you can squeeze out a little bit of paint onto your own custom-made palette.

Both are good choices, depending on what you want. I personally like the portability and ease of using a watercolor pan set. I also think it’s probably the easiest method for the beginner who is interested in watercolors. Tube paints, however, offer richly pigmented colors and greater opacity. They are also ideal if you prefer working on large pieces because you can get more paint on your brush at one time.  (Of course, you can also play around with using a mixture of both!)

Another option to consider is watercolor pencils. Watercolor pencils act like a regular colored pencils until you add water, and then they immediately get that “watercolor effect.” This can also be a good option for the beginning watercolorist because it offers more control and a higher level of detail than watercolor paint.  The only con is that perhaps it doesn’t offer as much of the traditional “watercolor experience,” as paint does.

3. Play around first.

One of my favorite things about watercolor is how it is a little bit loose and has a mind of it’s own, which is something you’ll definitely come across as you play with watercolor paints!

Let go of the need to create super-detailed art.  Don’t put any pressure on yourself to make a masterpiece. Just give yourself some time to play and see how watercolor paints blend and move on the water. See what happens to the colors when you mix them off the page versus on the page, or when you add different amounts of water. Play with blending different colors and adding a drop of water to see what happens! Playing with watercolors like this can be incredibly fun, and it doesn’t really matter if you come up with anything you want to keep.

Sparketh instructor, Amy, posts daily art tips and tricks on Sparketh’s TikTok channel. Recently, Amy shared an awesome idea for playing with watercolor by making random shapes and designs and going back in later with a pen to make visual connections and add details. This is a perfect idea for playing with watercolor, as it’s truly in the watercolor spirit of “going with the flow.”

And you can watch the short video below to see how she did it!

@sparketh

Have y’all tried this? What did your mind make you create?? #artistsoftiktok #myart #watercolor #artblock #arthelp #arttips

♬ Lofi Coffee – Sampladelic

4. Experiment with basic techniques and textures

If you are a Sparketh member, this Sparketh course will show you several different watercolor techniques for beginners to try and talk you through different scenarios in which you might want to use each of them.

These include:

• Wet on wet technique
• Wet on dry technique
• Dry on dry technique
• Dry on wet technique
• Flat wash technique
• Gradient wash technique

The below example by student artist,  Alyssa H.,  comes from the Sparketh student gallery and shows the techniques that this student experimented with in the basic watercolor techniques course.

Salt-Resist Technique

Another technique that is really fun to try when you are getting started is to try creating a wet spread of paint over your watercolor paper and then sprinkle some salt on top! The salt will soak up the paint/pigment, and when your paint is dry you can brush off the salt crystals to reveal a really cool texture on your paper!

5. Start with a Light Sketch.

Starting out with a light pencil sketch is a great strategy to use with watercolor art. In addition to sketching out the details that will guide your painting, you may also want to designate areas of your painting that you want to leave white, keep light, or go darker with.

One of the things that a lot of people have trouble adjusting to with watercolor is the fact that you can’t just paint something white. If you want something in your painting to be white or a lighter-color, you have to leave it that way! And once there is a lot of pigment in a certain area, it’s there to stay.

Therefore it’s important to think about composition of your lights and darks before you start painting. Mapping this out with a sketch can be super helpful! Just be sure to follow the cardinal rule of sketching: keep it super light.

7. Work from Light to Dark.

This one goes hand-in-hand with the last point. In watercolor painting, you aren’t really able to undo, or paint over, color. Once your painting gets dark, adding more paint only makes it darker. That’s why one of the most important tips to keep in mind when working in watercolor is to work from light to dark.

Think about this as being similar to cooking. You can always add more salt to a recipe if you need it, but once you’ve added too much it’s hard to go back and fix your dish!  The same principal applies to watercolor, so it’s important to start out light and layer on darker colors gradually.

If you’re just starting out with watercolors, this mindset may take a little getting used to. However, it is kind of a meditative and relaxing process once you get into it!

8. Have These Things Nearby

You can paint with watercolors as long as you have the brushes, paint and paper. However, you probably have these other supplies at home already, too, and they can help make your experience easier and more fun!

Paper towels

Definitely keep paper towels nearby when painting with watercolor. In addition to cleaning up accidental spills (it happens), they are the exception to the rule when it comes to fixing mistakes. If you put down color somewhere you didn’t mean to, you can add water and press the area with a paper towel to lift it in a hurry. You can also use a paper towel to clean your brush when switching colors.

A special glass jar or cup for painting

This one may seem obvious, but you’ll need a glass of water handy anytime you are painting with watercolors. It can be nice to have a designated cup or jar with your watercolor supplies at all times! You can empty it and store your brushes in it when you aren’t painting. I use a glass vintage cocktail shaker that belonged to my grandparents, and it always makes me smile!

Masking tape

There are (at least) two cool things you can do with masking tape and watercolor painting. Firstly, you can use 4 pieces of tape to create a boarder around your watercolor paper before you get started. This will hold your paper in place on your work surface, and it will also create a cool “frame effect” after you pull the tape off (when your painting is finished and completely dry). Secondly, you can “mask off” other parts of your paper that you want to leave white before you even start painting.  Many art stores carry a masking fluid that you can also use to get this effect with a little more control, but masking tape is a great way to try this technique using something you probably already have at home.

9. Check out some of Sparketh’s online art classes and Social Media Resources

Sparketh  is all about giving your child the best art education at home, so we want to be a resource that helps you learn more about whatever kind of art medium you are interested in! This includes watercolor, of course! We have several online watercolor classes that are perfect for beginners.

(If you are interested in starting a membership and getting access to online art classes, you can find out more, here!) 

We also provide free art resources on a regular basis via our social media channels! The professional artists on our team offer art tips and support via our various channels on:

• TikTok 
• Youtube
• Instagram 
• Facebook 
• The Sparketh Community 

So be sure to follow Sparketh on social media (click any of the above links to go to that respective page)! It’s free, it’s fun, and it’s all about art! There are tips for working in every imaginable medium, including watercolor.

10.  It may sound dumb, but trust me: it’s important…

You may think you don’t need this tip, but it is one of the most important things I can tell you about working with watercolors.

At some point, you will be drinking a beverage from a glass. You will think to yourself, “I’d like to do some watercolor painting.” You will get out your paints, paper, and brushes. You fill up a glass with water. You will take your beverage with you as you sit down and start painting.

After you’ve been painting for awhile, you will reach for your cup, take a drink.

It will be disgusting. You will realize you just drank paint water.  It happens. It happens to us all.

My tip is two-fold:

1. You may want to switch to drinking from a water bottle while painting.

2. If it happens, consider yourself officially initiated into the world of watercolor.

I hope these basic watercolor tips help you get started in your watercolor journey! For more art tips and education, be sure to follow us on social media and check out Sparketh’s online art courses! 

The post 10 Basic Watercolor Tips for Beginners appeared first on Sparketh.

Creativity is such a vital part of learning. When kids are being creative, they take ownership over whatever they are learning. Creating is about so much more than memorizing information. Instead, it requires understanding at a complex level. Creative endeavors necessitate hands-on learning until enough confidence is gained to problem-solve, make decisions, and innovate! Regular engagement in art can help your child develop creatively and even create more positive associations with other types of learning.

The resources in this post reflect our desire to bring creativity and art education to kids – anywhere and everywhere! Art education and creative endeavors play a big role part of learning. In fact, we think that creativity is one of the best tools a young person can have! We hope you enjoy exploring these creative resources as you help your student(s) move forward into an exciting new school year. There’s a little something for everyone: from wearable art,  to art tips, to a back-to-school art competition!

The Sparketh Community

If your child is looking to find an art tribe, there’s no better time to connect with one than the start of a new school year! The Sparketh Community is free and safe (it’s monitored by one of our professional art instructors). It’s also “positive vibes” only: just a genuinely uplifting place for artsy kids and teens to connect and encourage one another!

The Sparketh Community is sponsored/powered by Sparketh, which makes it totally free to you. Art-loving kids and teens from all around the world are welcome to join in to participate in art discussions and prompts. Each month, the community features an art competition that challenges students to create and submit something new! The winner receives art-themed prizes!

This month, in honor of back-to-school season, the Sparketh Community has an art challenge that is all about creating an original character. Specifically, they get to create an alter ego/Variant version of themselves (because kids tend to explore new things and redefine their interests in a new grade!) This “alter ego/Variant” challenge is also inspired by the Disney+ series, Loki, because a lot of our Sparketh Community kids are big Marvel fans! This month’s contest winner will win $400 in art supplies! Your child can participate simply by joining the community at this link and uploading a picture of their challenge submission.

The Sparketh TikTok and Instagram Channel:

One of Sparketh‘s awesome art instructors, Amy, shares seriously useful art tips and ideas on our TikTok channel on a daily basis. Amy is a fantastic artist and she’ll make you laugh, too. Definitely head over to the TikTok channel and subscribe to get daily, bite-sized art motivation that will inspire artists of all ages. You won’t be sorry!

Recently, Amy has also created several back-to-school art tips, like impressive bubble lettering and things you can sketch in the margins of your notes (and more).  It’s everything you need for those all important scholastic doodles!

(Not on TikTok? You can find Amy’s daily art content over our on Instagram page, too!)

Signing up for daily art prompts and inspiration is a great way to support more creativity in the schoolyear ahead!

The Sparketh Youtube Channel:

Another great, free art resource that you may not know about is the Sparketh Youtube Channel. Talented artist, Maria, shares art thoughts, ideas and demos for kids on our Youtube channel twice a week! Maria loves to help get kids inspired with ideas that they will want to recreate at home. Currently, in honor of a new school year, she has been putting together a few special videos that your kids will love.

One of them is a how-to  for creating this pretty and trendy Tie Dye shirt!

In another video, Maria also shows creative kids a way that they can make their backpacks stand out from the rest this year with a cool,  art-centric idea! You can watch that video here (or by clicking below).

Lastly, Maria is also prompting some fun art ideas in conjunction with the current challenge over in the Sparketh Community–she’s created videos where she draws herself in different cartoon art styles! Check these out and drop her a comment to let her know which one is your favorite!

(Also, you know what to do…don’t forget to subscribe!)

The Sparketh Blog:

Our blog (which you’re on right now) also has a ton of helpful resources on homeschooling, art education, and helping your child with his or her art endeavors! Feel free to explore the blog anytime, but here are some that we suggest starting out with (especially if you’re wanting to inject some extra creativity into your child’s daily routine!)

• How Art Supports Good Mental Health in Kids and Teens
• Students Need Art: Here are 10 Reasons Why
• 3 Simple Strategies to Spark Creativity Everyday (In Your Homeschool and Beyond)

Sparketh Online Art Classes for Kids and Teens:

Of course, Sparketh is all about offering kids the best art education–from home (or from anywhere, really!) Our mission comes from a desire to make sure that all kids have access to professional, creative instruction that fits their needs and schedule. If you are interested in making online art classes a part of your child’s routine, click here to learn more!

Our team had so much fun putting these tips, challenges, and ideas together to support your child in a creative start to this new school year. We hope your student(s) enjoy some of the these ideas, whether they end up doing portraits in cartoon styles, creating tie dye at home, and/or coming up with an original alter ego character! As always, keep learning and stay creative!

The post Back to School Art Ideas (From Our Team to Yours)! appeared first on Sparketh.

That mission is why we created our online art classes for kids. It’s also why we provide a lot of free online support for young artists through our social media channels and in the free Sparketh Community! This month, the Sparketh Community is hosting an art challenge that we are really excited about because it’s about helping kids find their own inner strength to be creative through developing a growth mindset!

What’s a growth mindset?

A growth mindset is simply a mindset that facilitates growth: something that can help keep all creative people motivated when inspiration seems to be missing.

Often, developing a growth mindset involves learning to think about things in a positive way that promotes learning and progress. This is such a vital life lesson for kids, especially for young artists who have to stay creative and self-motivated as they develop their skills and unique style! In today’s post, our team of creatives is sharing some of our top tips for staying motivated, growing creatively, and thinking positive. Whether you are a young artist, or the parent of one, we hope that you’ll share these thoughts about creativity in your family and talk about how they can help the creative process. Below our tips, you’ll also find some practical ideas for simple habits to facilitate a healthy growth mindset!

Tips for Young Artists from Sparketh’s Creative Team:

As a team of artists and creatives, we often have to motivate ourselves to keep learning and growing! Here are some of our personal tips for developing a growth mindset that will help you become your most creative self!

“Many of us practice and create privately, but redirecting yourself to a more public space (even if it’s just a neighborhood park) can really help your mental space and flow! Plus, you’ll probably get interesting bystanders who want to see what you’re doing, and make some new friends along the way.”

–Amy, Artist/Sparketh Art Instructor and Content Creator

“Never worry about creating art that other people don’t like. If you enjoy painting flowers, paint flowers, if you like to draw dogs, draw dogs, it really doesn’t matter unless you are happy with what you’re creating. Art is about having fun and creative expression, so always remember that.”

–Maria, Artist/ Sparketh Content Creator

“Modern language will never be 100% effective. There will always be some amount of ideas, thoughts, feelings that we just can’t convey with basic words or conversations.  The more creative you become and the more you master any set of creative skills, you open up a whole new set of tools to communicate with. And there’s something truly satisfying when you use creativity to successfully convey a message, thought, or experience that was virtually impossible to understand before.”

-Tim, Creative Entrepreneur/Sparketh Co-Founder and Vice President 

“Don’t fear failure. When you try and fail, ask questions. Learn. Try again. Growth isn’t about becoming ‘the best.’ It’s not even always about reaching a specific goal. Growth is about being brave enough to keep repeating this process.” 

-Katie, Creative/ Sparketh Blogger and Content Creator 

“While yes, the goal in creating is to end up with a piece we are proud of, sometimes that goal isn’t always reached. So rather than seeing it as a failure, I remind myself, ‘process over product.’ Did I learn something in the process- good or bad? Can I use that knowledge in the future? Does learning from the process actually end up being more helpful than having a successful end product? Making art is an adventure, the journey to get there is every bit as important as arriving at the destination!”

-Becca, Artist/ Sparketh Art Instructor/ Sparketh Community Host 

5 Simple Habits for Cultivating a Growth Mindset

Want to put these creativity tips from our team into action? Young artists can try a few of these tips to create helpful creativity habits! 

1. Come up with a personal creativity slogan or mantra! Now you’ve read our creativity tips, but what what would yours be? Think about what helps you stay motivated. What inspires you, creatively? Turn this into a motivational sentence or two for yourself! Write your encouraging statement on a piece of paper – or even turn it into a piece of art- and put it somewhere you will see it often.

2. Try something adventurous or new with your art. Do this just for the sake of trying it: for fun—not mastery! Go into it with the mindset that the goal is not winning, the goal – itself – is trying something new! Sparketh has online art classes that cover a huge range of courses, so go head over to the course library and pick something that’s totally new and different!

3. Tell people you’re an artist. As Amy said in her tip, it’s important to put yourself out there with your art! Creating in community will help grow confidence and it can also be a great way to connect with other artists! The simple act of telling people you’re an artist can be a very powerful creative motivator! You can also find a virtual community of artists via resources like the Sparketh Community and on social media platforms!

4. Collect inspiration. Whether it’s through discovering new art styles in online art classes, creating a board of favorite art on Pinterest, or making a physical collage of images that motivate you to create, it’s important to keep finding new sources of inspiration. Collecting them somewhere that you can access anytime will motivate you to create whenever you’re feeling stumped!

5. Practice every day! Very few people feel inspired every day, but the more you create, the more likely you are to find inspiration quickly! Maya Angelou: “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”  Probably the most important thing you can do to foster a creative growth mindset is to simply make time each day to be creative, this may involve doing a quick drawing or art class each day, or checking in with a community of creatives who can help keep you accountable. Whatever it is for you, make sure to keep your daily goals realistic so that you set yourself up for success!

We hope these tips and habits  inspire you – or your young artist- to keep growing creatively! What is something that helps you cultivate a growth mindset?

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Many families enjoy their own traditions this time of year: recipes reserved especially for Thanksgiving, crafts, lists of things to be grateful for, outdoor sports, etc.

When I was growing up, my mom was always really great about coming up with a fun art project that the kids in my family could do as we waited for the turkey to cook. To this day, I can still remember those fun, simple art projects, and the quality time I spent working on them with my cousins. More often than not, a few of my adult relatives would join in on the fun before we were finished!

If you are looking for some fun, art projects to do with your family this week,  Sparketh has some great options that would be perfect for all ages and skill-levels. You could use these at an extended family gathering on Thanksgiving, or with your own kids sometime earlier in the week. We also have a gratitude-themed art contest going on throughout the holidays in our free Sparketh Community! 

First, we have this Simple Turkey tutorial that may remind you of nostalgic turkey art you did as a child. However, this fun turkey tutorial takes the classic turkey drawing one step further to help you create a comical, cartoon-version of the classic “hand-based turkey.” This would definitely be a fun project for everyone in the family to try!

Another project that I think would be perfect for this week is this beginner-level tutorial for a Fall Tree Painting! For this project, you’ll need paint, a brush (or brushes) and a canvas. While each person in your group may want to paint his/her own fall tree, I also think this would also be a fun group project! Each person could add leaves in a different color, so that the final product ultimately reflects your own family tree!

Looking for something fun, fall-ish, and a little bit different to try out this week? Try this hot air balloon course! Autumn is the season for hot air balloons, and the color palette for this tutorial is perfectly fall-esque!

We hope that these art ideas add to your fun as you spend time with your family or friends and celebrate Thanksgiving!

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Four Reasons to Take an Online Art Class

1. Relax and Focus

You might be thinking, “but I can draw at home on my own for free; why should I pay for an online art class?” to which we reply, “sure, you can do it on your own, but what happens when your phone pings with a text or your partner turns on your favorite TV show? What then?” Enrolling in an online art class is a great way to switch off from the world for an hour or two. The temptation to sneak a peek at your phone or scroll through unanswered emails is quieted for a moment. Taking an online art class also provides more focus, as it does relaxation time.

2. Learn Something New

When was the last time you learned something new just for the fun of it? Without a university professor telling you it was a requirement or a boss forcing you to do so for work? Taking an online art class is a wonderful way to learn for the sake of learning. Not only will your eye-hand coordination improve, but so will your memory and your spatial awareness. Often, when we draw, we aren’t truly seeing what is in front of us, but rather what we think we are seeing. This is usually why what we’ve sketched onto paper looks nothing like the vase of flowers that sits before us. Rather than vowing to never draw again, an online art class will help you improve your skills faster than doing so alone. You’ll begin to truly look at things and notice the small details, the gentle curves, the shapes you didn’t see before. After a few drawings, your eyes will learn to see more accurately, and this will show in your work.

3. Ignite Your Creativity

Whether we notice or not, the noise of every day life has dulled our imaginations. We no longer play like we did as children and are bound to jobs that leave little room for unstructured creativity. After a long day of staring at a computer or working tediously to frame a house, we often end up sitting on the couch watching television before heading to bed and doing the same thing all over again. An online art class can ignite the right side of your brain, the side responsible for creativity. This can help us begin to see the world in a whole new light. It can also help us problem solve more easily or think through difficult situations with a different perspective.

4. Get Proper Critique

Enrolling in an online art class gives you access to a professional artist who can provide you with insightful feedback and critique. You may notice that your drawing or painting is off, but figuring out why can be difficult, especially for those new to art. An online art class gives you the opportunity to ask questions and receive solid answers, useful tips, and links to further studies. Visit our website for more details.

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