Your BEST Homeschool

The art and heart of homeschooling

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • About Us
  • Art Lessons
  • Blog
  • Tricia’s Book
  • Homeschool
  • Recipes
  • Shop
Home » Blog » I Am An Artist Chalk Pastel Art Tutorial

in Free Pastel Tutorials· HomeSchooling

I Am An Artist Chalk Pastel Art Tutorial

A wonderful way to introduce and encourage children in a love of art is to do a project around a beloved book. We have long loved I Am An Artist by Pat L. Collins from our Before Five in a Row studies. Nana adores the book too and she especially likes the very last page. Today, she shares her tutorial with you. Here’s Nana with her I Am An Artist Chalk Pastel Art Tutorial…

“Every artist was first an amateur.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I Am An Artist - Chalk Pastel Art Tutorial yourbesthomeschool.com

I Am An Artist Chalk Pastel Art Tutorial

This pastel was absolutely one of our favorites!  We loved the wonderful pictures in the “I am an Artist”  book and decided to try to draw the hands and eye!

I am an artist steps

We used plain, ol’ manila paper for this project.

I told the students to place their hands down on the paper and put their fingers apart and make a triangle with their two forefingers and thumbs.  You can have someone trace around the hands and fingers, be sure to add a bit of your arms if possible to make it realistic.  Do the tracing with a pencil, and you can outline the hands and arms last with a black pastel so it won’t smudge as you are working on your picture.

I spy chalk pastel eye step

After the hands are drawn, you are to put the eye in the triangle space between the thumbs and forefingers.  Make an oval for the eye shape.  You need to draw three circles right in the middle of the eye for the Iris, pupil and the “light” of the eye.  Make the outside circle the color of your eye, blue, brown or green…make it your eye color!

I spy eye step 2

Five-year-old adding color to his arms and hands.

The pupil is next, use your black pastel, color it in…be careful and not get black on the last tiny circle, that is where the “spark” or “life-light” of the eye is located.  Put an eyelid right over the eye, make it thin and light…no “Cleopatra” eyes!  Put some eyelashes on the top of the eye and the bottom…again, lightly.

I spy skin tones step

You need to color your hands and arms!  If you have freckles, put some of those on too!  If you have dark, rich skin, pink skin, brown or if you have a scar from a fall off of your bike…put it on your hands.  Remember, you fingernails are facing your face and they will not be seen.

I spy you chalk pastel art tutorial

How about some hair at the top of the head?  Curls, braids, ponytails, spiked hair…make the best hairstyle that you have!  Now is the time to outline the hands because you are about through with your painting and won’t smudge your work!

Remember, turn your painting over and name your painting…We called ours “I Spy You”…..date it…put your name in the corner of the painting on the front .  Beautiful job!  And….YOU are an ARTIST!!!!!!

finished I spy you chalk pastel tutorials

Finished I Spy You chalk pastel paintings –  Top left to right: by Nana, by 10-year-old, by seven-year-old, by 14-year-old.

You can find (my affiliate link) I Am An Artist on Amazon. It’s one we’ve treasured since the early days of our homeschooling!

You and your children might also enjoy some of these Book and a Big Idea art tutorials from our archives:

  • My Blue Boat  (Teaching Art with Multiple Ages)
  • Pete the Cat
  • Madeline
  • Blueberries for Sal
  • Lentil – shadows and facial expressions
  • Cat in the Hat (acrylic tutorial)
  • Peter Pan (acrylic tutorial)
  • Chalk Pastels and Children’s Books

This post is part of A Book and a Big Idea…

A-Book-and-a-Big-Idea2

 

Be sure to visit and pin each of these wonderful books and projects from fellow iHomeschool Network homeschoolers!

FEATURING YOU! YOU ARE AN ARTIST!

So, paint your I Am An Artist art and be sure to share with us! Simply tag @chalkpastelart on social media, use the #YouAREanArtist hashtag, or upload a photo to the ChalkPastel.com Facebook page!

  • A note on chalk pastels: Pastels are an easy, forgiving medium. Fun for children and adults alike! Details on the pastels and paper we use, how and where to purchase, and links to all of Nana’s other pastel lessons are here: 100+ Free Art Lessons for All Ages plus the video The Very Few Must Have Supplies for Chalk Pastel Art. A simple set is very affordable. Nana also teaches acrylic lessons.
  • The practical aspects of a mess: Pastels are blessedly messy. We always have baby wipes close by to wipe hands. We wear something we don’t mind getting stained or don a smock.

  You asked for it! A Simple Start in Chalk Pastels Video Art Course is available January 2, 2017! Because you ARE an artist. Nana walks you and your artists through the steps of creating beautiful artwork, providing tips on colors and teaching chalk pastel techniques.

Do you and your artists learn best with a video art tutorial? Find our Video Art Lessons at ChalkPastel.com!

<Pin it!>

Have you subscribed to Hodgepodge yet to get your exclusive, FREE, subscriber-only art tutorials? Do you enjoy doing some type of project along with a favorite book to extend the learning?

-originally published 2013

Related

Filed Under: Free Pastel Tutorials, HomeSchooling

About Hodgepodgemom

Tricia faces a daily dose of chaos homeschooling five children. The biggest lesson she’s learned? At the end of the day – when the dishes are put away and the children are tucked in bed – truly what matters is each child’s relationship with the Lord. Raising children is a God-given privilege and, folks, the time is short.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Previous Post: « Madeline Chalk Pastel Fun
Next Post: Chalk Pastel Techniques »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Phyllis at All Things Beautiful says

    July 9, 2013 at 8:16 AM

    This is a great project. Thank you for sharing all your great tutorials.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

Thanks for visiting! I'm Tricia and I've been homeschooling since 2000. I share the art and heart of homeschooling and help you bring joy, fun and freedom to your days. It’s a Hodgepodge! Read More…


Free Homeschooling Downloads

 

 

{FREE} Download, ebooks and subscriber-only art tutorials

Success! Please check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.




Get Tricia’s book!




Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Our Sister Websites





Art for All Ages



Categories

Follow Tricia Hodges | Hodgepodge's board Best of Hodgepodge on Pinterest.

Recent Comments

  • Hodgepodgemom on How to Host a Jane Austen Movie Night for Homeschool Moms
  • Dawn on How to Host a Jane Austen Movie Night for Homeschool Moms
  • Hodgepodgemom on Mama Ann’s Morning Bars Recipe
  • Joy on Mama Ann’s Morning Bars Recipe
  • Hodgepodgemom on A Stitch In Time…
  • Contact us
  • Best of Hodgepodge
  • Parenting
  • Healthy Mama
  • Essential Oils
  • Recipes

Copyright © 2008–2025 · Your BEST Homeschool, a Southern Hodgepodge, L.L.C. site. | DMCA Notice