Our first project of the school year was based on John James Audubon.  We began by reading The Boy Who Drew Birds.  This book tells the story of John James Audubon and his fascination with birds.  I found a great coloring book with line drawings of Audubon’s bird paintings.  The line drawings in the coloring book were perfect for students to draw from.  Audubon was a master at capturing details, like how a bird’s foot wraps around a branch.  Students were able to study his drawings and record these same details.  Students drew directly with Sharpie marker, no erasing.  They really did a fantastic job.

Next we added color.  We used watercolor, focusing on controlling the paint/water ratio and creating graded washes.  This project was definitely a challenge.  I am so proud of their hard work.  Students were grades K-6th.