Cheerful Scarecrow
Acrylic Painting on Canvas
We introduced the kids to the delightful world of acrylic painting. The focus was on creating a vibrant and cheerful scarecrow portrait using various acrylic techniques. Here are the styles and techniques we used:
Portrait Focus: The children worked on creating a portrait-style painting, concentrating on the facial features of the scarecrow. They were encouraged to make the eyes large and expressive, give the scarecrow a triangular red nose, and a funny, cheerful smile with rosy red cheeks.
Texture for Hair: To make the scarecrow’s hair stand out, the kids used thick brushstrokes and added yellow acrylic paint that appeared to come out from underneath the brown hat. The goal was to give the hair a slightly three-dimensional and textured look.
Hat Detail: The brown hat was adorned with a yellow and brown flower. Children learned to layer and blend the colours to create a natural look for the flower, and to use shading to give depth to the hat.
- Checkered T-Shirt: To create the checkered pattern, the kids first painted the t-shirt red. Then, with the help of a toothpick, they carefully scratched lines on the surface, revealing the white paint underneath. This technique added a unique and tactile texture to the scarecrow’s clothing, allowing the young artists to experiment with different painting methods and materials.
Trousers and Straps: The blue trousers with shoulder straps were painted using a combination of broad brush strokes for the fabric and finer details for the straps. The aim was to give the trousers a denim-like texture.
Optional Black Bird: To add a touch of personal creativity, an optional element was introduced – a black bird perched on the scarecrow’s shoulder. Children were encouraged to let their imagination run wild and paint the bird as they saw fit.
Grass Strokes: On the left-hand side of the painting, the background was adorned with visible strokes of grass. Kids learned to create the illusion of a textured, grassy field using green and different shades of green acrylic paint.
Turquoise Blue Background: The painting’s backdrop was a soothing turquoise blue. Children were taught to apply the background paint smoothly and evenly, creating a vibrant contrast with the scarecrow’s warm and cheerful appearance.
The art class aimed to foster creativity and artistic expression in children while introducing them to various acrylic painting techniques. It encouraged them to embrace their imagination and develop their skills in creating colourful and fun artwork.
