Art tips from Mrs. Smith:

When choosing colors for your picture, sometimes it helps to squint your eyes at the subject you're painting or drawing. Squinting helps you see where the darkest and lightest colors are in your subject. Then you know where to put the darkest and lightest colors on your picture.

When you’re putting watercolor paint on your brush, use a light touch.  Pretend that you’re “tickling the paint™” with your brush.  Swirl your brush around in circles in the paint, the more you swirl the darker the color will be on your paper.

When you hear “horizontal,” think sideways, like a river.  When you hear “vertical,” think up-and-down, like a tree.

Try not to talk while creating your art because talking uses the left side of your brain, and art ideas use the right side of your brain.

When drawing, it helps to draw the line or shape first with your finger, then with your pencil or other media.

A small squirt bottle of water, set on "spray," is a great tool for wetting water color paint sets quickly and neatly.

Pretend to paint on your hand with a dry paintbrush to get the feel for how hard you should be pressing down on your paper when painting. Pressing the right amount creates a smooth brush stroke and keeps the brush healthy longer. Pressing too hard creates a rough brush stroke and wears out the brushes quickly.

When doing a directed drawing lesson, it’s helpful to do two examples at the same time. One that’s very large drawn on the whiteboard, and another one next to it that’s on the same size paper your students are using. This gives both a real and enlarged perspective and gives the students’ two opportunities to see the lines you’re drawing.

To help young kids understand the nature of watercolors, share this information.  "Watercolors are very friendly and they tend to like each other a lot!  When you paint one watercolor next to another watercolor, it will jump into the other color, giving it hugs and kisses.  Then you have two watercolors mixed together.  Be aware that sometimes this creates beautiful art and sometimes it creates muddy art.  You can have fun experimenting with your friendly watercolors."

Visit our blog for more lessons and teaching art ideas