This art project was inspired British designer Lucia Wilkinson, whose animals I found especially intriguing. The older students sketched their birds on cardstock using pencils, rulers, and a few measurements I gave them as guidelines; while the younger grades were given a piece of cardstock that already had the birds sketched on them (photo below). I encouraged students to sketch at least two birds of different sizes, and to experiment with tail and wing shape, eyes, feathers, etc. The second day we used watercolors to paint our birds using the wet-on-wet technique.
The following day we used watercolors again in darker tones to add feathers, dots, and lines on our birds. We then used white acrylic paint for the eyes. The last day, when they were completely dry, we used a fine tipped black marker to add the detail on the eyes. Finally, we cut the birds out and mounted them on cardstock.
Even the first and second graders enjoyed painting these.
I try to always make a few examples of whatever project we are working on. I had so much fun with these birds that I made three different sets.
I made copies of my sketches on cardstock for the younger grades.
