Spider Web Art Tutorial
Let's talk spider webs. I'm not a fan. Not in real life, that is. But, artsy webs, that I can do! Every year, I make these webs with my students, and they are always a huge hit!
I'll admit, I'm not the first do this project, but I have done it for years using different mediums (crayons, oil pastel, colored pencil, etc). There are many tutorials out there, but I thought I'd add mine to the mix after sharing our projects on Instagram and seeing that other teachers were interested in doing this project in their own classrooms. :)
This project is so easy to do, and it doesn't take much time. My second graders completed it from start to finish in less than 40 minutes. And, the end result is a stunning, cheerful display perfect for the month of October (or to compliment a unit of study on spiders).
Not only is this guided art project lots of fun, but it's a great way to work on visual discrimination skills, as well as listening skills. So, let's take a look at how to get this project done!
Here's what you'll need:
Begin by drawing a line through the middle of the top and side (you're making a giant plus sign).
Then, draw a line from corner to corner.
Confession: I find that even I have a hard time drawing a straight enough line from one corner to the other, so I actually show my students how to start at the middle of the "plus sign" and draw a diagonal line to each corner from that center point of the paper.
Now that the support lines are drawn, it's time to add those swooped lines that will transform the design into a spider web! I model this one section at a time for my students because it is tricky for some of them to make those swooped lines.
I like to point out that the swooped lines in one section should connect to the swooped lines in the next section over. This helps them to make sure their web is more consistent and recognizable, but trust me, even if they struggle with this, the end result is still great! Notice, mine isn't perfect either. ;)
Once all the pencil lines are drawn, I give each student a black Sharpie to trace over their original lines. Then, they erase any pencil lines that are peeking through.
Finally, it is time to paint! If your students have never used watercolors before, you may want to start with a brief tutorial on how to do that. Mine are pretty well versed in the watercolor department, so they knew exactly how to use them. I don't tell them how to paint them, I just let them have at it, and make them colorful.
Once the spider webs are all dry, I place a plastic spider on each web. Plastic spider rings are super cheap, and are perfect for this. I cut off the ring part prior to hot gluing the spider in place.
Then, I hang the paintings up so we can enjoy them!
DON'T FORGET IT, PIN IT!
Toodles!
I'll admit, I'm not the first do this project, but I have done it for years using different mediums (crayons, oil pastel, colored pencil, etc). There are many tutorials out there, but I thought I'd add mine to the mix after sharing our projects on Instagram and seeing that other teachers were interested in doing this project in their own classrooms. :)
This project is so easy to do, and it doesn't take much time. My second graders completed it from start to finish in less than 40 minutes. And, the end result is a stunning, cheerful display perfect for the month of October (or to compliment a unit of study on spiders).
Not only is this guided art project lots of fun, but it's a great way to work on visual discrimination skills, as well as listening skills. So, let's take a look at how to get this project done!
Here's what you'll need:
- card stock (cut into 8x8 inch squares)
- pencils
- Sharpies
- watercolors and paintbrushes
- plastic spider rings (optional)
Begin by drawing a line through the middle of the top and side (you're making a giant plus sign).
Then, draw a line from corner to corner.
Confession: I find that even I have a hard time drawing a straight enough line from one corner to the other, so I actually show my students how to start at the middle of the "plus sign" and draw a diagonal line to each corner from that center point of the paper.
Now that the support lines are drawn, it's time to add those swooped lines that will transform the design into a spider web! I model this one section at a time for my students because it is tricky for some of them to make those swooped lines.
I like to point out that the swooped lines in one section should connect to the swooped lines in the next section over. This helps them to make sure their web is more consistent and recognizable, but trust me, even if they struggle with this, the end result is still great! Notice, mine isn't perfect either. ;)
Once all the pencil lines are drawn, I give each student a black Sharpie to trace over their original lines. Then, they erase any pencil lines that are peeking through.
Finally, it is time to paint! If your students have never used watercolors before, you may want to start with a brief tutorial on how to do that. Mine are pretty well versed in the watercolor department, so they knew exactly how to use them. I don't tell them how to paint them, I just let them have at it, and make them colorful.
Once the spider webs are all dry, I place a plastic spider on each web. Plastic spider rings are super cheap, and are perfect for this. I cut off the ring part prior to hot gluing the spider in place.
Then, I hang the paintings up so we can enjoy them!
DON'T FORGET IT, PIN IT!
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