Flower Inchies

This spring I have done this flower inchie series with both Grade 3 and Grade 5, (different schools).


Amazing results.  As always each inchie represents a stand alone art project that you can do in larger form.













MATERIALS REQUIRED:

- wc paper, I used a 140lb cut into 3"x3" squares
- disk tempera
- acrylic paint
- white glue
- oil pastels
- a few buttons
- black beads
- black paper for mounting

PROCEDURE:

First up is the close crop.

1) Draw in pencil a close cropped view of a flower. Reference photos are always helpful.
2) With oil pastels do a bit of outlining.
3) Paint flower and background with disk tempera paint.

Painted Paper Collage

1) Paint a wc square a nice background colour with disk tempera.
2) Out of painted paper scraps cut flower petals. I have a stash of painted paper.  Whenever we paint we use up excess paint or paint extra to add to the stash.
3) Glue onto background and add a center.  Glue on a few beads as well to the center.

Black Glue Sunflower
1) Draw a sunflower on wc paper with pencil.
2) Go over lines with black glue.  I have a class set of black glue.  You can make it yourself by adding a few squirts of black acrylic paint into a white glue bottle. Shake and you are ready to go. I use the same set and just refill as needed.
Set aside to dry overnight, make sure it is lying flat.
3) Paint in with disk tempera.

Abstract Bouquet

1) Using acrylic paint I painted an orange splotch and blue background.

2) I added some dark purple parts to the splotch and then used it to show shadow side of vase.

3) I added a little green into splotch. I then took a little white paint and mixed a lighter version of both the orange and blue. I added the lighter blue into the background further defining the vase. I added the lighter orange into the splotch.

Drywall Flower 

1) Draw a flower shape onto cardboard and cut out.  Make sure it fits on wc square.

2) Cover with a little bit of drywall filler.

3) Set aside to dry overnight.

4) Paint background square. I used turquoise and green disk tempera.

5) Lay on a crumpled piece of wax paper. I then turn it over keeping the wax paper in place and put a magazine or something on top, (not too heavy). Leave to dry.

Next day:

6) Paint drywall flower with acrylic paint.

7) Glue on background.  Add some buttons in the center.

Hibiscus

This is one of my favourite painting projects to do with kids in the large form.  Do a practice drawing with the kids first.
1) Draw the stamen. It's like a horn or banana shape with dots or grapes at the point.

2) Next draw a petal, a ruffly rounded triangle shape.
3) A hibiscus needs 5 petals.

4) Do drawing on a wc square.
5) Add some oil pastel (white and yellow) to stamen.
6) Paint the background. I used blue and purple disk tempera.

7) Add a touch of red and pink disk tempera above the stamen.
8) Use a clean brush and wet it in some clean water. Just touch the edge of the center and pull out into the petal. You just want a subtle colour here. Repeat for all 5 petals.

That's it.

A great spring or summer art project.



Gail

Halloween Inchies 2015

I couldn't resist doing another inchie project for this Halloween.




Don't let the list of materials scare you off.  Just use what you have....you're creating little works of art in a collection and they always look amazing whatever you use!






MATERIALS REQUIRED:

- 9  inchie squares, I use heavy watercolour paper (140lb) but you can use sketch paper, yardstick, bristol
- disk tempera paint
- acrylic paint in fall colours, white and black
- salt shaker
- scraps of paper, white, black,
- tacky glue
- black stamp pad
- little googly eyes
- crayons
- little piece of contact paper
- old book page
- little alphabet stamps
- scratch foam, craft foam, or foam plate
- sharpies, pencil crayons, gel pens, whatever you have

PROCEDURE:

Like all inchie projects when I do this with a class we work on several at the same time.  While one is drying we work on the next.  When I post the directions on the blog though it is easier for me to lay it out for you, start to finish, one square at a time.

**Please note any one of these squares could be turned into a larger stand alone project**

Cut your inchie squares.  For this set I used squares 3"x3".

In the past I have used a lot of 2"x2" but I think the 3"x3" are my favourites.  Big enough for the kids to work well with.




Square #1:

1) Paint square with watery deep blue (blue tempera with a touch of black).  Before the sheen dries add a sprinkle of table salt.

2) When the square has dried brush off the salt.  Dip a paintbrush in plain water. Paint the water where you want a ghost to be and then blot with a tissue.

3) Add faces with a sharpie or black pencil crayon.  Add stamps or text printed off from the computer to complete the square.



Square #2:

1) Paint a square light green. Let dry.

2) Draw a large eye on some white paper.  Colour it in or paint it.  Outline with sharpie or black pencil crayon.  Cut it out and glue to the green square off to one side.

3) Put a little black acrylic on a palette plate, add some water to it for an inky consistency.  Using an eyedropper or a paintbrush drop some paint on the top edge of the square.  Tilt the square up so the paint drips down.  Add more as needed.





Square#3:

This square is based on the glue resist technique.  You could also use black glue (glue bottle with a couple of squirts of black acrylic paint added).

1) Take an inchie and paint a background.  Mine is a nice purple even though it looks a bit blue.

2) on another piece of wc paper or scrap draw a pumpkin with pencil first, adding all the contour lines.
Go over the lines with a bead of white glue.  Lay somewhere flat and safe to dry completely.

3) When dry paint in the pumpkin go right over the glue lines.

4) When the paint dries cut out the pumpkin and glue to the background.



Square #4:

This square could be any silhouette. I just like this psychedelic skull effect.

1) Paint square with radiating rings starting with the lightest colour and ending with the darkest.  Set aside to dry.

2) If you have a spooky punch you can use it or cut a silhouette shape out of black paper.  A Jack-o-lantern woks well.  Glue on top of square.



Square #5:

This square is just so much fun!

1) Cut a square out of black paper, 3"x3"

2) Using a piece of scratch foam, craft foam, or a foam plate cut another square the same size.

3) Using a blunt pencil draw your skeleton, not too many details, simple works better.  Make sure you are pushing hard enough to make an impression that you can feel with your finger.

4) Paint the foam with acrylic paint that you have added just a touch of water to.  White is nice but you could also use orange or light green. Place the foam paint side down onto the black paper and give it a quick rub with your fingers, lift and you have an amazing print.  You can also try to do a "GHOST" print, that's just a second print without adding paint on another piece of paper.

Square #6:

1)  On my computer I made a page of text of spooky words.  I printed it out and then traced around my inchie square on top of it.  I went for a diagonal.  Cut out and glue to your inchie square.

2) Paint yellow with disk tempera.  Let dry.

3) Out of some black paper I cut a semi oval and a circle.

4) I glued these in place and then cut a hat out of some extra painted paper I had.


5) With white and black sharpie or pencil crayon, or gel pen add details.





Square #7:

1)  Take an inchie square and draw a pile of pumpkins.  Have them overlap here and there and make one a jack-o-lantern.

2) Using crayons or pastels go over your lines.  Add the contour lines of the pumpkins.

3) Paint with watery disk tempera.



Square #8:

So I kept seeing this one all over Pinterest and thought it would be cute as an inchie.

1) Cut a square of black paper 3"x3".  Cut a bat shape out of contact paper, peel and stick on the black paper.

2) Using acrylic paint in Fall colours and the end of a pencil stamp the colour all over.

3) When the paint dries gently peel away the contact paper to reveal the Bat.






Square #9:

I saved the best for last.  This is based on this project of mine.

1) Paint your inchie square a stormy blue. (blue with a touch of black).  Set aside to dry.  Paint a few buildings on the old book page, let dry.  Cut out buildings, add some windows with black pencil crayon and glue on your background.

2) Using a stamp pad stamp on the body of the giant spider.

3) Add the 8 legs with paint and glue on 2 little google eyes.

Glue all the squares onto black paper when they are dry and you have a nice collection.

If you still want more inchie craziness check out my past projects.

Halloween Inchie #1
Halloween Inchie#2
Fall Inchie #1
Fall Inchie #2





Gail

Grade 2 Inchies

This is a recent inchie project I did with Grade 2.  It relates to the social studies curriculum where they learn about: - the Arctic
           - the Acadians
           - the Ukraine

Inchie projects are so adaptable. I use them constantly and they are always a hit with the kids.


Some of these squares you may have seen in my other inchie projects, which is another great thing about inchies, as you can swap in/out squares to fit.  I also use them whenever I'm presenting at professional development conferences or sessions.  They are a big hit with adults as well!




MATERIALS NEEDED:

I say this before listing the materials for every inchie project. Don't freak out by the long list. Use what you have and substitute as needed.

- wc paper cut into squares as the base for our inchies, we used 3"x3" squares
- disk tempera paint (my old standby)
- white and yellow acrylic paint
- white and yellow oil pastels
- black and red sharpie
- pink crayon
- salt shaker
- bubble wrap
- a drinking straw
- scraps of coloured paper
- scraps of white paper
- little wooden hearts, you could substitute cardboard if you have a star punch
- metal duct tape
- scraps of corrugated cardboard
- googly eyes for polar bear and fish
- masking tape
- white felt and/or craft foam
- little flower embellishments
- tacky glue
- gold sparkly paper or wrapping paper

PROCEDURE:

Cut your squares.  We did all 9 squares but feel free to revise this depending on time available.

This was a 3 session project. (1hr. sessions)

We work on many squares all at once. I'll give you my schedule at the end. For the blog I find it better to present each square from start to finish.


Square#1:  Inuit Whale

This inchie is based on another art project, Inuit Whale Portraits.

Paint one of the inches with yellow disk tempera.

Trace around whale template on black paper.  Cut out and glue onto the yellow square.

Out of scraps of coloured paper cut some accent pieces.  I gave the kids white and red paper.  They also used the leftover black from the last step.










Inchie #2 Polar Bear:

Paint an inchie with blue disk tempera.

While the paint is still wet lay a small piece of bubble wrap on top, bubble side down.

Leave it on while the square dries.

I gave everyone a small square of white felt and asked them to cut out a hill shape.  Some kids thought it would be an igloo.

Glue into place.

I then handed out a white scrap of paper.  I had them cut a rounded triangle shape.

Glue on top of felt at the top.

I handed out pink crayons and they added some colour for the ears.

I gave them a small scrap of white craft foam and they cut a circle out of it.

Glue onto the face for the muzzle.

Glue on some goggly eyes.  For the nose we punched a hole in some black craft foam but you could also use paper.









Inchie #3: Arctic Landscape

Draw on a few low hills on an inchie with pencil.

Now you can go over these lines with glue and then let it dry for a glue resist effect or you can just use a white pastel for a pastel resist.

Out of the metal duct tape cut a small moon and then peel and stick into place.

Paint in the sections.

Before the paint dries sprinkle on a little salt.

Spread on a little iridescent glitter on the landscape.

Out of a scrap of black paper cut a little inukshuk and glue into place.










Inchie #4: Fish

Paint a square with blue tempera paint.  While the paint is wet you can sprinkle on a little salt.

When the paint is dry rub off the salt.

Using a straw and a little white acrylic paint stamp on some bubbles.

Take a piece of metal duct tape, draw a fish on it with pencil.  It will leave a nice etching.

Use coloured sharpies and colour in parts of the fish.

Cut out the fish, peel and stick the metal tape fish onto the blue square.

Using stamps you can stamp on the word FISH.  At school I printed out text and the kids glued it on the square.







Inchie #5: Lighthouse

On a square draw some rocks, a water line and a lighthouse.

With the red sharpie colour in top of lighthouse and then outline it with the black sharpie.

With the yellow oil pastel draw smudge on the glow from the lighthouse.  Put white oil pastel where the light is and on the lighthouse tower.

Paint the entire square purple.  The oil pastel will resist the paint.

Paint the rocks black and the waterline dark blue.









Inchie #6: Acadian Flag

Paint the little star yellow.

With masking tape place a strip down the middle of a square.

Paint one side of the tape blue and one side red with disk tempera.

Remove masking tape when paint is dry.




Glue on the yellow star to the blue stripe.











Inchie #7 Ukrainian Easter Egg

Paint a square with green disk tempera paint.

Using a piece of cardboard, stamp on some grass lines with green acrylic paint.

Cut an egg shape out of some scrap white paper.


Using crayons draw on some designs leaving parts of the egg white.

Paint egg with a wash of disk tempera.  The crayon will resist and show thru.

Glue the egg onto the green square.











Inchie #8: Ukrainian Church

Disregard the tape on this square. Paint a square blue and while the paint is still wet lift off some clouds with a kleenex.

Glue on a square of white paper.  Using a black sharpie or pencil crayon draw on some windows of the church.

Cut a dome out of some sparkly gold paper or wrapping paper.

With a sharpie add a cross.












Inchie# 9: Ukrainian Dancer

Paint a square blue.

I made a template of a head and shoulders.

I had the kids trace it.

Add colour to the dancer. We added the vest, some X stitch embroidery on the sleeves, and a few necklaces.

Cut the dancer out.  Glue onto the blue square and then glue on a few flowers.

Glue completed inchies on paper background.




That's it.


Gail