Spring Flower Art: Tips & Tricks

Spring season is here, with flowers blooming, leaves filling the trees, Mother's Day, end of the school year, and summer on the horizon. This mixed media Flower Art project is perfect for this time of year! What I love most about this art project is that it introduces young artists to different types of art mediums and styles within one project. It can be difficult to find blocks of time for art, so it's best to make the most of that precious time and integrate as many art concepts as possible.

This page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Flower Art Suggested Materials:

• Astrobright Paper

• Printed Flower Vase Template

• Elmer’s Liquid Glue

• Tempera Paint (warm & cool colors)

• Paint Brushes

• Watercolor Pencils

• Watercolor Paper (12x9in. cut in half)

• Water Cups

• “Messy Mats” (newsprint, recycled construction paper, etc.)

• Scissors

• Fine Tip Sharpies

• Q-tips cotton swabs

• Pencils

• Plates for Washable Paint

• Youth Aprons
  

Flower Art Tips & Tricks

To teach this art lesson smoothly and effectively, here are some recommendations and tips to prepare everything.

In Advance:

• Print out the vase templates on various colored paper. Cut paper once in half if you are using the 2up version.

• Pre-cut watercolor paper. If you are using the 12x9 in. sheets, cut them exactly in half, giving you 2 pieces (6x9 in).

• Create sets of watercolor pencils for students to share and use. Make sure they are sharpened.

• Count out and prep (1 per student):

  • Water cups

  • Messy Mats (newsprint or recycled construction paper)

  • Paint brushes

  • Paper Towels

  • Pencils

  • Sharpies

  • Scissors

  • Glue Bottles

  • Q-tips

  • Aprons

• Decide how you will distribute the tempera paint. Students will be selecting 2-3 warm or cool colors, and they will need a plate to hold 1 tbsp. of each color.
  

During the lesson:

• Use Art Vocabulary reference sheets and visuals to reinforce the art terms associated with this project. I have a template for posters, slides, and a student reference sheet already created, if you want to save time and use them!

  • Mixed Media

  • Composition

  • Color Wheel

  • Warm Colors

  • Cool Colors

  • Arrangement

  • Color Value

  • Stippling
    

Grab the Project Resources here!

Don't have TPT? Grab them here!

• Demonstrate the painting techniques with the watercolor pencils and tempera paint. A document camera or iPad works well connected to a large display screen. Students will need to dip their watercolor pencils into water to activate the pigment before using it on the paper. I recommend a "Dot Method" described in my Step-by-Step Guide for creating the watercolor flowers.
  

• For the flower vases, students will be using a stippling method of dipping a q-tip into different warm or cool color tempera paints and creating a pattern on their vase.
  

• Provide students with scratch paper to try out these techniques before the final one.
  

• Create teaching slides with the steps and photo examples displayed on each slide. These can be used whole group, or students could have their own copy on their devices to work at their own pace. I have pre-made slides ready to go, if you would like to use mine!
  

• Use the art terms regularly throughout the lesson, and encourage students to do the same so that they make deeper connections to the art concepts.
  

This project is perfect for:

• Spring Bulletin Board Displays

• Mother's Day Gifts

• Open House Displays

• Student Art Gallery

• Student Art Portfolio
  

I hope your students enjoy learning more about art, and developing their skills with this fun Flower Art Project! I'd love to see photos of their completed projects! You can share with my on Instagram: LodgesLearning or email me at: Janis@lodgeslearning.com.

Happy Spring!