1. You’re An Artist! – KidsART B

by | Aug 14, 2025 | Lessons > Grades 1 & 2 | 0 comments

OVERVIEW

Students are introduced to the classroom, as well as basic drawing tools. They’ll learn about using a reference source by pretending to be a famous artist like Vincent Van Gogh. Several drawings will be created in pencil and oil pastels.

Grades 1 – 2

Week of August 18 – 22

1 Hour & 30 Minutes

Student Work

SCROLL & TEACH LESSON PLAN

Don’t worry about planning anything. Just spend a few minutes reading the lesson plan and printing out your PDFs. Then check out the READY, SET, GO! section. You can print a prep-page, which includes checklists and an “at a glance” outline of the lesson so you can stay on track when you’re teaching. Set out the materials from the list on your prep page and you’re ready.

That’s all you need to know. Use your smartphone to Scroll & Teach!

Lesson At A Glance

A brief overview of each step. Buttons jump to each section for detailed information.

1. WARMUP
15 Minutes – Artists’ Choice
2. STORY TIME

10 Min – Story about Van Gogh

3. ACTIVITY
5 Min – Choose a favorite image
4. SECRET SOURCE

15 Min – Draw objects around room

5. PAINTING SOURCE

20 Min – Choose reference for oil pastel

6. PHOTO SOURCE

20 Min – Draw from photo reference

7. CLEAN UP

5 Min – Clean Up

LESSONPLAN

Each section is a different color. Read over once and then you can SCROLL & TEACH using any device you like.

STEP 1. Warmup

Students begin with Artists' Choice
15 Minutes

LEARNING TARGETS

Students express themselves through creating from their imagination.

M A T E R I A L S

  • 11″ x 17″ Copy Paper
  • 4B pencil
  • Eraser
  • Markers and/or oil pastels
  • Blenders (stumps) or paper towels
  • Paper Towels
All materials are suggestions and may be modified as you see fit. We have tried many items, and these seem to allow the most versatility for the cost. Crayola Super Tip markers are our favorite.

1.1 GREET

Greet students as they come in and help them choose a chair.

Kneel down so that you are on their level. Bending over emphasizes the differences in your height, while kneeling makes them feel more important. Have tape and marker ready so you can stick some tape on the table by each student and write their name on it as they sit down.

1.2 CHOICE

Encourage students to work with one piece of paper for a while. If someone uses the phrase, “free draw”, explain that artists’ choice is something only artists can do, while free-draw is something anyone can do. You want to use the phrase to elevate the students’ expectations of their work.

Everyone should take their time with the work and make a finished piece of art. Limiting the paper can also help kids focus on the work. If someone finishes in super-fast time, ask them what more they can do to the existing paper. Ask again several times – unless they appear overly frustrated; then you can allow them to move on to a new work.

READY, SET, GO!
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STEP 2. Story Time

Students will learn about Van Gogh.
10 Minutes

LEARNING TARGETS

Students know who Vincent Van Gogh is.

M A T E R I A L S

  • Van Gogh references

2.1 LEARN

Have students gather around to see Van Gogh paintings. Use the Van Gogh Pinterest Page (tap the icon below at left), or you can use a book if you have one. Speak in simple words, as shown in the teacher talk below, and go through all 9 images in 10 minutes so you will have time for the rest of the lesson.
TIP
If possible, gather students into a group on the floor or by moving chairs, so they are away from the distractions on the tables. This also increases the importance for what you’re saying and showing.

Vincent Van Gogh Paintings (tap any image to open viewer, and open or print the captions pdf to read what to say while showing each image)

PRINT

Print or open to view the captions you can read while you show the Van Gogh slides above.

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“Today is Famous Artist Day. Here are some of his paintings.

This is a painting of the famous artist we will talk about today. (Show self-portrait).

This is Vincent Van Gogh. He lived in a town in Holland, which is in Europe, 130 years ago! Amazingly, we still love his artwork all these years later. People all over the world know about him and his paintings!

Vincent liked to paint all sorts of things. We like to do that too! When Vincent wanted to paint he didn’t have to think too hard to come up with an idea. He just painted the places he saw, the people he knew and the things that he liked that were around him. Lets look at some of those paintings. Van Gogh drew things that didn’t look exactly like they are, but he still liked to look at things in real life so he could draw them the way he wanted.

(Show the slideshow of paintings. Make sure you say a Portrait, Still life, and Landscape and call each painting by those “art words.”)

He painted the things around him because those people or objects or scenery were his “sources.”  When artists use a source as reference, that means you are looking carefully at something to see what it really looks like. If you look closely, you can draw or paint it the way it looks from where you are sitting. Vincent was looking at these things when he painted them. Sometimes he used his imagination and added his own special look to those things that he saw. Most people really like those special paintings.”

Teacher Talk

Read verbatim or paraphrase

2.2 STAY

If gathered in a group, do not let students return to seats just yet.

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STEP 3. Activity

Students will decide their favorite image.
5 Minutes

LEARNING TARGETS

Students know that everyone likes different kinds of subjects.

M A T E R I A L S

  • Van Gogh Reference printout from STEP 5.1

3.1 PHOTOS

Use the PDF printout of Van Gogh’s painting references from STEP 5.1 Hold the 3 images up so everyone can see them all, or show each in succession, giving them a memorable name.

3.2 CHOOSE

Tell your students to not say a word. This will be a secret choice so they have to keep their mouths closed. Have everyone secretly choose a Van Gogh picture that they like the best. Once everyone has chosen one in their head, say them aloud all at once to see how they’re all different.
“Wow! Every artist chooses differently. Sometimes even different than he or she chose the day before! That’s why it’s good to have artists’ choice.”
Teacher Talk

Read verbatim or paraphrase

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STEP 4. Secret Source

Students will draw objects around the room.
15 Minutes

LEARNING TARGETS

Students know what drawing from real life is.

M A T E R I A L S

  • 8.5″ x 11″ copy paper
  • Clipboards
  • 2B Pencil
  • Kneaded Eraser

4.1 DEMO

Demonstrate to the class how to draw an object in front of them, using something simple, like a bottle or fruit. Take no more than 1 or 2 minutes.

  1. Look very closely at the shape of your object from where you are sitting. It might look different from another side.
  2. Big Shape. See if you can draw the biggest shape of the object, which might be circular, rectangular, or a crazy shape like a star.
  3. Then add details last. Just draw outlines with the pencil for now

Make sure to explain that this is the Real Life Source.

4.2 GAME

Have students pretend to be Mr. Van Gogh going around his town and country, choosing what to paint and draw. He drew lots of different things.

While they walk around, ask an art trivia question. (The answer is “animals”)

“Which of these main 4 subjects did Van Gogh not paint very much?

  • Scenery: Landscapes and buildings
  • People
  • Animals
  • Still life and flowers
Teacher Talk

Read verbatim or paraphrase

4.2 SECRET

Each student should be given a clipboard with 8.5 x 11 in copy paper and a pencil. Have them walk around and find something to draw. It can be a fellow student, something on the wall, or an object. It’s good to give a time limit for the choices.

4.3 DRAW

Have everyone begin drawing at once. Once their source is picked out, let everyone sit down (on the floor or by moving chairs to where they are), and draw by looking closely, just like Van Gogh did. Help kids when they ask, but don’t suggest changes if they don’t ask. This is just practice so let each student draw how they choose. Remember, the goal is only to get students thinking about what sources are, not to be able to draw accurately.

4.4 SIGN

Write names on the back, or in a corner, very small.
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STEP 5. Painting Source

Students will choose a painting to copy in oil pastels
20 Minutes

LEARNING TARGETS

Students know how to use oil pastels.

M A T E R I A L S

  • 8.5″ x 11″ copy paper
  • Printed reference painting on stand
  • 2B pencils
  • White Eraser
  • Oil Pastels
  • Blender sticks (stumps) or paper towels

5.1 PICTURE

Reference

Van Gogh Paintings

Cut images apart and print enough for each student to choose from several.

Hand out reference prints. Set all of the images out on a table or counter, and let groups of students come choose what they want..

PRINT

1 Page – Opens in new window

Open PDF

5.2 DRAW

Have students begin with pencil only for the outlines and only if they want to.

5.3 COLOR

Have students switch to coloring with oil pastels as soon as possible. If you get a chance, show individual students how to blend with a bit of paper towel, a blending stick, or by using white on top of other colors blends. Blending and mixing oil pastels makes them look like paint instead of plain old crayons. Two alike (analogous) colors will blend nicely too! Walk around and encourage students as they draw and color.

5.4 SIGN

Write names on the back, or in a corner, very small.
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STEP 6. Photo Source

Students who finish early will draw from a photo reference.
20 Minutes

LEARNING TARGETS

Students know what a photo reference is.

M A T E R I A L S

  • 11 x 17″ Copy Paper
  • 2B Pencil
  • White Eraser
  • Oil Pastels
  • or Markers
  • Printed photos (below)

1. PRINTS

Reference

Photo Source

Cut images apart and print enough for each student to choose from several.

Hand out reference prints. Set all of the images out on a table or counter, and let groups of students come choose what they want..

PRINT

1 Page – Opens in new window

Open PDF

6.1 CHOOSE

For anyone who finished their Van Gogh painting.

Let kids choose a tree, a flower, or a barn from the Photo Source PDF and do one more art project. This time it’s ok to draw your own version of the source instead of looking at and doing it like the photo. However, you can continue to practice drawing more like it looks if you want to. You get to choose.

If students finish early they can work on a new piece of artwork from a different reference image or from their imagination.

6.2 DRAW

Have students draw outlines and big shapes. Do not shade.

6.3 COLOR

Switch to markers or use oil pastels again.

6.4 NAMES

Write names on the back, or in the corner, very small.
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STEP 7. Cleanup

Everyone helps.
5 Minutes

LEARNING TARGETS

Students know the importance of cleaning their workspace.

M A T E R I A L S

  • Paper Towels

7.1 BINS

Start cleaning up. Encourage students to look for bits of trash to feed to the trash bins. They are always hungry. (Be careful that this doesn’t get out of hand. Trash bins don’t like things that are useful or that belong to other students!)

7.2 WASH

Wash hands.

7.3 CLEAN

Make sure students get all their artwork.

Take photos of artwork!

Make sure you see the kids connect with parents and tell them about the class if you can!

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Insights

This lesson provides understanding

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Technique

This lesson shows application and movement

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Self Expression

This lesson allows personal freedom

OBJECTIVES

  • Practice and improvement using pencils and pastels to draw
  • Understanding that looking at something when drawing is called using a (reference) source (but drawing accurately is not important today.)
  • Accomplishment in creating several finished drawings
  • Fulfillment by choosing secret personal sources for drawings

TROUBLESPOTS

FrustrationThis may seem hard for some children. Make sure you do not put any pressure on anyone for drawings to look visually accurate, because that’s not our goal today. We just want to introduce the idea of drawing from looking at a source. If they’re not ready for that, just let them draw their own version of what they see as best they can. That may end up being an imaginary version – the idea of what they see. This is normal for the age, and is called symbolic drawing.

Read the Teacher Talk below to students who are having trouble.

ART WORDS

Still Life – A source that is set up indoors, with objects and plants that stay still while you work.

Landscape – A source that is any outdoor view looking at a wider view of things.

Portrait – A source that is a person, focusing on the face.

Source – A source is what you look at with your eyes instead of using your imagination. Young children need the more concrete word, source, instead of reference source, but you might want to use both terms. Sources can be ARTWORK, PHOTOS, or REAL LIFE.

Real Life – All the things around us that we can see and use for a drawing source.

FRUSTRATION

“It’s totally fine if you draw things your own way today. I just wanted you to think about looking at the real world like Mr. Van Gogh did. There are many ways to draw and all of them are good. The main thing is to have fun, not to do anything a certain way.

Van Gogh’s work did not look very accurate sometimes, and he was ok with that. He even worked to make his art look different from real life. Everyone draws their own way and that’s ok. Drawing styles change with time too, and yours may be totally different next year!”

Teacher Talk

Read verbatim or paraphrase

CLASSROOM 
PREP

Make sure you have enough supplies for each student and have Van Gogh PDFs ready.

Have a way to display the Pinterest Board to the class or a book that has similar images.

What your room needs

Here are your printable lists and room prep instructions.

PRINT

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CLASSROOM 
MATERIALS

  • 11 x 17″ Copy Paper
  • 8.5 x 11″ Copy Paper
  • 4B Pencils
  • Erasers
  • Markers
  • Oil Pastels
  • Blender sticks(stumps)
  • Clipboards
  • Stands such as a Cheasel
  • Clips for stands
  • Paper Towels
  • PDF printouts
  • Display or Van Gogh book

PREVIEW

Week #2: You’re a Painter!

August 25 – 30

Students will Be introduced to painting and the use of color. Mixing is emphasized and lines are also introduced.

Week #3: Stars & Butterflies

September 2 – 6

Students will compare wiggly and straight lines, and create 2 oil pastel and watercolor resist paintings: one with white pastel and one with dark pastels.