Art Activity - Dog Collage
I love activities that allow all children to creatively express themselves in a way that ensures an outcome they are proud of. And with lockdown forcing parents to work from home, keeping children entertained during these trying times has undoubtedly been a challenge.
Turn winter, lockdown boredom into rainy day activities that will keep kids occupied for hours on end.
When following these simple step by step instructions (over three separate lessons), this animal collage is almost failproof and ensures many hours of creative fun. You can also follow along via the video below.
This art project makes use of scrap materials at home which might otherwise become rubbish.
I have used oil pastel & watercolour for my project, but you can adapt the instructions for the supplies you have - Acrylic paint, art markers and pencil work really well too!
Part 1
This is a great time to turn up the music and enjoy the freedom of just laying colour down on paper.
What you'll need:
- Old newspapers. Any scrap paper will do if you don't have a newspaper (it's best to have been printed or drawn on previously).
- Watercolour and oil pastels/twistable colour
Method:
- Choose a palette of 3-6 colours, plus black & white, in whatever art medium you choose.
- Make your mark on (minimum) 5-6 sheets of newspaper using watercolour. I like to make watercolour "scribbles". However, the newspaper will tear easily if it gets too wet, so remember to move onto a new sheet once the paper is coloured.
- Set your masterpieces aside to dry.
Part 2
We will form the base of our animal by layering strips of newspaper to create pattern and texture.
What you'll need:
- One piece of A3 or A2 sized paper (you can sticky tape or glue 2-4 pieces of paper together to create the desired size). Again, scrap paper is fine since it will be covered entirely.
- Paste glue with a brush.
- The painted newspaper which you created in the last session.
- Oil pastels or pencils.
- Scissors.
Method:
- Add oil pastel (or pencil) marks to your dry painted newspaper. Be free and relaxed with your movement… Almost like the mark is expressing itself.
- Tear the newspaper into strips approximately 2-4 cms wide.
- Paste the strips down; most should point towards the centre of the page, with a few in random directions.
- Set aside to dry flat.
Part 3
Now create eyes and a nose and add them to the "fur" base we have already made.
What you'll need:
- A fresh sheet of good quality paper (the one included in your Creative Kids art pack will be ideal).
- Oil pastels.
- Scissors.
- Graphite pencil.
- Glue.
Method:
- Cut the loose strips of paper from your sheet.
- On a clean sheet of paper, draw the shape of the dog's nose and eyes and then colour using oil pastel or acrylic paint. This is most easily understood by watching the video below.
- Lightly draw the shape of the dog's snout on the paper with graphite pencil or oil pastel. I like to have a practice on the back of the page I am using.
- Once you are happy with the shape, colour it using the same technique as shown in the video.
- While your eyes and nose are drying, you may like to add some extra texture to the base using oil pastel or pencil. I've added eyebrows and some of my dog's fur using light strokes of oil pastel.
- Stick your eyes and nose to your collage.
- Find a special place to display your artwork and feel very proud of what you have created. Great work!
All of the art materials used in this activity can be found in A Little Spirit's Art kits, available for free with your Creative Kids voucher.
You can use your Creative Kids Vouchers to attend the following related online workshops: