I love this project so much that I did it with several classes. My 4-6 year-olds did a simplified version and my 7-10 year-olds made dragons that were a bit more complex and personalized. I will list out the process and materials for each group.
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| Teacher Examples Sharpie and Watercolor |
Hundreds of years ago people all around the world began discovering dinosaur bones. But these people had no idea what dinosaurs were, let alone that they were long extinct! They concluded that these bones must belong to some monstrous and mysterious creatures. In Europe people came to fear these creatures, which they called dragons. They believed these monsters must be terrible and cruel, and that they could burn down villages with their fiery breath and steal humans' treasure.
Ancient China came to a different conclusion about dragons. Chinese myth says that dragons are fierce protectors of mankind. Instead of breathing fire, Chinese dragons breath clouds and bring rain. They live in rivers, lakes, and seas. Chinese Dragons have big teeth, and the head of a dog or buffalo. They have manes like a lion, antlers like a deer, and long mustaches. Chinese dragons have long skinny bodies like snakes and large claws like eagles. Dragons appear on Chinese pottery, clothing, jewelry, as statues in front of homes to protect families, and on the robes of powerful emperors.
Materials
- Watercolor paper (size is up to you)
- Pencils and erasers
- Black sharpie (regular and ultra-fine-tip if on hand)
- Multi-colored sharpie (if available)
- Metallic markers (if available)
- Pan watercolor (for older students)
- Blue liquid watercolor (for younger students)
- Paintbrushes
- Hairdryer (if available)
The Process
I start both age groups off the same way; with me drawing on the whiteboard and the students following along with pencil and paper. However, I make the older students follow along with my dragon on a scrap sheet of paper. This will be their "practice" dragon. I expect their real dragon to be more personalized and thought out. Younger students will follow along directly on their watercolor paper.
I pass out (or have students pass out) pencils, paper (watercolor paper for younger students, random scrap paper for older students), and erasers.
I draw a simple circle for the head. Make sure students don't make this circle too large, or too tiny, and that they leave plenty of room for the snout and long body. I've found that placing the circle in a corner works best compositionally. Also, talk the students through the drawing process and let them know that what you are drawing is the basic shape of the head. I like to point to my finished example and let students know exactly what part of the body we are working on when.
Next comes the snout. I prefer to get the head out of the way before I begin on the body. Students have described my snout as a duck bill. I think that this is fairly accurate.
After I check over my students' work I begin filling in the details of the face. I add a line around the mouth. This is a fairly common characteristic that I found in Chinese dragons. I tell the kids I am giving my dragon lipstick! Then I add a large nostril and a "football" shaped eye.
At this point I finish up the head. The teeth, beard, lion mane, mustache, and antlers turn my strange duck face into something more recognizable as a dragon. Take a little break at this point and walk around the work. These details normally take the kids some time to finish. Now move on the the mustache. Keep an eye on the students that go a bit crazy this their dragons facial hair. Super long spaghetti mustaches will give them some trouble later on in the process.
Believe it or not drawing the body actually was the hardest part for a lot of my students. They made too many humps, or the dragon was painfully skinny, or straight like a stick, or just plain funky. Make sure the tail ends in a point
Chinese dragons have two arms and two legs. I believe my white-board dragon's legs are too close together. This process can also be difficult for kids, so I try to make it as simple as possible.
Detail time! Everyone's favorite! I love big puffy tails that look like flames, a belly like a snake, and spines or hair along the back. How detailed you go on the board is up to you. This is where I stopped with my younger students. If you have an older group you may want to demonstrate scales. I had several students that really got involved in making scaly dragons.
At this point I allowed my older students to begin drawing on the watercolor paper.
All students should go over their pencil with black sharpie at this time, ultra-fine tip for the older students (if available).
Younger students - I had my younger students color in their dragon with colored sharpie and metallic marker. This is a detailed project and watercolor tends to obscure their fine drawings. Alternatively you could allow them to color with crayon or oil pastel. Don't let students color in the sky if you plan on using the blue liquid watercolor. Also, metallic marker may blur if painted over.
Older students - I like to have my older students start with a thin wash of blue watercolor that covers the whole paper (then hair-dry if available).
- If using liquid watercolor please be aware that it needs to be mixed with clear water before use. A 50-50 ratio is pretty standard, but for this particular project I prefer to use more water and create a lighter blue.
Students then use the colored sharpie only on areas where the details are small, like the lips, back spines, etc. Then they can move on to the pan watercolors to finish up. You will want to do a demonstration of what happens when different colors accidentally mix on the paper. This is also when a hair dryer comes in handy.
Younger students - Once students are finished coloring their dragons they may add blue to the background. I have noticed that this age group thinks that to paint or color the sky they just need to add blue to the very top of the page. Let them know that they need to paint the ENTIRE background blue.
I am so proud of all of my students! These dragons came out amazing!
National Visual Arts Standards Addressed
1. Content Standard: Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes
Achievement Standard:
Students
a. know the differences between materials, techniques, and processes
b. describe how different materials, techniques, and processes cause different responses
c. use different media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas, experiences, and
stories
d. use art materials and tools in a safe and responsible manner
4. Content Standard: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures
Achievement Standard:
Students
a. know that the visual arts have both a history and specific relationships to various cultures
b. identify specific works of art as belonging to particular cultures, times, and places
c. demonstrate how history, culture, and the visual arts can influence each other in making and
studying works of art
Georgia Performance Standards for Visual Arts Addressed
VA2MC.3 Selects and uses subject matter, symbols, and ideas to communicate meaning.
a. Discusses uses of symbols and cultural icons in artwork.
VA2PR.2 Understands and applies media, techniques, and processes of two-dimensional art processes (drawing, painting, printmaking, mixed-media) using tools and materials in a safe and appropriate manner to develop skills.
a. Creates drawings with a variety of media (e.g., pencils, crayons, pastels).
c. Creates paintings with a variety of media (e.g., tempera, watercolor).
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