High School Art Projects that Students LOVE!

Do you ever get “that” look from your high school students when you present a project to them? You know what I mean, the deer in the headlights look. Art projects need to challenge the students in design and technique while engaging their interests. This in itself can be challenging for an art teacher to tackle.

These four high school art projects have proven to be successful at challenging and engaging the students (you know the kids like a project when they ask if they can do it again!).

High School Art Projects that Students LOVE!

Beyond the Border

Medium: Watercolor & India Ink Project

Create a 2D mixed media art piece that explores the expansion of the main subject matter that is in the inner rectangle branching into the border around it-going beyond the border. The main subject should remain in color, but everything else turns black & white outside the main rectangle… FULL Lesson

Ceramics Roll-A-Beast Animal Sculptures

Medium: Ceramics

Body Features determined by Rolling the Dice!

FUN, FUN, FUN!! Create a fantasy creature that has unique body features determined by rolling dice, then create the creature in ceramics. After choosing 6 predetermined animal parts that you want to include in the project & assign each part to a number (ex:1=Wings/feathers, 2=fangs/tusks, 3=tentacles, 4=fins/scales, 5=fur, 6=horns/antlers/claws). Keep the list a surprise until everyone had a chance to roll the dice… FULL Lesson

Motorcycle Mixed-Media Art Lesson High School

Medium: Mixed Media

Creating Dynamic Compositions in High School Art

Providing interesting subject matter for planning & creating compositions is important for art teachers to do. I had envisioned doing this mixed media motorcycle art project for several years & was so grateful to find someone who was willing to bring their motorcycle up to our school so my high school students could draw it! I wanted something to really challenge & provide a super interesting subject to teach composition to my high school art class… FULL Lesson

Watercolor Pouring and Masking Portrait Art Lesson

Medium: Watercolors

Are you or your students super tight when it comes to painting? I know I am!! Trying to loosen up a “tight” painter is HARD to do-it takes practice, trial & error. This HS art painting lesson is a great exercise in loosening up and letting go of control. Students will review positive and negative space. The will use a photo editing program to transform a portrait to show high contrast values (black or white only). They will experiment with different watercolor techniques such as pouring, masking and splattering.