Newspaper Birds

This is a two session art class. The first session will be to paint the papers. The second session will be to draw, cut out and paste the birds on the prepared background paper.

The third grade class spent one art session tissue painting white construction paper and newspaper to use for future art projects. Before class I tore the pages of newspaper in half to make them easier to work with. I also chose the pages with mostly writing on. You can use the pictured pages to protect the desk or table.

First Session Supplies:

• White construction paper or watercolor paper
• Newspaper
• Colored tissue paper (the cheap kind that bleeds)
• Water
• Paint brush
• Plastic shopping bag (to put wet tissue in)

Directions:

1. Lay a newspaper on the desk or table to absorb the extra water when painting.
2. The student should write his/her name or initials on the back side of three sheets of white construction paper. Then paint the paper using colored tissue paper, water and the brush. We’ll only use one of these for the background of our newspaper bird’s project, but the extra papers can be used later with other projects.
3. Tear strips of colored tissue paper, lay the strips on the white paper, overlapping and covering the whole sheet.
4. Dip the brush in the water and brush over the tissue paper. Add water with the brush until all the tissue paper is wet. Peel the wet tissue paper off and discard the wet tissue. Lay the papers aside to dry.
5. Each student should be able to paint 3 or 4 half sheets of newspaper with the time left in the first session. Some may be able to do more and some may only get one or two finished. Tissue paint the same way as was done with the white paper. Lay the papers aside to dry. I lay the painted newspaper on paper towel or layers of dry newspaper for a little while to absorb some of the water. Then they can finish drying even if they overlap a bit.

Second Session Supplies:

• Tissue painted construction or watercolor paper
• Sheets of tissue painted newspaper
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• Sequins or beads

Directions:

1. On a piece of painted newspaper, draw a circle, a raindrop, a tulip and an. Draw images (Example) on the board so the kids can see how the size of the raindrop, tulip and compare with the circle. They should all freehand draw their birds.
2. Arrange the pieces and glue them to look like birds. Glue on a sequin or bead eye, or draw one in with a black marker.
3. Glue the birds on the painted construction paper.
4. Glue to a colored piece of construction paper if so desired.

3rd Grade Projects Gallery: