Draw a Stick Person

Find out how charming a stick person drawing can be, especially when surrounded by lots of bright colors.

Here’s an idea of what to do if your children are maybe getting stuck trying to make the PERFECT drawing, especially a self portrait. Are they erasing more than drawing lately? Then try this stick figure out.

Ask them to throw out (for a moment) all that they have learned about drawing bodies, and tell them they MUST draw themselves with only stick arms and legs. It helps then to have a really thick black permanent marker to make these lines really bold, and then just concentrate on painting any kind of rainbow ring around them.

Keep the inside white though, as it will add lots of fun CONTRAST to your work (one of the Principles of Design). See? You snuck some learning in to a very simple un-fancy art project. Good for you!

MATERIALS

• Watercolor paper*
• Black Marker, chisel tip*
• Liquid watercolor paint*

*The above product links are referrals. If you click through and take action, I’ll be compensated a small amount, at no extra expense to you.

DIRECTIONS

Students draw themselves in stick figure form.
The drawing is traced with a chisel tip black Sharpie marker for a bold line. If you only have a medium size marker, trace two or three times to make it thick.
Using a small or medium brush, the body is traced with liquid watercolor paint. The first outline is around the body, and then progresses outward. Colors that bleed together are fine, but white spaces between the lines are not allowed. Student’s name may be added at the top when complete.