While searching for a literature tie-in for these adorable apples, I found Nikki McClure’s exquisite book Apple. The story takes you on a visual journey of the cycle of an apple; from apple picking to composting and re-birth. The children had fun anticipating what would become of the bright red apple.

Here is my book review for Apple.

I read this book to my group of Kinders and they were absolutely enraptured! The Kindergarten teacher and I marveled at the simplicity and effectiveness of the vocabulary and images. Afterwards, we created a very simple apple art project that featured five art techniques:

1. Tracing (holding an oil pastel)

2. Cutting and pasting

3. Painting with primary colors to achieve secondary colors

4. Adding value

5. Composition

The October Freebie pack is chock full of Fall themed lessons, drawing guides, technique tips and video tutorials. Download this handy drawing guide before you get started:

SUPPLIES YOU’LL NEED:

– 12″ x 18″ colored sulphite paper (background)

– 12″ x 18″ white sulphite paper

– Black and brown oil pastel

– White chalk pastel

– Cardboard apple template (you can draw through observation, too)

– Palette of red, yellow and blue liquid tempera paints

– Scissors and glue

– Burlap or colored craft paper for the “tablecloth”

THE PROJECT

Have the children start by drawing three apples on their paper using a black oil pastel.

Then after they are finished, have them draw the stems and leaves.

I used templates for this lesson as I have young kinders (4 and 5), but if you were doing this lesson with slightly older children, it might be more interesting if the children drew the apples using observation techniques.

Now comes the fun part… painting! I placed primary colored tempera paint in a muffin-style palette and had the children paint one apple yellow. They used very little water and cleaned their brushes by sweeping the bristles over the placemat.

Next, they dipped their paintbrush into the red paint and painted the second apple red.

Now, without cleaning the brush, dip paint the paint brush in yellow paint again and paint the third apple. The children will notice right away that the yellow and red on their brush creates orange. If they need more paint, they can add more yellow or red directly to the apple.

After cleaning their brush, they painted the leaves yellow, then dipped their paint brush into blue paint and painted directly over the yellow leaves. Don’t worry about the stems for now.

In the next class or once the apples are dry, cut out around the apples and set aside. Place some pre-cut burlap and some colored background paper on a table in the back of your art room.

As the children finish cutting their apples, they can select a background paper and a piece of burlap.

Glue burlap onto the paper first, and then arrange apples onto the burlap.

Once everything is glued to the background paper, the children can add the finishing touches: coloring the stems with brown oil pastels and adding chalk highlights.

I showed the kids how to add a crescent moon shape to the top of their apples to create a shiny spot. They loved this!

My students apple art… didn’t they do a lovely job?

Interested in starting your year refreshed, prepared and ready to go?

Download our back to School Guide |Resources to help kickstart your art program

It’s a 3-part strategy on how to use the Elements of Arts when planning your art curriculum including ordering supplies, a grade level checklist for the scope and sequence of K-7 Elements of Art and What I’ll Learn in Art Class posters.