These simple endangered animals are easy enough for the youngest of kindergartners to create, and are a forever favorite subject for younger students.

Students will focus on shape in this lesson to create the body using simple cutting skills. They will also add value to create a shadow, then use line to create the face and details with black tempera paint.

The book Tiger Days is a great book featuring cute and simple illustration, to read with this project to your Kindergartners. The book focuses on emotions and how they can change from day to day, like the various emotions with animal personalities.

Watch a quick video tutorial here…

Click the yellow button below to DOWNLOAD the free drawing handout for the elephant drawing guide, as well as the other March Freebie Pack drawing guides. Just add your name and email and we’ll send it straight to you!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

– 9″ x 12″ colored sulphite paper

– 6″ x 9″ colored sulphite paper

– 4″x 4″ colored sulphite paper

– Black liquid tempera paint

– Medium round paintbrush

– Chalk pastels

– Crayon

– Scissors & glue

MAKING THE BODY:

Start with a 6″ x 9″ piece of colored sulphite paper turned vertical.

Draw a curved upside down “U” shape with a crayon from one edge of the paper to the other side.

Cut along the curved line to make the body of your animal.

Use a chalk pastel in a DARKER color to add value to your animal.

For the body, add a shadow to the right, left and bottom sides. Also add a vertical line in the middle of the body, stopping before the lines reaches the top.

Blend with finger, creating shadows on your animal. This helps make the animals look more 3D and less flat.

For the 4″ x 4″ head, add a shadow to the bottom and right side only and then smooth chalk with finger.

ASSEMBLING & ADDING DETAILS:

With liquid glue, glue the back of each shape onto a 9″ x 12″ piece of colored sulphite paper with a COMPLEMENTARY COLOR to the body.

Glue the body down first near the right edge of the paper. Then glue the head down, overlapping the body.

Use the drawing guide to help add details to your animal using black liquid tempera paint.

SUPPLY TIP: If your paintbrush springs back to a point after you push it down when wet, it will be good for this step. If your paintbrush stays bent, it will make this step hard for students.

Add details to the face first, them move on to the body. Add a pointy tail near the top right corner of the body, then make a few lines at the end of the tail.

Paint a straight line in the middle of the body to separate the front and back legs. Add a few bumpy lines at the bottom of the body to make the toes.

Have you done this lesson? I’d love to hear how the instructions worked for you!

I created a detailed instructional video within the Sparklers Membership Club where you can also get more detailed lesson plans including National Core Art Standards, Assessment Checklists, full length instruction videos and plenty other art lessons plans to choose from.

For more information on joining, sign up to our waitlist HERE.

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Click the button below to DOWNLOAD the March Freebie Pack for more fun art lesson you can use this month!