Fun Friday Websites: Let’s Draw!
Each month I like to add some “learning is fun” links to my Student Resource page that capture the imagination and encourage exploration. Here’s a roundup of some favorite online resources to use with students that allow them to get creative and make some art!
Inspiral – If you’ve played with a spirograph, you know how exciting – and sometimes frustrating! – it is to create those magical designs. (Fun Fact: I can remember when the set came with pushpins to hold the plastic disks to your paper! Now they come with a wad of putty, a safer option that doesn’t leave holes in your paper.) The online version can be just as much fun, and this is one of the best versions I’ve found, especially since it allows you to download your creation for printing.
Quick Draw – this offering from Google allows you to play a guessing game with the computer, similar to the old Win Lose or Draw. You’re shown a word (envelope, trombone, laptop) on the screen, and then given a blank drawing area. The computer has 20 seconds to correctly guess what you’ve drawn. You hear the computer guesses out loud, but you have to read the word yourself (a definite drawback for younger players).
AutoDraw – another Google game, this one allows you to turn your amateur drawings into professional doodles as you work. When you draw an object onscreen, a menu of related objects appears at the top of your paper. You can click on any one of them to transform your drawing. Tools include a color palette, shapes, and a text option.
Tate Paint – from the Tate Museum’s website, Tate Paint is one of several art activities provided by them for kids. Users are given a choice of canvases and a selection of art supplies that changes based on the type of background chosen. Students can also get inspiration from paintings that are part of the gallery’s collection. This site allows you to download your artwork, or submit it to the Tate Kids Gallery online.
Scribbles and Ink – the companion website to the PBS show of the same name, Scribbles and Ink are two artists that couldn’t be more different; one is a cat and one is a mouse; one likes clean pencil lines and one likes splattered paint; together they make beautiful art. Students are given a choice of themes, and an animated video tells a story and provides drawing prompts. Once a drawing is completed, it’s incorporated into the next video segment of the story.
What are your favorite online drawing resources for students? Please let us know in the comments!
