Raise your hand if you have a red nose and antlers for your car during the holiday season?
Reindeer are a December staple. There’s the song, of course, the movies and books, and don’t forget the decorations!
These wintertime animal icons aren’t just cute, however! They have some pretty nifty abilities that help them adapt to their snowy habitat, and I for one think we should be learning a little more about them than the one that had a red nose!
Most mammals can’t see UV light, but reindeer can! Scientists think this ability may help them find their food, like lichen, and also see predators, like wolves. With this extra range of vision, reindeer can see greater contrast and more shapes and detail.
In this project, students draw a symmetrical, not to mention adorable, reindeer, sitting in the snow with holiday lights around their antlers.
Students use crayon and watercolor to practice wax resist techniques, then add shimmer and sparkle to their hearts’ content! As they decorate, ask them to imagine what the reindeer’s world looks like with their expanded range of vision, and use this as inspiration for their creations.
Break out the glitter and glue and let’s create a reindeer and its wintery wonderland surroundings!
What you'll need:
- White sulphite paper
- Crayons
- Watercolors
- Glitter or glitter glue (optional, but sparkly!)
Rocket the Reindeer Art Project Instructions
Grab white paper and your favorite pencil to draw with.
Use the “draw light until it’s right” technique, by applying very light pressure with the pencil as you sketch your reindeer.
Follow the drawing guide to draw the reindeer, starting with a circle for the head, and gradually adding more lines to create the entire body.
Add details like the ears, antlers, and hooves.
Draw the string of lights by starting a line at one side of the paper, looping in front of the first antler and behind the second, and continuing to trail off the page.
Add circles or any other shape for the lights.
Add a second string.
Color your reindeer with crayon, applying pressure so that the colored sections will resist watercolors.
Color in the lights any colors you wish, considering a pattern or making it random.
Paint the background in with watercolors, leaving the snowy ground unpainted.
Dilute the color you used for your background, and paint light swishes on the snowy ground to reflect the sky.
And last but not least, considering adding some sparkle! Use glitter glue, or glue on any loose glitter or other sparkly supplies you’d like.
Rather see it done? Click below to see a video, or scroll down for a FREE step-by-step handout!
Ready to make your reindeer sparkle and shine?
Click the banner below to download the FREE lesson plan.
We would love it if you’d share your art project results!
Don’t forget to tag us at @soulsparklettes on social media if you do this reindeer art project with your kids or students – we love to see what you create!
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