
As we prepared for our annual Fine Arts Festival my fourth graders had been creating some beautiful projects. This one has been a favorite. Students created a glue resist chalk drawing by first using pencils to draw their image; then applying glue directly to the drawing and coloring in the image with chalk.

Day One: Beautiful birds outlined in glue. I used Elmer’s Glue All because sometimes the school glue has too much of a liquid consistency.
Make sure you have a flat surface so the glue dries neatly.
Day 2: The students were all smiles!
They love blending and shading their tropical rainforest birds. With all the vivid colors at their disposal
they went to straight to work.
they went to straight to work.
Toucans!

When blending I demonstrated how to use a different finger with each new color so the colors stay bright.
Parrots!



Sometimes the students just didn’t want to go back to class.
They wanted to keep working! Like this one.


Butterflies and Dragonflies!



I just love how all these turned out!
Each 4th grade class created different rainforest creatures.

So go ahead grab some chalk and have fun!
Laura
18 Comments
diditeach
March 20, 2013 at 1:47 amThese are really lovely….a wonderful idea I can't wait to try for spring. Would this work with regular chalk or chalk pastels ? Thanks 🙂
dianefilek@hotmail.com
Phyl
March 20, 2013 at 4:44 amThese look great! I've done this before but always struggle with whether or not to spray. Spraying dulls the colors, but if I don't spray, someone will lean against the display and smear all the colors. So I wonder how others manage this. And if you don't spray, how do you send the home?
gretchen buwalda
March 20, 2013 at 8:06 amI I love them. Well done. Fabulous photos too thanks.
Paintedpaper
March 20, 2013 at 10:53 amI use both- Prang and Crayola chalk and prong chalk pastels.
Paintedpaper
March 20, 2013 at 10:58 amI use hair spray- very lightly. These are hanging in the hallway with no smears or smudges. All the teachers are monitoring the hallways as well for fingers to touch 🙂 I have to say the students LOVE using chalk and are very respectful of the projects. 🙂 I will be sending 18 x 24 inch portfolios home soon and everything is neatly tuck away.
Joe
March 20, 2013 at 11:43 amLove those colours, they're so intense!
Beth
March 20, 2013 at 4:47 pmBeautiful!! I have also used Gel Glue on the black paper and oil pastels. I may have to try using the chalk again. I agree on the spraying. I try to spray very lightly!!
diditeach
March 21, 2013 at 1:25 amThanks !!
Blooming Soul Arts
March 22, 2013 at 1:04 amI do a glue project every year because I just absolutely LOVE the results! The kids love the pastels and they always turn out amazing. Last year we did rainforest animals because the theme for the art show was the rainforest…I have to say the poisonous frogs were my favorites! (I always spray…otherwise its a bit of a mess and things get smudged.) (hair spray)
Rva Pioni
March 23, 2013 at 7:09 pmI love each one.
Best wishes from arctic Finland
we wait birds and flowers here.
Kris
March 28, 2013 at 4:24 amBeautiful! Can I ask what kind of paper they used? Is it construction paper?
Paintedpaper
March 28, 2013 at 11:02 amTru Ray Construction paper. It holds up well to the wet glue. 🙂
Anonymous
April 20, 2013 at 2:26 amNever thought to use the black paper! I have always added black tempera into the glue. Thanks.
Michelle Mullins-Means
June 24, 2016 at 5:56 amLove this technique, gives the kids more control over the chalk!
Laura geiger
June 25, 2016 at 10:10 pmReally nice!m did the children draw their own animals or use templates?
Laura
June 26, 2016 at 7:23 pmThanks Laura. The students drew their animals, then outlined with glue.
Elizabeth
June 27, 2016 at 12:03 amDoes regular pencil show up on black paper?
Laura
June 27, 2016 at 9:09 amElizabeth, Yep, Students have always been able to see their drawings. Then redraw with glue. Let dry.