Art Activities

Here are some family art activities for you to try at home. You can use our online exhibition Photographic memories for inspiration.

Activity 1 - Andy Warhol portraits

This activity uses inspiration from the artist Andy Warhol and the portraits he created.

Step 1 – Select a photo you wish to use and print 4 copies in black and white.
Step 2 – On each photo colour in the same parts in different colours or choose different parts on each photo to colour in.
Step 3 – Put the 4 pictures up together in a grid.
Step 4 – Show off your own Andy Warhol inspired artwork.

Step 1 – Using your A4 paper measure and cut a piece of sticky back plastic.
Step 2 – Slowly pull back the paper backing on the sticky back plastic and put a piece of masking tape on each corner to keep it in place on your table. You should have the sticky part facing upwards.
Step 3 – Cut up pieces of different coloured wool and place them on the sticky back plastic to make a picture.
Step 4 – When you have added enough wool for your picture carefully take the masking tape off and place the A4 paper over the top and press down firmly.

Step 1 – Make a frame with a piece of A4 card. You can do this by drawing round the width of a ruler all the way round the card and cut out the middle piece by bending the card in half.
Step 2 – Then set up a chair where you are going to be drawing, whether it's by a window looking out or in a garden.
Step 3 – Using your frame choose a section of landscape or area you want to sketch either through your window or in your garden. Whatever is inside your frame you will sketch onto a piece of card. You might find a willing model to sit for you.
Step 4 – Once you have sketched your picture use some pastels to colour it in.

Step 1 – Tear up pieces of tissue paper that are sky colours.
Step 2 – Tear up pieces of tissue paper that are landscape colours, in to shapes of hills and mountains.
Step 3 – Select pictures from a magazine or you have found of old buildings on the internet or even old photographs that you are allowed to use and cut them into neat shapes.
Step 4 – Arrange the tissue paper and pictures onto your card. Remember the top third is the sky, the next third is the landscape and the bottom third is the buildings.
Step 5 – Once happy with how it looks start to glue the pieces down.

Step 1: Squirt the shaving foam into the tray.
Step 2: Cover the whole tray with foam.
Step 3: Add drops of food colouring/paint to the foam.
Step 4: Swirl the colours around the foam using a skewer or cocktail stick.
Step 5: Put a piece of paper on top of the swirls of paint and leave for a minute.
Step 6: Take the paper off and use a ruler to scrape off the foam.
Step 7: Your paper will have swirls of colours on it.