Drawing with a Difference #1

Here at Heathlands we love to explore new and exciting ways we can express ourselves with Arts & Crafts.

With this in mind we are starting a new series of live demonstrations, short videos and blog posts, for you to have a go at “drawing with a difference”. So, what do we mean by this? Quite simply we mean drawing, with anything but pencil and paper.

Our first session went live yesterday, Monday 27th February 2023 and the link to the video can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/Heathlands.Cumbria/videos/1359988764543889

Drawing with a Difference Session #1 – LEGO!!!

The inspiration for the first of our sessions is pixel art, a method for creating images with small squares or pixels.

For this activity we decided it would be really fun to use Lego Dots, as our pixels as they are movable and easy to use. We also decided to draw a polar bear, Monday was international polar bear day!

What you will need:

A Lego base plate
Lego Dots
Your imagination!

How to make your dot / pixel picture:

First you need to decide what you are going to “draw”.
select your colours and start with key features or if you prefer an outline of your idea.
Fill in your work, moving your pixels if needed.
Repeat as much as you like!

Below are some examples of pixel pictures we have made, including a few step by step images of the polar bear.

Step by step polar bear, you can also find a stop-motion here: https://youtu.be/3QcqkYIWqNU

Pom-Pom Bumble Bee

Bees are really important to our whole eco-system so we thought we’d show our love of them by making a fluffy pom-pom version.

You will need:

Cardboard
Yellow and black yarn
Small amount of white net fabric (or similar)
Black pipe cleaner
Wiggly eyes
Scissors
Circular templates
Glue (PVA or a hot glue gun work best)

Step 1.

Use your circular templates (we’re using a roll of tape and a small pot) to draw two ‘donuts’ onto your cardboard. They should be the same size as each other. Cut them out.

Step 2.

Hold your two ‘donuts’ together and we’re going to start wrapping yarn around, as shown in the pictures. We’re going to wrap the ‘donut’ in black and yellow sections so we get a nice stripy bee! Try and wrap as evenly as you can, working around the circle.

Step 3.

When you’ve wrapped so much yarn the centre is full you’re ready for the next step. Very carefully, use your scissors to cut around the edge of the pom-pom, as shown.

Step 4.

Now it becomes clear why we used two cardboard circles; cut a piece of yarn and slide it in-between the cardboard circles. Wrap it around the middle and tie it as tightly as you can.

Step 5.

You can now remove the cardboard rings and give the bee a trim if needed to tidy her up!

Step 6.

From the white fabric cut two wing shapes and glue them onto the back of the bee. Bend the pipe cleaner in half and glue onto the top of the head. You may also want to bend the ends into a curve. Finally, glue the wiggly eyes onto the front of the bee. Wait for the glue to dry and you’re done!

Have fun and don’t forget to show us how you get on!

Mini Beast Masterpieces

Let’s Rock (paint)!

We’ve been spending lots of time outside recently and have been enjoying spotting some of the smaller wildlife around our site. Inspired by our mini-beast sightings we’ve created some painted version of our own and we thought we’d share how we made them so you can have a go too!

You will need:

Stones/Rocks
Paint (acrylic is ideal but any paint will do)
Varnish (if you want to put your rock creatures outside)
Googly eyes (optional)

Step 1.

Wash your stones or rocks and allow them to dry. While they’re drying you might want to plan what kind of mini beast to paint and what colours to use.

Step 2.

Paint your stone all one colour, choose the main colour of your mini beast. For example, red for a ladybird or yellow for a bumble bee. Allow this coat to dry.

Step 3.

Add some details to your painted rock so it looks like your mini beast; black spots for a ladybird and black stripes for a bee, for example. You can use our examples as a guide or make up your own!

Step 4.

If you have googly eyes, glue them on to add a bit of character. Alternatively paint some eyes on.

Step 5.

When all the paint and glue has dried you can varnish your mini beast masterpiece to finish it off.

Have fun and don‘t forget to share with us how you get on!