I loved this folk art painting project last year. I brought it out again today but simplified it. The basic idea is to draw in a primitive style, so I asked students to imagine drawing a cat as if they had never drawn one before.
1. Draw a cat with very simple shapes. Start with the circle head, oval body, “hot dog” legs and tail, and add ears and face. Trace all with a black Sharpie marker.
2. Add details with crayons: stripes on legs, spots, whiskers, colored eyes and stars in the background. Last detail? Draw white claws with a white crayon.
3. Paint the cat and background as desired with watercolor paint. Be sure to go over the crayon, and not just around it.
