Cupcakes and Oil Pastel Tie-Dye

After many years of experimentation, I have discovered that the best way to leave a class with a guest teacher is to create video substitute plans. Students are happier, the guest teacher is happier, and the work created is stronger. One lesson students loved this year was oil pastel "tie-dye," a lesson in which erasers are pushed and pulled through concentric shapes drawn in oil pastel. The results looks quite similar to a tie-dye fabric effect.

Oil pastel "tie-dye"

I share the substitute lessons that I make with other teachers in an online forum. Sharing good ideas is a practice I love, as everyone stands to gain from it. One teacher who recently used my oil pastel tie-dye lesson wrote to me and included a photo of this awesome twist; a student of hers had drawn anthropomorphic cupcakes and collaged it to her oil pastel. EES students loved that idea, and so we borrowed right back!

 Our desserts use light direction to add strong shadows on and under the cupcakes, and include tons of delicious detail work. Students were encouraged to use bold colors, patterns, shading, and varying line types with thin and thick markers and colored pencils.

The wonderful thing about this online collaboration is now the tie-dyes all look like stages! A wonderful and perfect setting for future pop art, self-portraits, and more.