Underwater Scratch Art

This art lesson focused on using scratch art to create an underwater scene with one underwater animal such as a fish, crab, shark, etc. as the emphasis (focal point) of the picture. Here is my underwater scratch art:

Materials needed:

·         Picture of underwater animal
·         White sheet of 8 ½ “ by 11” piece of paper
·         Black Scratch Paper—half sheet of 8 x11
·         Wooden dowel with a point

The steps to create a picture of an underwater animal using scratch art paper:

1: Choose an underwater animal you want to draw and use as the focal point of your underwater scene.

2: Fold an 8 ½” by 11” sheet of paper in half and draw the animal you choose for your underwater scene.

3: Take the folded paper on which your animal was drawn and slip a piece of 5 ½” by 8 ½“piece of scratch paper in between the folded piece of paper.

4: Now trace the animal you drew with a wooden dowel and include as much detail as possible (be sure to apply pressure since you have to see the outline of the animal on the scratch paper).

5. After you finished tracing your animal, take the scratch paper out from between the folded piece of paper and begin to scratch off the black film to create an outline of your animal. Caution: handle the scratch paper with a paper towel—if the paper gets wet from sweaty hands or fingers you will not be able to use it.

6. When you are finished drawing you animal with as much detail as possible, also draw some background that fits the animals surroundings.

7. Display your underwater art on a bulletin board.

Extension activity:

This type of art could be integrated into different subject areas besides art. For instance, when 4^th or 5^th grade students are studying a unit on the Westward Expansion they could do an activity with scratch art to create scenes typical of this era. The scenes could include: sod being broken by a team of oxen, a pioneer family traveling on a horse-drawn carriage, a new house being raised, a girl milking a cow, guys brining in the hay, etc. After completing their scratch paper art, the students would write a few paragraphs (with main point focusing on the picture they choose) describing how life in this era was different than life today.