www.craftsforkids.com

Hands on Crafts For Kids is the resource for kids craft projects and instructions for kids 6-12 and parents, teachers and other group leaders. It includes school and curriculum based projects,  multi cultural projects, and every day, holiday and seasonal ideas.

It is  the online home of the public television program Hands On Crafts for Kids.

Always cover your work surface with a mat or some type of protective covering like wax paper or plastic.
                                                    
Always use care when using tools or a heat source. Be careful and safe!

Age Range: 7 to 12

Grade Range: 2 to 6

Skill Level: Easy to Advanced

Appropriate for These Special Events:
Every Day, Pretend Play and Rainy Days

Supports Subject Areas of:
Social Studies
Language Arts – e.g. step by step instructions
Visual Arts

Time needed for project:
1 to 2 hours

Aliens in Space – Franz Spohn

Technique:Create brilliant illustrations using metallic materials on a dark background

Materials: 
Faber-Castell® Metallic Color Pencils
Faber-Castell® Metallic Gel Sticks
Canson® Black Paper Pad
Paintbrush
Water

Directions:
When you think about space, there’s lots of darkness.  The sky is dark, the deep recesses of space are lost in blackness where the sun can’t reach.  But the stars are like glitter in the sky.  Lights of spaceships flash brightly and the shiny metals glisten.  How can we create this effect in a drawing? 

Instead of using traditional white paper, try a black drawing paper!  On a black paper, Metallic Color Pencils and Gel Sticks really stand out and shimmer and shine!  Even the texture of the paper lends itself to creating patterns in your art.

Begin by sketching the shape of your flying saucer and aliens with a Metallic Color Pencil.  Add color with other Metallic Color Pencil colors.  You can create background images, like a planet, using the Metallic Gel Sticks.  These work really well on larger areas.  You can even go over them with a wet brush to create very thin layers of shimmer.