Elementary

The Essential Questions
How do artists develop preferences for tools and materials? What can we learn about painting tools by making and testing our own?

Objective
Students will experiment with different paintbrushes and create their own.

Materials

• large wooden craft sticks
• hot glue or white glue
• felt
• yarn
• wire
• feathers
• a variety of manufactured paintbrushes
• paint and paper (for testing the homemade brushes)

Step 1
Explain the parts of a paintbrush (ferrule, bristles, and handle), then have students observe different types of paintbrushes and discuss their characteristics.

Step 2
Display and explain each of the materials students will use to create their own paintbrushes.

Step 3
Give each student a large wooden craft stick and explain how they can attach materials to create bristles.

Step 4
Using hot glue or white glue, students attach strings, feathers, yarn, or other materials to one end of the craft stick. Allow time for drying.

Step 5
Students trim the bristles to the desired length, then test their homemade brushes. Compare them to manufactured brushes: What works well? What doesnʼt work well? What changes could improve the homemade brushes? What kinds of marks does each brush make?

Assessment
Can students label the different parts of their paintbrush (ferrule, bristles, and handle)? Did they participate in the class discussion comparing their brushes to manufactured ones? For your own assessment, observe the marks each brush makes; collect anecdotal notes about student observations, conversations, and experimentation.

Zoey Graf is a visual arts specialist at Calgary Girls Charter School in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.