Stencil Easter Rabbits Eating Clover

      The Easter bunny picture above was made by the use of a series of stencils. The rabbits and the dandelions (taraxacum) where drawn by one method and the clover by another. I also combined colored pencils and crayons in this picture.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. In order to make the soft appearance of the fuzzy animals and the dandelions, I gently rubbed the side of my colors over the top of each stencil with a grey crayon first. The effect resulted in a feathery appearance. 
2. Next, I traced around the clover and colored in the shapes left behind in a brilliant green crayon, resulting in harder brighter lines and shapes. 
3. Then I copied the same process from step 1. to draw the dandelion puffs.
4. Draw the center details of the puffs with colored pencils red and black.
5. Use Crayons or pencils to color in the sky blue, clover leaves green and the clover buds lavender.

      Teachers in this lesson may then discuss with young students the differences between design elements that are sometimes difficult to communicate in a drawing only. The rabbits look soft; the clover looks smooth. The fur and seeds look fuzzy, the clover looks bright and so on . . . Tactile ideas are easier to communicate through a fabric assignment but sometimes this is not affordable. Visual textures may be easier to believe when associated with objects that are obviously associated with textures small students enjoy in both their toys and in small animals that they are fond of.

      Teachers will need to make stencils in advance for the assignment. These should look similar to the black silhouettes that I have pictured below.

Stencil shapes for drawing above. Enlarge these as needed.