How to Draw a Rose Step by Step

In this drawing lesson you learn how to draw a rose with my detailed 10 steps instruction, going from basic sketch of the flower outline to shading your final rose drawing in fully rendered colors.

This step by step tutorial only concentrate on drawing the rose itself, not the whole flower with stem, leaves and barbs. I will soon create another guide to show you how to draw roses in general, which will deal with common shapes found in rose flowers. For now, let's enjoy the detailed explanation to help you create a well executed, beautiful and romantic drawing of a rose.

How to Draw a Rose Sketch

Step 1: Begin by establishing the flower outline frame for your rose drawing.

This is very easy to do, simply quickly draw a shape that looks like circle, but not too smoothly circular, as we want our rose flower to look natural and organic. So be brave to give it some definition my actually straightening a bit here and there.  

Then move onto rosebud outline - a roughly drawn cylinder that has top surface look like simplified version of heart-shape. 

Step 2: Start working on rosebud details.

As you see, I started to sketch from the very center and then worked it further. If you learn to draw a rose this way you won't have to erase any overlapping pencil sketches and thus keep your drawing of a rose super clean and tidy!

Note: I also faded the original sketch of rose outline in previous drawing step.

Step 3: Draw petals further of rose bud.

You might have noticed that thishow to draw a rose step has become a bit more complex. The petals start to expand create various shapes of folds and openings.

My advice is to find yourself a good reference picture of a realistic rose to help better understand its anatomy and how rose petals looks like in nature. 

Step 4: Add more petals to your rose sketch.

The trick here is to draw fewer and larger rose petals as you move further away from the flower center. 

Keep an eye for any distinctive shape or swirls that you like and that add to the softness and delicate nature of rose flowers. 

The key to drawing really beautiful roses lies in keen observation and ability to depict those findings in your artwork.

Step 5: Final 'how to draw rose sketch' step.

Sketch some extra petals on the outer edges of your rose drawing to fill in the structure outline we created in step 1.

This is how I was able to draw a rose that have an artistic touch yet look balanced and natural.

How to Draw a Rose in Color

Step 6: Fill in a light pink color 

Depending on your chosen rose color, you might as well do it with any other hues as you like, for example: purple, blue, orange, yellow or light red.

For this red rose lesson you need to start with a light pink color just like in the illustration to the left. 

Step 7: Shade your rose in color

In this learn to draw a rose step I picked a red color that has some pink in it and quickly went over the dark areas first.

If you're unsure - start with shadows and then work your way out. 

Step 8: Add mid-tones to your rose flower

For this how to draw a roseexample I used a little bit of red-orange along with light purple to smoothen the transition between light and shadow. 

Don't worry about any textures at this stage, all you are doing here is establishing tones and values to create a 3 dimensional drawing of a rose.

Step 9:  Learn to draw a rose with texture

Your rose flower drawing is almost done. Now is the time to create interest in your art by sketching in some crease lines - contouring the curls of rose petals.

This is how you create an illusion that your red rose is actually a three dimensional form instead of appearing as a 2d flat drawing.

Use a darker color pencil or any other mediums of you choice, like: soft pastels or Conte crayons.

Step 10: Finish red rose drawing

We created some interesting patterns in previous step, but you rose flower still need some definition in the center area to create focus.

Perhaps, work on a bit more details and use sharp ink lines to create contrasting edges of rosebud's petals.

Don't be afraid to increase the color intensity by drawing over it with brighter colors.

To help you with drawing and sketching, its a great idea to use real life photographs, such as ones found on this red rose pictures and flower meaning page. There are many kind of roses, each will have subtle difference in colors, shades, and petal forms. Paying attention to those little details will improve your drawing skills by many folds.

Source: http://www.drawingstep.com/how-to-draw-a-rose.html

33 Cheap But Brilliant Ways You Can Keep Your Kids Busy

Keeping kids busy while they are at home during the warm summer months is a challenge for any parent, older sibling or babysitter. It's not easy to fill an 8 hour+ day with fun activities for your little ones. Thankfully, some brilliant people online came up with some fun (and safe) ways to keep children occupied for less than $10. Don't spend a fortune taking them to the movies, swimming pool or mall every day (although that can be fun). Try some of these cheap, but awesome, ideas. You might enjoy them yourself, too!

1.) Make roads for toy cars by using colored tape on carpet.

2.) You can also use tape to create some oversized, fun games.

3.) Turn your driveway into a fun target game using chalk and sponges.

4.) Chalk is also a great way to play dress-up without dolls.

5.) Exploding paint bags can be a messy, fun art project for your kids.

6.) Use plastic container lids, glue and food coloring for a neat painting craft.

7.) Have extra bubble wrap? Make stomp paintings.

8.) Cut up a tarp with scissors to make a cheap throwing game.

9.) Create a quiet, safe game of Jenga by using cut-up sponges.

10.) Use foil to make a big river in the backyard.

11.) Tape a paper towel roll to the wall to make a simple game for your toddler.

12.) Or run some pipe cleaners through a colander.

13.) "Sew" through burlap using plastic needles, making fun designs.

14.) Let kids practice their letters in this sugar writing tray.

15.) Go camping indoors and let your kids' imaginations run wild.

16.) Let your kids experiment with water marbles.

17.) Create alien bubble science projects.

18.) Extract DNA from strawberries as a fun experiment.

19.) Balloon rockets teach a lesson, plus they are just fun.

20.) Make a mini bowling game with pencil erasers and marbles.

21.) Got yarn? Let kids crawl through a safe playground you create.

22.) Pretending the floor is lava can be turned into a fun, educational game.

23.) Make soap clouds by putting a bar of soap into the microwave.

24.) Let your kids compete in a Popcorn Olympics!

25.) Balloon ping pong is a fun activity your kids can safely play indoors.

26.) Strands of painter's tape can form a fun, sticky spiderweb.

27.) Transform an old box into an indoor slide.

28.) Go outside and let your kids make a rainbow bubble snake from simple ingredients.

29.) Create a giant, DIY bubble wand.

30.) Fill balloons with Play-Doh for a fun new toy.

31.) Help kids create their own t-shirt designs with crayons and sand paper.

32.) Cut a pool noodle in half to make a marble race track.

33.) Or use those pool noodles to create a backyard obstacle course.

Source: http://www.viralnova.com/cool-ideas-10-dollars/

101 Report Card Comments to Use Now

101 Report Card Comments to Use Now
By Genia Connell on November 1, 2012

Start on a Positive Note

I always begin each comment with a general statement letting the parents know how happy I am to be teaching their child, or how much their child is learning and growing:

• It has truly been a pleasure getting to know your child this quarter.
• Your child has made great progress across the curriculum since the beginning of the school year.
• Your child has made very good academic and/or social progress this quarter.
• Your child has done a very nice job this quarter, taking pride in her work and completing assignments with quality in mind.
• Your child continues to have a great year in 3rd grade.
• It has been a pleasure having the opportunity to work with (student) during his 3rd grade year.

Provide Specific Information Across Several Different Areas

Next, include formative evidence that lets the parents know how you view their child as a person, a classmate, and a student. You may notice several of the reading, writing, communication, and math stems come from the Common Core State Standards.

Personal Attributes

The student . . . 

• is an enthusiastic learner.
• tackles new challenges seriously/eagerly and with a positive attitude.
• arrives at school each day with a smile, ready to learn.
• is an active participant in small group discussions.
• puts evident effort into his work as he completes assignments with quality in mind.
• shows perseverance in all he does.
• has many insightful ideas to share with the class.
• is kind, caring, and friendly character makes her a role model for classmates.
• has a cheery demeanor that has made her a friend to many in our classroom.
• uses common sense to problem solve independently and in a positive manner.
• is respectful of others.
• adapts easily to new situations.

Behavior

The student . . . 

• consistently makes good choices in all parts of the school day.
• demonstrates behavior that sets the standard for our class.
• is able to separate work and social times.
• is polite to adults and peers in and out of the classroom.
• manages his feelings and emotions well in the classroom.
• reacts appropriately in adverse situations.
• is a role model for our class with his good behavior.

Work Habits

The student . . . 

• always completes daily assignments in a timely manner.
• returns homework on time and well done.
• stays focused on the task at hand.
• uses class time constructively.
• consistently uses personal best effort on a daily basis.
• completes work with quality in mind.
• is a self-motivated worker.
• demonstrates hard work and produces quality results.
• is an inquisitive learner who enjoys analyzing situations and making new discoveries in all parts of the school day.
• actively engages in working carefully and conscientiously.
• pays attention to detail in daily work.
• follows directions.
• works independently and stays on task.
• uses higher level thinking strategies to apply learned skills to new situations.
• has a passion for [subject area] that shows through the resolve he puts into every single assignment.
• works very well with others in a group.
• shows perseverance on challenging assignments.
• is able to transition easily from one activity to the next.

Social Skills

The student . . . 

• is always willing to help a classmate.
• values what others have to say.
• treats others fairly.
• gets along well with others in the classroom and/or on the playground.
• is polite to peers and/or adults, in and out of the classroom.
• takes the thoughts and feeling of others into account before speaking or acting.
• handles disagreements with peers appropriately and diplomatically.
• makes friends easily.
• enjoys spending time with friends.

Communication

The student . . . 

• effectively participates in a range of conversations with diverse partners.
• builds on other’s ideas and expresses her own clearly and persuasively.
• is an active participant in small and/or large group discussions.
• is an active listener and important member of group discussions.
• asks and answers questions that demonstrate understanding.
• asks questions or seeks clarification when needed.
• listens well and shares ideas frequently.
• shares appropriate and relevant information.
• listens to the ideas, opinions, and comments of others without interrupting.
• responds appropriately to other’s comments during partner/turn-and-talk time.

Reading

The student . . . 

• retells events from a story in a sequential manner. 
• reads closely to determine what the text says explicitly and makes logical inferences from it.
• goes back to the text and cites evidence to support conclusions drawn from the text.
• has a good sense of story structure. She's able to identify the setting, characters, problem, and solution.
• describes characters in a story and explains how they impact the story.
• analyzes how two or more texts are similar.
• uses taught reading strategies well to gain meaning, especially . . . 
• uses strategies such as making connections, asking questions about the text, and inferencing to aid their comprehension.
• has very good fluency and intonation.
• reads dialogue with expression.
• uses text features and search tools to efficiently locate information relevant to a given topic.
• uses information gained from illustrations to demonstrate understanding of the text.
• reads and comprehends informational texts, including those for science and social studies.
• chooses books that are at her “just right” reading level.
• has very good reading stamina. The student is able to read for ___ consecutive minutes.
• works well and participates in small, guided reading groups.

Writing

The student . . . 

• shows strong knowledge and application of writing conventions such as capitalization and punctuation.
• has shown very good/great improvement in spelling and word work over the past several weeks.
• produces writing that has been a joy to read over the past few weeks. I especially liked [examples of what the student wrote that you felt was well done].
• has language arts skills that continue to blossom, especially in the areas of . . . 
• conveys her thoughts and ideas clearly.
• writes sentences that are complete thoughts.
• writes opinion pieces with well thought-out, supportive reasoning.
• shows a strong grasp of organization in her writing. She stays on topic and uses relevant details.
• uses details to expand upon the great written thoughts she is already putting on paper.
• uses strong descriptive language, allowing the audience to clearly visualize what is being described.
• uses an appropriate voice in her writing that allows her personality to come through in her written pieces. 

Math

The student . . . 

• knows basic math facts (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division).
• uses various strategies to solve one- and two-step word problems.
• identifies and extends mathematical patterns.
• understands place value and uses it to round numbers to the nearest . . .
• solves real-world mathematical problems involving perimeter and area.
• understands the relationship between addition and subtraction, and multiplication and division.
• can identify the attributes of two- and three-dimensional objects.
• uses measurement tools well to determine length/volume/time/money/temperature.
• uses data to create charts and graphs.
• uses data from charts and graphs to solve problems.

 

Set a Goal

While the students may be learning and growing, there is always room for improvement. Provide at least one specific goal that you will be working on with the student the following quarter. Use all of the comments above to help you set your goals. Simply add beginnings such as:

• Your child would benefit from . . .
• This quarter we will be working on . . .
• I would like to see your child work on . . .
• Your child needs to pay closer attention to . . .
• One area for improvement is . . .

 

Closings

I always close on a positive note, giving a boost to my students' confidence. I let them know how proud I am of what they have been doing, and how I look forward to what is to come:

• I am so proud of all you have accomplished. Keep up the wonderful things you are doing!
• You are an amazing student, and you truly shine!
• I can hardly wait to see how you impress me during the next quarter!
• You have had a terrific quarter, and I am confident the next one will be even better!

 

Save Your Comments 

I write my comments in a Word document, then save them every year to look back at. This helps jog my memory, and old comments often serve as a platform that I build new ones upon. Again, here is a look at a collection of comments I have saved from previous years. I'm hoping these tips save you a little time while helping you leave a record of your students' achievements.

Source: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2012/11/101-report-card-comments-use-now

Tables of 6, 7, 8 and 9 in your hands

Step 1: Ascribe values

 First put your hands in front of you as shown in the drawing
- In each hand, ascribe a value from 6 to 10 to each finger

Step 2: How to multiply

Step 1

Choose the numbers to multiply. Example: 7x8

Step 2

Put together the fingers whoses values you want to multiply.

Step 3

Now count the touching fingers and the ones below them. The number you get will be the tens. Example: 5

Step 4

Now multiply the fingers above the ones touching of the left hand and the ones in the right hand. The number you get will be the units. Example: 3x2=6

Answer: 56

**In some cases you will get a number of units bigger than nine, in that case sum both quantities**

Example: 7x6

- Touching fingers + the ones below  ->  3

- Fingers above the ones touching in left hand  ->  3
                                                                                                               3 x 4 = 12
- Fingers above the ones touching in the right hand  ->  4


                                                                                3        (tens)
Now we've got 3 tens and 12 units  ->                  + 12      (units)
                                                                             ---------
                                                                                  42     (final result)

Source: http://www.instructables.com/id/Tables-of-6-7-8-and-9-in-your-hands/