How to Draw a Chalk Masterpiece

Have you ever wanted to be like Dick Van Dyke in "Mary Poppins" and cover a sidewalk with big, colorful, intricate chalk drawings? It's easy to do, especially if you have the proper supplies, the right location and a team of child-sized apprentices. Here's how to go about it.

Things You'll Need

• Chalk
• Digital camera

Instructions

1. Buy lots of chalk. Unlike other media (such as pastels or oil paints), colored chalk is a bargain-you can buy five thick sticks of various colors for less than a buck. However, you can also use up a stick of chalk surprisingly quickly, so buy five or six bags to make sure you're well supplied for the entire afternoon.

2. Find the right location. If you have a nice, flat patch of sidewalk in front of your house, consider chalking your masterpiece there. Or, if you'd like a bigger canvas to work on, you can also go to a schoolyard or local park. The good thing about chalk drawings is that they wash away with the first rain-so no one is likely to object to your artistic endeavors.

3. Deputize some kids. If you're drawing in your driveway or on the sidewalk in front of your house, your kids will want to join in-and if you go the playground, expect lots of kids (who you may or may not know) to want to contribute. Give everyone who's interested a piece of chalk, but try to provide general instructions-such as, "I need someone to put a sun there," or "Who'd like to draw a big green triangle?"

4. Be creative with the medium. The standard way to draw with chalk is to hold the stick like a giant pencil. However, you can also pound a stick of chalk into powder with a rock, then spread it over the ground (for a thick, paintlike effect), or even mix it with water to create spreadable "chalk mush" that looks a lot like pastel. Kids especially love to pound and mix-just be sure they're careful with those rocks.

5. Don't be too rigid. As an adult, you'll have a good conception of what you'd like your chalk drawing to look like, which will be at odds with the freewheeling contributions of your (or the neighborhood) kids. Unless you want this communal experience to take a dark turn, don't bark commands or prevent kids from expressing themselves-remember, your chalk drawing may be worthy of Picasso, but it'll wash away in the next thunderstorm. (You may want to take a picture of it with a digital camera before this happens.)