A popular folk art from Mexico, colorful scenes are painted on rough sheets of thick handmade paper from the amate tree. Second grade students will learn about the characteristics of this traditional mexican art.  

The Eight Characteristics of Amate Bark Painting:




Mexican bark painting is a folk art, a cultural tradition that has been passed down through generations.

Although certain characteristics may vary from village to village, their are certain features common to most amate bark painting that sets it apart from other art forms. We looked at some actual examples of amate paintings from Mexico and tried to determine what some of the common characteristics were. Here is the list we came up with:

1. painted on handmade bark paper
2. bright, arbitrary colors
3. decorative border
4. black outlines
5. no perspective, shapes are stacked
6. repeating shapes
7. unusual size relationships
8. details fill the space


Students began with a drawing of an animal in pencil. This animal is the largest thing in the painting. even the houses and trees are smaller. The animal is the most important part o the painting. In addition to arbitrary sizes, students painted the animal and surroundings with bright arbitrary colors. Students learned that arbitrary colors are not the real colors of the animal, but any color the artist thinks it should be. Their paintings also have lots of repetition and a decorative border. When the painting is done, students will outline it with a black sharpie marker.