Scouts working on the Art merit badge learn to express themselves using media such as pen and ink, watercolors, pencils, pastels, oil paints, and more.
This merit badge focuses on two-dimensional art. There is also a merit badge for Sculpting.
Art is an elective merit badge.
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Art Merit Badge Resources
Answers and Helps
Requirement 1: What Is Art and Why Does It Matter?
Requirement 2: Terms and Elements
Requirement 3: Six Principles of Design
Requirement 4: Render a Subject
Requirement 5: Communicating Through Art
Requirement 6: Visit a Museum or Gallery
Other Resources
Art Merit Badge Requirements
See the current requirement from the Art merit badge pamphlet below.
Art Merit Badge Worksheet
Printable checkoff sheet for all Scouts BSA merit badges
Help with Answers for the Art Merit Badge Requirements
Find specific helps for some of the Art merit badge requirements listed below. Some of these resources will just give the answers. Others will provide engaging ways for older Scouts to introduce these concepts to new Scouts.
Ask Scouter Mom a question or share your ideas with others
Art Merit Badge Requirement 1: What Is Art and Why Does It Matter?
Requirement 1 Helps and Answers
What Is Art?
It is difficult to define art. It is a creative work of a human being. It stimulates and inspires thoughts, emotions, beliefs, or ideas through the senses. It expresses the opinions or feelings of the creator. It is often beautiful, but it can also disturb.
What Are Some Forms of Art?
- drawing
- painting
- sculpture
- prints
- pottery
- weaving
- theater
- architecture
How Does Art Make You Feel?
Art can bring forth a number of emotions. It might make you feel happy, joyful, energized, creative, relaxed, or calm. But it can also make you feel sad, uncomfortable, or motivated to change society. It depends on the art you are interacting with.
Art Merit Badge Requirement 2: Terms and Elements
What Is a Line?
A line is a point moving through space. It is a continuous mark. It can be thick, thin, straight, curved, zigzag, spiral, etc. The line is one of the most basic elements of drawing and painting.
What Is Value?
Value defines how light or dark a given color or hue can be. Using light and dark values can give a sense of three-dimensionality. Values can be visualized on a scale or gradient.
When used in the context of the elements of art, value has nothing to do with the monetary worth of a piece of art.
Color
When light waves strike an object and reflect back to the optic nerve in a human’s eyes, the sensation they perceive is called color. In works of art, artists use color to depict and describe the subject.
Art Merit Badge Requirement 3: Six Principles of Design
Requirement 3 Helps and Answers
Rhythm
Rhythm refers to the movement within a piece of art that helps the eye travel through the to a point of focus.
Balance
Balance is the distribution of the visual weight of objects, colors, texture, and space. If the design was a scale, these elements should be balanced to make a design feel stable.
Proportion
Proportion is the relationship between one part of the design and another part or the rest of the design.
Emphasis
Emphasis is used to attract a viewer’s attention to the focal. point, or main subject, of an artwork. For example, in a portrait the artist usually wants you to see the subject’s face first, so the artist will use color, contrast, and placement to direct where your eye is attracted.
Unity
Unity is the sense of all elements of a piece of artwork working together. Art which has unity feels balanced and complete.
Art Merit Badge Requirement 4: Render a Subject
Requirement 4 Helps and Answers
Art Merit Badge Requirement 5: Communicating Through Art
Art Merit Badge Requirement 6: Visit a Museum or Gallery
Requirement 6 Helps and Answers
Art Merit Badge Requirement 7: Careers in Art
Career Opportunities in Art
- Illustrator
- Graphic Designer
- Painter
- Sculptor
- Museum Curator
The Art Career Project
This site has lots of information about all sorts of careers in art. Click on any of them to learn about the education requirements and what working in that career involves.
Is there a printable checkoff sheet for this merit badge? They are amazing!