GIANT DIXIT CARD ILLUSTRATION

The Dixit Illustration can be drawn as a playful cartoon with original cartoon characters or it can be realistic. It can be like an illustration from a children's book, (see children's book illustrations below.) Students will first play the game DIXIT. Then students will create an illustration that creates meaning. Students will have the opportunity to be use colored pencils, and/or watercolor, and pen and ink. Students will be given watercolor paper that will be good for any of the mixed media listed above. Thought must be given to the composition, (see Composition video below,) and craftsmanship is important, and combined with that, it can be playful and silly. See some examples below of illustrations from The New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books For 2025. Students can also look at New Yorker Cover Illustrations to get more ideas. Especially the illustrations of Edward Steed.

THE 2025 NEW YORK TIMES/NEWYORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST ILLUSTRATED CHILDREN'S BOOKS

EDWARD STEED CARTOONING

HOW STUDENTS WILL KNOW THEY LEARNED IT

1. Their Artwork shows clear imaginative/inventive features that tell a story or has an open ended meaning such as in Surrealism. 

It does not have to be surrealism. That will be the student's choice. 

Students can say:

Rubric indicators:

• Inventive imagery

• Strong symbolic or imaginative elements

2. Their Color Choices Are Intentional and Effective

Students can explain:

• “I used complementary colors to create tension.”

• “I chose cool colors to make the scene feel quiet and mysterious.”

Rubric indicators:

• Color choices support meaning

• Evidence of blending, shading, contrast, and value control

3. Their Card Communicates an Idea, Mood, or Story

Students can answer questions like:

• “What feeling or idea does this card represent?”

• “How did you use symbols to express that?”

Rubric indicators:

• Viewers can interpret a meaning

4. They Can Reflect on Their Creative Process

Students can describe:

• Their brainstorming or sketch attempts

• What compositional or color decisions they changed

• What effect they wanted the artwork to have

This reflection shows metacognition (they are aware of how they learned).

5. Feedback From Peers Matches Their Intent

During critique or gameplay:

• If peers interpret the mood/idea close to the artist’s intention, learning is demonstrated.

6. Their Final Work Meets the Project Criteria

A rubric or checklist might assess:

• Imaginative imagery ✔️

• Effective color theory ✔️

• Creative symbolism ✔️

• Thoughtful composition ✔️

• Craftsmanship ✔️

• When students can independently check off those boxes, they know they’ve met the learning goals.

COMPOSITION MATTERS

One of my favorite children's books is William Steig's The Amazing Bone as read below.

ED STEED JOB AS A CARTOONIST