Sandwich Art with a Side of Shading: A Fun Lesson in Value and Contrast
Let me tell you, nothing says local charm quite like the sign outside Finney’s Sandwiches. It’s one of those delightfully retro roadside treasures with a giant yellow arrow and a cartoon server that looks like he walked straight out of a 1950s menu. So naturally, it made the perfect muse for our latest high school art camp project.
We had students work from a real photo of the Finney’s sign, and y’all—these kids nailed it. With nothing more than colored pencils, a few trusty stencils, and a bit of nostalgic energy, they captured that throwback diner magic beautifully.
This student’s vibrant take on the Finney’s sign captures all the retro charm with pencils and precision.
Why This Was More Than Just a Drawing Assignment
We didn’t just say “draw this.” This activity was all about connecting art to our community, while giving students a real-deal challenge: shading, color blending, and capturing light and contrast with something as deceptively simple as colored pencils.
For the lettering, we made it a little easier on ourselves—because hand-lettering a whole sign from scratch would have been bananas.
Students used letter stencils to map out the text first, making sure everything stayed straight and proportional before adding their color and shading. (Sometimes a good shortcut is just good planning, right?)
Not to mention, we tied in discussions about graphic design and signage, retro typography, and what makes certain visuals memorable. If you've ever wanted to sneak visual culture and local history into your art room without anyone even realizing it's "learning"—this is it.
With rich shading and bold lettering, this version highlights how students used stencils to keep their diner-style fonts neat and balanced.
Art Concepts + Academic Crossover
Here’s where things got especially juicy for all you standards-lovers:
● 🎨 Value & Contrast: We studied how shading builds form—why some colors feel brighter and others recede.
● 🧠 Visual Storytelling: The sign is pure character. Students looked at how the design communicates friendliness and flavor.
● 🗺️ Cultural & Local Connection: This wasn’t just art for art’s sake. It was art as a love letter to our town.
Want to expand this into an interdisciplinary lesson? Tie it into an ELA narrative assignment about hometown spots or a history connection on mid-century Americana.
This drawing shows how visual storytelling and hometown icons come together in one slice of signage.
Materials We Used (Because You Know You Want to Know)
● Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils – because they layer like butter.
● Letter Stencils – a must-have to keep that classic diner font neat and tidy.
● Smooth drawing paper (we used Bristol, but any heavyweight paper will do)
● Good reference photo (we used a snapshot from a local drive)
(You can find colored pencils and stencils easily on Amazon or your local craft store — no need to overcomplicate it.)
Built with Prismacolor pencils, a stencil starter, and smooth paper, this student’s sign shows what the right materials can really do.
Want to Try It Yourself?
This makes a fabulous one-day lesson OR a multi-day deep dive with critique and revision. If you're teaching younger students, scale it down by focusing on just the sign shape and bright color blocking. Or flip it into a design-your-own diner sign activity for even more open-ended fun.
💡 Pro Tip: Pair it with this Art Critique Game from TpT to help students talk about their design choices using real art vocab—no eye rolls required.
One more version, each with its own flair—this one adds playful color blending and bold contrasts for extra diner drama.
Let’s Hear It for the Home Team
I love this kind of lesson because it shows students that art is everywhere, even on the side of a sandwich shop.
When they learn to look closely at the world around them, they start seeing potential projects in everything from old signs to cereal boxes.
If you're looking for more lessons like this, check out my Creativity First Methodology or scroll through some of our most-loved projects.
Because whether it’s sandwiches or self-portraits, there’s always a party in the art room. 🥪🎨
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As students pair the self-portraits, they will develop visual recognition skills, explore color and brushstroke techniques, and gain a deeper understanding of van Gogh's artistic journey.
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Get to know Amanda Koonlaba!
Hi! I’m Amanda. Teaching children to be creative thinkers is my greatest joy. I’m here to help you bring that same joy to your classroom.
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