Art is a way to see the world and share what you feel. This badge lets you try different materials, learn the building blocks artists use, and create your own work. You don't need to be an expert, just curious and willing to try.
Why it's worth it
Art isn't only paintings in museums. It's the logo on your favorite team's jersey, the cover of the book you picked, and the doodle in your notebook margin. This badge teaches you the building blocks artists use, like line, color, and balance, so you can see why some images grab you and others don't. You'll try four kinds of materials, make something of your own, and leave with a sharper eye you'll use in every school poster, slide, and project.
Start this week
- Pick one object on your desk and draw it in pencil for ten minutes. Date it and save it so you can see how much you improve.
- Ask your Scoutmaster for the name of an Art counselor, and send them a short message with a parent copied to set up a first meeting.
- Gather the art supplies already in your home or school, like pencils, pens, charcoal, pastels, or watercolors, and see which four media from requirement 4 you could try without buying anything.
- With a parent, look up a museum, gallery, library exhibit, or school art show you could visit in the next month.
Requirements · 7
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab).
- Requirement 1
What art is
Tips for this section: Think about art you see every day, like posters, logos, and murals. Ask yourself why people make art and what it adds to life.
Example for this section: Talk about three pieces of art from your own day: a mural on a building, a poster at school, and a song's album cover. For each, say who made it, why, and how your day would be different without it.
- Requirement 1a
Discuss with your counselor what art is and some of its different forms
- Requirement 1b
Discuss with your counselor why art matters to people
- Requirement 1c
Discuss with your counselor what art means to you and the feelings it can create
- Requirement 2
Discuss the elements of art with your counselor (line, value, shape, form, space, color, texture) and show an example of each
Tip: Make a page of quick examples of each element, like a line, a shape, and a color patch. Collect magazine clippings that show them too.
For example: Make one page with seven boxes, one for each element: line, shape, form, value, color, texture, and space. Fill each with a quick sketch or a magazine clipping that shows it clearly.
- Requirement 3
Discuss the six principles of design with your counselor: rhythm, balance, proportion, variety, emphasis, unity
Tip: Find a favorite picture and look for each design principle in it. Talk about how the artist used them.
For example: Take one painting you like and look for the principles one at a time: rhythm, balance, proportion, variety, emphasis, and unity. Point to where the artist leads your eye first and how they did it.
- Requirement 4
Render a subject in four media. Choose 4 of 9
Tips for this section: Pick one simple subject, like your shoe or a pet, and draw or paint it four ways, such as pencil, watercolor, pen and ink, and charcoal.
Example for this section: Draw your sneaker four ways: a pencil sketch focused on shading, a watercolor with loose color, a pen-and-ink drawing with crosshatching, and a charcoal study with bold darks. Compare which one captures it best.
- Requirement 4a
Render your chosen subject in pen and ink
- Requirement 4b
Render your chosen subject in watercolors
- Requirement 4c
Render your chosen subject in pencil
- Requirement 4d
Render your chosen subject in pastels
- Requirement 4e
Render your chosen subject in oil paints
- Requirement 4f
Render your chosen subject in tempera
- Requirement 4g
Render your chosen subject in acrylics
- Requirement 4h
Render your chosen subject in charcoal
- Requirement 4i
Render your chosen subject as a computer drawing or painting
- Requirement 5
Design or storytelling project. Choose 1 of 3
Tips for this section: Choose the option that excites you most. Sketch several rough ideas before picking one to finish.
Example for this section: For a logo, design one for your patrol. Sketch ten tiny thumbnails, pick the best three, and test them in black and white and at the size of a patch before you finish one in color.
- Requirement 5a
Design a useful item and sketch or model it; with counselor approval, make a promotional piece for it using one or more pictures
- Requirement 5b
Tell a story with one or more pictures or with a 3-D rendering
- Requirement 5c
Design a logo and explain its meaning to your counselor; then, with parent or guardian permission and counselor approval, put it on Scout gear, furniture, ceramics, or fabric
- Requirement 6
With parent or guardian permission and counselor approval, visit a museum, art exhibit, gallery, artists' co-op, or artist's workshop; learn about the art shown or made there and discuss it with your counselor
Tip: Bring a small notebook to the museum or gallery and jot down a few pieces you liked and why.
- Requirement 7
Learn about three art careers; pick one, find out its education, training, and experience needs, discuss it with your counselor, and explain why it might interest you
Tip: Look into jobs like illustrator, graphic designer, art teacher, or museum curator, and what each one does.
Places to visit
Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.
An art museum
Seeing real brushstrokes and the true size of a work up close is very different from a picture on a screen.
How: Check the museum's website for free days or youth programs, and go with your family or troop. Many offer free family guides or sketching in the galleries.
An artist's studio or open studio event
You'll see how artists set up their space, store materials, and work through a piece from start to finish.
How: Have an adult check with a local arts council for open studio tours, or ask your counselor to arrange a visit with a parent along.
Where it can lead
- IllustratorDraws for books, games, magazines, and ads.
- Graphic designerDesigns logos, posters, packaging, and websites using the principles from this badge.
- Art teacherHelps students discover what they can make; requires a teaching degree.
- Sign painter or muralistPaints storefronts, walls, and signs; many learn through apprenticeship and practice.
- Museum conservatorCleans and repairs artworks using science and art skills.
- Exhibit or set designerBuilds museum displays or theater sets; some learn in art school, others through carpentry and stage crews.
Ask yourself
- What kind of art do you already enjoy, even if you never called it art before?
- Which medium felt most natural to you, and which one fought back?
- When you got stuck on a piece, what did you do to get unstuck?
- What did you notice at the museum or exhibit that you would have walked past a year ago?
- What would you like to make next, just for yourself?
Good questions to ask an artist or art teacher
- How did you find the kind of art you love to make?
- What do you do when a piece isn't working?
- How do you practice when you don't feel inspired?
- What's one exercise that helped you improve faster than anything else?
- How do artists make a living, and what does a normal workday look like for you?
Helpful reads
- Earning a merit badge, step by step, From picking a badge to getting the final signature: how to find a counselor, set up meetings safely, work the requirements, and keep your progress., Youth · Families · 6 min read
- Contacting counselors, experts, and organizations, Email and phone scripts, who to ask for, how to follow up, and how to say thanks, with a parent copied every time., Youth · Families · 7 min read
- Choosing your next merit badge, How to pick a badge you'll actually finish: start with what you care about, balance Eagle-required and just-for-fun badges, and make the most of camp., Youth · Families · 6 min read
For leaders & parents
- Host an art night with several stations so scouts can try different materials.
- Plan a group trip to a local museum or gallery.
People & places that can help
- Merit badge counselor — Talk with them early; they can explain what's expected.
- Local art museums and galleries — See many styles and media in person.
- School art teacher — Can give feedback and help with supplies and techniques.
- National Gallery of Art (opens in a new tab) — Online collections to explore art from around the world.
- Art Institute of Chicago (opens in a new tab) — Browse thousands of artworks online and read the stories behind them.
- The Museum of Modern Art (opens in a new tab) — Modern and contemporary art, plus free online lessons and activities.
- National Endowment for the Arts (opens in a new tab) — How artists and arts programs across the country are supported and celebrated.
Pairs well with
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Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.