Winter Landscapes

In this winter tree inspired project, students studied the art element of color. They reviewed the color families of primary and secondary colors and then learned about the intermediate colors. They learned that intermediate colors are made by mixing one primary and one secondary color together. For example: yellow plus green equals yellow green. Students practiced using watercolors to create all the colors they needed for their painting and learned how to blend them together to make gradual color changes. When they were done with the watercolors they used black paint to carefully add the silhouette of evergreen trees to their painting. Then, since it is a winter inspired painting they splattered paint it snow on their artwork.

Lots of Lines!

Students in grades 4-6 created these fun layered line designs! We began by doing layers of different types of lines. The only requirements were that they should go from one edge of the page to another and stay relatively thin. We looked at lots of different examples of patterns and lines for inspiration. Next, students added more lines that needed to overlap to create depth in space. During the final class, students needed to use paint to create a strong contrast between the lines and the negative space. The results are both beautiful and fun to look at!

Fall Pumpkins

This is a great project for teaching watercolor painting, color blending and how to use space in an artwork. We began by doing sketches of pumpkins. I made sure students used contour lines while drawing and focused on details like vines and leaves. Once students were comfortable sketching the pumpkins, they then transferred that drawing onto a large piece of paper. The students had to be very comfortable with the drawing because the large drawing had to be done with black glue. Once the glue was dry, students used oil pastels to create three-dimensional pumpkins. The final step was to paint the background and add a texture.

These paintings were very fun to do and extremely successful! I received many compliments and they made for a great autumn display.

Wiley Inspired Self-Portraits

Students in grades 4-6 made these self-portraits inspired by contemporary American painter Kehinde Wiley. We began by drawing out the portrait- I explained all the proportions of the face so the students would know how to lay features out in the right places. We also used mirrors and as students filled in with colored pencils we incorporated highlights and shadows to increase the 3D effect. We then learned about painter Kehinde Wiley, most famous for painting the official presidential portrait of Barack Obama. Wiley often uses complementary colors in the backgrounds and very detailed patterns. Students rocked these portraits and the resemblance of each one is amazing!

There are many ways to create depth and show space on a two-dimensional surface. Students in grades 4 through 6 learned how to use one-point perspective and highlights/shadows to make shapes look like they are going back into space. As a fun touch, students used fluorescent colored paints to splash and create an abstract outer space looking background. This is a fun lesson that the kids loved and almost all the results were out of this world!

Native American meets Georgia O'Keeffe

Students in grades 4-6 created these fun mash-ups that combine Southwestern Native American design with the skull paintings made famous by Georgia O'Keeffe. We began by looking at examples of Southwestern Native American designs on rugs, clothes and artwork. We noted the use of colors (mostly warm and natural colors with some blue accents), the geometric shapes and the use of symbols. Students then divided their papers up into sections using rulers and created similar style designs. Next, we punched holes in the bottom and students could choose different colors of yarn to weave through to mimic the textiles we were inspired by. During the final class, students drew cow skulls using highlights and shadows. This project is great for teaching about Georgia O'Keeffe, Native American art, weaving, and observational drawing.

Winter Cityscapes

Students in grades 4-6 created these lovely winter cityscapes as an exploration into architecture, value and shading! We began by creating a unique cityscape- drawing homes or buildings and adding detailed architectural elements. These were drawn in pencil and then traced over with sharpie. For the background, I let students choose a color of paint and then create a gradient sky. We talked about the art element of value- the lightness or darkness of a color. Adding white to a color is called a tint and adding black to a color is called a shade. Students were to mix the colors and create a minimum of 5 different values in their sky. The final step was to cut out the cityscape and attach it to the value painting. We also used oil pastels in the same color to create some shadows on the buildings and white paint to add snowflakes. 

Tiki Time!

These wonderful Tiki masks were designed by our 4-6th grade artists! We began by sketching perfectly symmetrical masks and giving them a strong black outline. These were then painted in brown because Tiki sculptures are usually made from wood. Students then painted on top or added cutout painted pieces. The students learned about the Maori tribes of New Zealand and their style of artwork. These masks were a fun way for our students to explore the art and culture of many Polynesian countries!

Fall Leaves that POP!

Students in grades 4 through 6 created these autumn inspired paintings to learn about color contrast. We began by painting an abstract cool color background as the sky. Students used white crayons to create a sense of movement in the background. During the next class, students used styrofoam to print leaves. We drew detailed contour line drawings of leaves and carved them into styrofoam. We then colored the foam with warm color markers making sure to blend the colors together. The final class was used to create textured tree branches and add the leaves in a way that fills the space for an interesting composition.