Self-Portraits with Names

Students in grades 4-6 created these self-portraits with watercolor paint. We began by drawing half of a face in pencil. I taught the students accurate proportions in the face. When the face was finished, students would fill the other half of the page with their name in large block or bubble letters. I also provided some examples of graffiti style fonts for the more advanced students. The face and names were then traced over with crayon before being filled in with watercolor paint. We learned how to use more or less water to create lighter and darker skin tones. This was a new twist on self-portraits that easily add a nice element of personality.

Rockets in Space

Students in grades PreK and Kinder created these fun outer space artworks. We began by using watercolor paints to blend colors together. During the next class, we traced circles over this painting and cut those out to create planets. These were glued to a black paper and white dots were added for stars. The final class students cut out simple shapes like rectangles, circles and triangles to create the rockets. This was a fun project that connected to the elementary science curriculum.

Contour Line Hands

International Academy students created these contour line hand paintings. We began by creating contour line drawings of our hands. A contour line is essentially an outline that defines the form or edge. These were then transferred repeatedly onto a larger paper. Students needed to arrange the hands in a way to make a good use of space. Once complete, these hands were painted with watercolors and blended. Students were assessed on the form of the hand, the use of space and the blending of analogous colors.

Winter Landscapes

Students in grades 4-6 created these winter landscapes. We painted a patterned background to show movement in cool colors. The trees were made by layering tissue paper onto a white page, then cutting this page into large triangles. We added white ground, snow falling and gold branches as well. This was a great lesson to teach movement, contrast and color schemes!

Winter Birch Trees

Students in grades 1-3 created these winter birch tree landscapes. I showed the students how to use masking tape to create the trees. We then painted the background with tints of blue and purple. Students were encouraged to imply movement with their lines- to use straighter lines for a calm night or more curvy lines for wind. Once the painting was dry, we peeled the tape up to reveal the white trees! We added an outline for contrast and some other lines for texture. The final class students created birds, a silver moon, and stamped snow with white paint. 

Symmetrical Name Designs

International Academy students used the letters of their names to create these symmetrical designs. We began by drawing out the letters of our names on a small triangle. I showed the students different types of fonts and let them choose the type of lettering and layout, however I did require that some letters go off the edges. These were then transferred onto a 12 x 12 inch paper and flipped to create the symmetrical balance. Once the transfer was complete, students used colored pencils to fill in all the spaces with three analogous colors. The artworks turned into a really interesting and intricate abstract design!

Winter Snowmen

Students in grades PreK and Kinder created these fun winter snowmen. We began by painting the background with a purple and blue pattern. Students looked at The Starry Night and saw how artists can use lines to create movement. During the next class, students used cut out shapes to create a snowman. To create more interest, we placed the snowman on the side of the page to leave space for stamping snowflakes during the last class. This is a fun winter project that taught movement, pattern and emphasis in an easy to understand way!