Musical Drawings

 

This lesson focused on the ideas of composition, balance and rhythm.  We talked about how many artists have made art works about musicians and musical instruments.  We looked at different examples and then talked about creating our composition.  Students had to include 4 items in their drawings- a keyboard, an instrument of their choice, a music note and a 4th musical object of their choice.  We drew on black paper and colored with oil pastels.  We reviewed blending oil pastels and outlined drawings with black when finished.  These were really fun, bold projects.

Recylced Book Boxes

I found the idea for this on the Dick Blick website and I had the perfect supplies thanks to the Rhode Island Recycling Center.  I had these boxes that were bright pink with gold edges.  We wanted to turn them into books that held objects instead of pages.  we drew lines around the edges to simulate pages and covered the outside of our box with torn tissue paper.  After much trial and error I found that this was the best technique to cover the designs on the box.  We then used metallic paint to decorate our boxes.  Students had the choice of painting abstract designs or images.  Next time I try this I might give them a more specific theme- some students just didn't know what to do.

Egyptian Sarcophagus

4th graders made these Egyptian Sarophagus'.  In the past 4th grade has gone on an annual field trip to the MFA where these are on view but this year the trip was cancelled due to lack of budget.  I continued with the project anyway because the students really seem to enjoy it.  I used this gold paper that I bought from the Rhode Island Recycling Center which is just about the greatest place on earth.  If you are at all near it you should check it out- businesses donate surplus supplies that are then sold to educators by the pound for super cheap.  What they have in stock always changes but you can find anything from different types of paper and fabric to binders, to various labels, stickers, plastic containers, beads- it is really incredible!  So we viewed images of sarcophagus' and discussed the process of mummification and hieroglyphics before desinging our own.  We used colored sharpies to add details. 

Arts Night

I work at two elementary schools and this month they each had their Arts Night.  It is a lot of work but the results are really worth it.  This year It was artist's choice but in the future I would like to choose one project per class.  I think part of the key to a successful show is large noticeable labels (class, student name).

The Scream

 

I love the way this project came out!  We looked at Edward Munch's "The Scream" and discussed how the colors and brushstrokes used showed emotion.  Students recreated his composition using chalk pastels on black construction paper.  They then drew the scream figure on a piece of manilla paper, cut him out and glued him onto their background.

Tinted Winter Tree Silhouettes

In this lesson we begin by discussing what a tint is. Students choose either red or blue paint to use for their background and are given a small cup of white paint. Little by little they add their color to the white and paint in layers from bottom to top, getting darker as they go. Once the background is dry students use black paint to add silhouettes of trees showing distance by painting the tree in front larger and the tree in back smaller. Students can add any other details in silhouette- a fence, animals, person... They then use white paint to add a moon and snow falling in the sky and on tree branches. To finish off their painting they mix gray and add shadows under all their objects.

Native American Coil Pots

During Native AMerican Heritage month, 4th graders learned about coil pot techniques. We looked at examples and used model magic to create a base and roll coils to spiral on top. We discussed different ways to shape their pots and smooth the textured walls by gently pinching them. Once dry we used sharpie to add Native American designs.

Andy Warhol Style Self-portraits

4th graders learned about Andy Warhol and Pop Art. We looked at his celebrity portraits and discussed his use of multiples and variety of colors. Students began by drawing self-portraits after a review of facial proportions and how to draw features. Then they traced their drawing on two transparency sheets using black sharpie. Students were instructed to paint two pieces of white paper using warm and cool colors in any way they pleased. We then taped the plastic sheets on top of the background and glued them onto a piece of construction paper.

Value Castles

4th grade students were show how to draw a castle using basic shapes (squares, rectangles and triangles). We looked at photos of castles and brainstormed different architectural details we could include in our castles such as spires, bricks, flags, etc. Students used colored pencils to complete their drawing, creating a light source by shading their castle from light to dark.

Monet's Japanese Bridge

4th graders looked at Claude Monet's series of Japanese Bridge paintings. They used oil pastels to draw their bridge and waterlilies before painting the water and sky making sure to blend colors.

Cityscapes

I think this might be my new favorite project. I did it with 4th graders but you could really do it with any grade. Students start by painting different sized squares and rectangles to represent buildings. Start your buildings about 1/4 from the bottom of your paper (leave space for a sidewalk or road to add more city details). After a row of brighlty colored shapes is complete use a dark blue to create a skyline silhouette behind them. Use a lighter blue to pain the sky. Once paint is dry students us sharpie to add details to buildings. We discussed different types of building facades, materials, roofs, doors, windows and what might be happening on the street.

Warm/Cool Sun and Moons

Students review warm (reds, yellows, oranges) and cool (blues, greens, purples) colors. The sun represents warm colors and the moon represents cool colors. Draw a circle with a crescent shape inside. The moon's face is drawn in profile while the sun's face is drawn as a frontal view. Color with chalk pastels practicing blending colors to create shading.

Animal Print SIlhouettes

Students choose an animal with a distinct print (cow, tiger, zebra...). They use colored pencils to create a background of the animal print on drawing paper. Students then examine a photo of their animal and practice drawing a contour line or silhouette version of that animal. They cut out the animal and glue it onto the patterned background.

O'Keefe Inspired Flowers

Fourth graders were introduced to Georgia O'Keefe's enlarged flower paintings. They selected their own flower to study. Students were encouraged to draw BIG using a photo as their reference. Details were added with oil pastel before flowers were painted with watercolors.