Op-Art Tubes
5th & 6th Grade
Students were introduced to the movement of Op-Art and learned about artists such as Bridget Riley, who used simple lines and patterns to create art that had aspects of optical illusions. By using a simple drawing process, students created a page filled with topsy-turvy-wavy tubes. They then used warm and cool colored pencils to fill in the stripes on their tubes with shadows and highlights to give their tubes a sense of depth and dimension.
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Clay Wild Things
5th & 6th Grade
Most definitely the project students look forward to all year long! It also serves as the toughest project because students really have to be on top of their time management skills. This project is an entire unit that begins with learning the difference between real and implied textures. Students brainstorm as many textures as they can think of, and are challenged to attempt drawing them.
I then tell students about the concept of alter egos; how we don't always act the same in public as we do when we are alone. I read "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak, as they observe all the different animal textures in his illustrations. They discover that the wild things are actually based on Sendak's family members from when he was a child. Students then create illustrations (self portraits in a way) of what they would look like as a wild thing.
Because of limited space and school schedules, students have only one class period to create their "wild thing". So, much of this unit is spent generating ideas, and learning how to use clay. Once their clay has been fired it is painted not with traditional glazes, but oil pastels. Once colored with the oil pastels, students dip their pieces into black India Ink. Because oil and water do not mix, the oil pastels reject the black ink, and the dry bisque-ware soaks up the ink and drys almost instantly! Lastly the "wild things" are sealed with a clear coating, and students write a story about their creature.
This cross-curricular lesson is the highlight of the year. Bringing together real-world skills, literacy, science, and on the spot problem solving, I look forward to students' discovery moments and their epic creations!
I then tell students about the concept of alter egos; how we don't always act the same in public as we do when we are alone. I read "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak, as they observe all the different animal textures in his illustrations. They discover that the wild things are actually based on Sendak's family members from when he was a child. Students then create illustrations (self portraits in a way) of what they would look like as a wild thing.
Because of limited space and school schedules, students have only one class period to create their "wild thing". So, much of this unit is spent generating ideas, and learning how to use clay. Once their clay has been fired it is painted not with traditional glazes, but oil pastels. Once colored with the oil pastels, students dip their pieces into black India Ink. Because oil and water do not mix, the oil pastels reject the black ink, and the dry bisque-ware soaks up the ink and drys almost instantly! Lastly the "wild things" are sealed with a clear coating, and students write a story about their creature.
This cross-curricular lesson is the highlight of the year. Bringing together real-world skills, literacy, science, and on the spot problem solving, I look forward to students' discovery moments and their epic creations!
Graffiti Names
5th & 6th Grade
This is the first projects students encounter in class. It introduces them to a multitude of elements & principles, and it helps all of us (especially me) learn each other's names.
Students discuss the differences between public art, graffiti, and illegal art. This brings an entirely new meaning to "bad art". Most students at this age think anything less than perfect is "bad", so it's also an introduction to artistic perception, and not being too hard on one's self. They are shown the basic process of creating block letters, and how to make them 3D if they choose. Through this process they learn how to fill the page with their names, as well as basic page composition. Not only do classmates get to know one another, but they get to display their artistic style & personality with their unique styles of graffiti lettering. |