March: Skyscrapers

This Month’s project is borrowed from Deep Space Sparkle.  I tried this with last year’s fifth graders and the results were amazing!  The kids enjoyed adding a little personal flair and exploring their newly learned 3-d geometry skills.  I would suggest simplifying this for younger grades by using pre-cut white skyscrapers instead of having them try to cut them out themselves.  In addition, practicing basic shaping making skills, or even have objects available to trace may be helpful.

This lesson builds on the theme of “line” from previous months and looks great on display in the classroom.  Look for print outs of the featured artist, Marz Jr. in the art room.  Additionally, there are print outs of various skylines for the kids to observe and use for inspiration.

What you will need:

Solid color Yellow, Red and Orange 12×18 construction paper

White paper for mounted scraper

Pencil

Sharpie

art examples

skyline pics

Instructions and project can be found here:

http://www.deepspacesparkle.com/2013/03/17/skyscraper-line-drawing/

Happy Creating!

February Featured Projects: Sumi-e Ink on Rice Paper

The Chinese New Year falls on February 8, 2016.  During the month, many classroom teachers conduct lessons or hold discussions on the culture and traditions of China.  Sumi-e is the Jananese word for black ink painting.  This traditional art form can be found in both Chinese and Japanese culture.  This simple style emphasizes the beauty in each individual stroke. For Kindergarten or 1st grade, you may choose to use water color supplies instead of ink.

What you will need:

Sumi-e brushes (or long bristled brush if using water color)

Black ink (or liquid black water color paint)

Rice Paper (water color paper)

Paint Palettes

The Prep:

While there is not much to get ready for this project before class, I would highly recommend experimenting with the sumi-e brushes and ink on rice paper prior to teaching your lesson.  There are many videos out there for viewing.  Here is one example that shows the basics of creating bamboo (but not in English).  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_JPnUAwAZQ

The Lesson:

Show you students example of Sumi-e paintings such as these:

Explain that Sumi-e is a 2000+ year old style of painting.  We will be learning the basic techniques.

Tips to Teach your Artists:

Before distributing ink, have the artists practice holding their brushes and “Painting” using the following techniques:

• Paint with the brush at a perpendicular angle
• The artists forearm and elbow will be lifted and not resting on the table
• “Roll” the tip of the sumi-e brush after dipping it into the ink.  This will create a more focused, pointed tip.
• Make short strokes, lifting the brush at the end of each.

Have students practice these new skills on a scratch piece of paper.  Explain that the rice paper will be more absorbent and will react differently to ink.  Have students draw different types of lines as I did here:

Step One:  Draw bamboo segments

Step 2: Add the curved notches

Step 3: Add leaves

Add on:  Students can use this same technique to add simple dragonflies.  Like the bamboo, the dragonfly bodies are painted in line segments.  The wings are created by placing the tip of the brush lightly on the paper and then pressing the brush gently backward towards the handle (this is easier done then said).

Enjoy learning this new art skill and sharing it with your students!

January Featured Project: African Line Drawing

2nd grade (complete with tea stains) and adult attempts side by side

This month’s project uses line to create shape, pattern and texture. Students will be inspired by the shapes, colors and textures of African textiles and art to create their own unique drawings.

What you will need: 

White paper (watercolor or other thick paper)

Pencils

Black sharpies

Markers

Samples of “texture”

Images (or samples) of African textiles

Maasai Tribe
Kenya

Elements of art to Introduce: 

Texture: How something feels when touched. Or, how we imagine it would feel by seeing it in a piece of art.

(You may choose to have some items of texture for students to feel)

Line: The path of movement of a point. They can be diagonal, horizontal, vertical, straight, curved, thick or thin.

Shape: An enclosed area created by line/s.

The Project:

1. Use pencil to create 3 circles for 3 heads at various heights (shape)
2. Draw the outline of the tunics (shape)
3. Draw the outline of the baskets (shape)
4. Use a single line to create a necks, arms and ankles (line)
5. Draw the outline of the feet (shape)
6. Draw the rounded collars (shape)
7. Use lines to create a checkerboard pattern for baskets (texture)
8. Begin using lines (straight, curved, diagonal etc) to create the textile pattern.
9. Trace all pencil work with black and color in head black.
10. Use marker to add color to the patterns created.

These drawings will look striking when contrasted with a black background and displayed in the hallway or classroom!

Happy Creating!

December: Foam Printed Greeting Cards

December lends itself well to print making and greeting cards.  This lesson will allow students to explore printmaking and symmetry in the art room.

 

What you will need:

4×6 foam printing sheets

4×6 water color paper

Grey Construction paper 

pencils

brayer

ink

ink tray

newspaper/newsprint or other paper table protection

real snowflake images

The Lesson:

To begin use the projector to display image of real snowflakes (I’ll leave some in the art room) and allow students to share what they see when they study the image.

      

Ask students:

Are the two halves of the snowflake the same or different?

What other patterns do you see?

What other objects in nature are symmetrical?  (symmetrical: the quality of being made up of exactly similar parts facing each other or around an axis. – OR –  “Reflection”  or “Mirror”)

Explain to Students:

We will be creating symmetry in art by creating our own, unique snowflakes.  The lines that you draw for the snowflakes will be white, everything else we be the color of your ink.  All images will be reversed, like a mirror (so any writing will come out backwards)

 

The project

1. Pass out scrap paper and pencils for students to sketch out their snowflake.
2. Pass out foam for students to sketch snowflake for print.
3. Deepen pencil makings to make indentations in foam (that is what will make the print)
4. Assist students in rolling ink on foam (not too thick)
5. Place the inked foam on the water color paper and roll a clean brayer over the top to make the print.
6. While print is drying or students are waiting to print, artists can make poems or greetings for the inside of the card on the selected construction paper.
7. When dry glue/mount print to the front side of card.

Tips for success:

• Have artists begin snowflake sketches with a “+” shape to establish symmetry.
• For younger grades (k-2), make snowflakes together, step-by-step.  Use  “v” shaped lines down the snowflake arms.
• Have a couple of extra hands to help with inking braying.
• Have a collaborative table set aside to create a group winter or snowflake scene while artist wait their turn to roll ink.

Here is an example from my second grader:

Happy printmaking!