Zebras with a Twist

I few weeks ago I completed an African unit with my intermediate students. Each grade level did their own project and it just so happens 3rd graders created zebras!  This project is borrowed from the Georgetown Elementary art blog (http://josettebrouwer.edublogs.org/)

This project was introduced by looking at pictures of real zebras on google images. We discussed how zebras camoflauge themselves and what their color scheme is -- black and white. However, on this project we were going to change our color scheme.

We began by drawing a zebra using shapes onto a piece of tagboard. Our tag board happens to be the white sides of a tv dinner box. Rectangle body, two diagonal lines for the neck, oval head, triangle tail, and traced tongue depressors for the legs.

We traced everything with black sharpie and then students began to color their zebras with only 4 colors to create a "color scheme". We used the classic crayola markers in "Assorted colors" which gave us more pastel options. I encouraged students to color with patterns.

Students then cut out their zebras. Some did not complete this the first day, so they began the second session by cutting the zebra out.  The second week of this project students began by selecting a small piece of neon scrap paper. We cut a "fringe" to make it appear more like hair. This hair is glued to the back of the neck. Also a small piece is glued to the tail

We glued our zebra onto a black construction paper background to make the colors appear even more bright. (4 1/2 x 6" black paper)

Lastly, we glued our construction paper with the zebra onto a large piece of manila paper. (My school was throwing old manila chart paper out and I snagged it!) We created a zebra stripe on the manila frame using a piece of corrogated cardboard and purple paint. The original plan used black paint, but we were out. So... obviously any color will do with some imagination :) 

I love how different each zebra is!

This project took 2 forty minute classes.

Materials:

tagboard/tv dinner cardboard

pencils and erasers

sharpies/permanent marker

crayola markers in bright colors

scissors

glue

4 1/2 x 6" black construction

any size paper for the frame... any color

Paint - any color

Corrogated cardboard cut into squares - one per child

Birds of Winter

And we're back!

This week we returned to school. I had a work day yesterday and hung up several winter pieces that my students did before the break. Third grade created Penguin Mix Media pictures (inspired by project I saw on the Kids Artists blog) . We used the following materials and this took two forty-minute classes to complete.

Materials:
Black wrapping paper (but any old paper could do)
White scrap paper
Orange scrap paper (construction scraps)
White tempera
9 x 12" blue construction paper
Wrapping paper in all sorts of prints

Just some pointers. I used black wrapping paper because it was shiny like the body of a penguin would be. The body is an upside down U or a rainbow. We glued those down on the blue paper. Assembled the remainder of the body parts using simple shapes and then used old christmas wrapping paper for the mittens and ear muffs. Scrap wrapping paper left over from Christmas is my new favorite material to work with in collages. The second day we painted the snow with sponges on the ground then forks for the snowflakes in the sky. These always have fun results!

My fourth graders created Winter Cardinal paintings over the three weeks before we let out for the holidays. I got this idea from www.deepspacesparkle.com and really liked the way we were able to discuss the difference between positive and negative space during the course of this project.

The first day of the project we looked at a picture of a cardinal and drew out the bird and tree. I emphasized the fact that healthy tree branches grow up diagonally...not down. Otherwise something bad has happened to their tree. We then only painted the negative space (empty space) light blue. The second session students painted the positive space (objects, important things) in the art work using red, yellow, black, and brown. The last session we outlined with sharpie (brown and black can work well) and lastly painted snowflakes with the handle end of a paintbrush. I have so many with excellent results and the faculty love them!

This first week back is short so to keep all my classes on schedule we are doing some one day cartoon drawings. Next week I will begin my African unit. All three grade levels will create their own African inspired art... So Excited!!

Marker Paint at Work - Warm and Cool color Seascapes

I started making liquid watercolor last spring and I've been very eager to try it out with my students. My 4th graders had the honor of testing out my paints on their warm and cool color seascapes.


We first reviewed landscapes and compared the difference between landscapes and seascapes with a variety of visual aids. We then drew our horizon line. Students added cool color crayon lines for waves below the horizon line. We also added warm color lines above the horizon line to define the sunset sky.  Lastly, we created shadowed boats out on the water with black sharpie.


To paint our seascapes, students used dry brushes. I placed a paper towel at each table so that students could dry their brushes between painting each color. We kept our cool colors below and warm colors above the horizon line. Students could paint right over their boats since the sharpie was permanent. I think these turned out spectacular!

While painting, I had students paint their warm colors first then lastly the cool colors. I emphasized the opportunity to blend colors together which the students found to be very exciting. One of my favorite parts of this project were the reactions the students had to the crayon resist. No matter how many times we paint over crayon, they never stop being surprised by the interaction of wax and water.


This project took 2 forty minute classes to complete.
Materials: 9 x 12" white paper, crayons sorted into warm and cool colors, black fine point sharpies

Neighborhood Landscapes

The beginning of the school year can be a bit boring for me because I spend the first week explaining the rules and procedures (27 times) then my 4th and 5th graders spend two weeks taking drawing assessment tests. Thankfully this upcoming week my third graders are ready and raring to go. A fun project I like to start the year off with is Neighborhood Landscapes. This project is great to review 'line' and a nice simplified way to introduce space and perspective. This can take between 2 or 3 forty minute classes for us to complete.

We begin by discussing different kinds of lines, then how lines like 'horizon lines' can show distance in space... foreground, middle-ground, and backgrounds.  (I slip in a bit of reading in our textbooks, identifying parts of landscapes in various visuals, and discuss proportion in space)

Then we get to the fun stuff...what kinds of things we can find in our neighborhoods: houses, apartments, street lights, mailboxes, sidewalks, streets, cars, etc. I like for the students to call out all their ideas and I write this list on the board so they can look back to it later.

Then we begin using horizon lines. We don't want flat landscapes here in Alabama, so we draw 3 wavy hill side lines. 1 in the lower half of the paper for the foreground, 1 in the center for the middle ground, and 1 near the top for the background. (I sometimes have a wavy cardboard template for my students with special needs) Students then draw all their neighborhood objects. ** I remind them that the objects at the top will be smaller and the objects at the bottom will be larger to create that perspective.

When their neighborhoods look full and active, students then trace with a permanent black marker. We don't want our lines to get washed away later.  Students then use crayon to color all object except for the sky and grass (Press down hard with crayon!). Lastly, students can paint their sky and grass using liquid watercolors. In person, the resist is lovely.

I love these works because each one will be different and my students will come up with some incredibly fun ideas that I could never have thought of on my own. Here are some from the 2010 - 2011 school year.

Love the dog walker and Walmart truck.

Great perspective and love the lost balloon

There is a horseback rider in this one.

So many different kinds of  interesting houses

Materials used for this project: Pencils, Erasers, Fine pt sharpies, Crayons, liquid watercolor in blue and green (also tempera cakes work great for this resist), 12 x 18" white paper