Six grade color cubes

Six graders have been studying color theory they had to prove the knowledge of color Siri to me by creating a cube and I each of the six sides of the cube they needed to paint using a different color family. This lesson shows how well my six graders can paint how well they can cut and measure to actually create their queue as well as what they're learning about color theory. I love the end result of putting these in the display case with our Crayons. 

Second grade chalk pumpkins

 For this project students created a chalk pumpkin, they tried hard to show the texture of the pumpkin using shading and blending to get a variety of orange colors. Then each kiddo added their own fall creative twists to make theirs unique.

Blind contour drawings

Today fifth graders had to draw in sharpie without looking at their paper. To keep them from looking at their work their sharpies had a paper plate attached to it to cover up their hand.
Why would we do this you ask????  

Well actually the answers really simple sometimes the left side of our brain that deals with numbers and letters is just too strong and we need to turn off that part of our brain and turn on, or activate the part that focuses on shape, line, color, and detail.   To do that we had to work in complete silence and we really had to focus on what we we seeing.   Overall though I think most kids had fun and ended the day with some beautiful flower drawings. I'll post more pictures of their work when it's finished.

First grade van Goghs chair

 For this project first graders looked at the work of artist Vincent van Gogh and we specifically left at the chair that he drew. We studied his brushstrokes and his Texture. And these are a few of the beautiful projects that were created from that study. 

Watercolor leaves

For this project students looked at the lines or the veins in a leaf and they drew those out with sharpie and then we added water color marker to their pictures and use a spray bottle to actually spread the water color marker throughout the background of the picture to make it look like the leaves were falling.  We did this project while working on our leaf prints.  An idea called doubling in art.  What it really boils down to is having students work on multiple projects at once so that we can create and allow time to dry before moving to the next step and then during that drying time we can move to a project with the same concepts but in a different media.  That way no time is wasted and studnets learn more media and make more projects.  So far I like the idea but it dose take more planning and prepwork.  However studnets have loved how much we have been able to create. 

Leave prints

For this project students had to first print leaves using white printing ink and then after the leaves were dry they went back with color pencil to add extra details and more leaves   I love the overlap the lines and the textures that are created in this lesson 

Done early

It never fails that some students get done earlier than others, so trying to bridge the gap between my early finishers and my students who need more time is one of my biggest struggles as an art teacher.   Today to help my early finishers I gave them an extra project but with no instructions they had to figure out how to create it by themselves using the scrap paper box.   It was very fun to see what they could create if we come up with for their fall forest. 

This also lead to a great discussion about their Art Prize feild trip today.  We had a chance to talk about looking at art, and that they should try to think about how the artist made the piece, what supplies did they use, what time went into the work etc. And that when they determine if they like a work of art they should think about more then just what it looks like when it is done.