Contour Line Drawing

1.Show an example of a contour line drawing. Explain that you only draw the outline. No details. You must look at the object, this is drawing from life not imagination. 2.Demonstrate the project. 3.Look at the gourds for about 30 seconds. Look at the shape and color. Place them in the middle of the table and do not move them. 4.Draw the gourd at least 5 times. Overlap them. Draw the ones closest to us large and the ones far away small. You can draw more if you have extra time! 5.Add sharpie. Day 2 1.Add colored pencil. Overlap the colors to make new colors. Really look at the gourds to see the color. Are they all yellow? (orange/green) 2.Add watercolor. You can use the watercolor to make shadows under the gourds. What colors will work for shadows?

Kandinsky Colorweaver

THis is a great activity for students that finish work early instead of just a free draw. THis is from Art Projects for Kids: Kandinsky Colorweaver Wassily Kandinsky made a beautiful painting called "Color Studies" back in the early 1900's that is fun to imitate with oil pastels instead of watercolor. 1. Distribute 9" x 12" pieces of art paper to students. Give them rulers to measure and draw pencil lines across the middle of the paper in both directions. 2. Ask the students to start in the center and with an oil pastel, draw an angle and fill in the triangle that is created. Continue around the center with drawing triangles, only changing colors each time. 3. Once a diamond is created, add bands of color around the diamond, always changing color on the pencil lines. Continue until the paper is filled with color. This picture was made by a kindergartener in an afterschool class.

Beginning of the Year....

Sorry, it's been a while since we've updated... I'm going to try to get it going again.... This year as an opening project I had EVERYONE in the school create a self portrait. I sent out emails to the staff and placed the paper in the staff's mailboxes. The children created theirs in art class. We colored them in and cut them out. I actually cut out kindergarten since it was their first art lesson of the year. It was interesting how many of the teachers tried to get creative when it came to turning their's in. Many had their friends, children,  or co-workers draw them. I introduced the children to the Where's Waldo books... yes introduced, hard to believe so many had never heard of them. I then glued all the self portraits on a large sheet of bulletin board paper with the principal as our Waldo. She was very prompt about turning her self portrait in, and I might add did a great job on it.  Needless to say our display is getting quite the response in the hallway. It's been a fun way to start the year.