6th Grade: Crayon Batik

I'm starting this project with one of my 6th grade classes this week! I'm going to have each student draw something that is a plant (flowers, leaves, trees, etc.). For my example, I drew The Tree of Gondor from The Lord of the Rings. This project has really great potential if students can follow directions well!

Step One: Plan out/draw the plant on a 12x12 piece of paper. I used white construction paper. The paper, of course, needs to be white in order for this to work!

Step Two: Color in the design. In order for this to work, you will need to press hard with your crayons to create thick, waxy layers. Anything that you want to make black, you should not color in - anything left "blank" will end up being black! For some reason, I wanted my tree to be white. I don't need to tell you why that was difficult!

Here is my completed coloring.

Step Three: Crinkle that paper! CAREFULLY! Otherwise it might rip on the edges. I've done it a few different ways.

• Option 1: Crinkle and uncrinkle the paper around eight times.
  
• Option 2: Crinkle the paper vertically, horizontally, diagonally, opposite-diagonally, etc.
  
  Basically, just crinkle it a lot.

Step Four: Smooth that paper out to prep for painting!

Step Five: Mix black tempera paint with a small amount of water and paint the entire paper with it! Crinkling the paper creates cracks in the waxy surface created by the crayons. The black paint mixture will fill in the cracks - batik! I really saturate the top to make sure I don't miss any spots.

Step Six: With a paper towel dab the excess paint off of the paper. Do not wipe it off! If you wipe it off, it will smear black paint all over your pretty picture! Dab, dab, DAB! There should be no pooling of paint by the time you are done dabbing.

Step Seven: Set your picture out to dry! You're done! Gaze with wonder at the beauty you've created!

Zentangle Portraits: 6th Grade

This project is pretty simple. After drawing self-portraits, students split the hair into sections and added patterns. All pencil lines were traced over with a fine-point black marker. Patterns were not done in pencil first, but rather right away with the marker.

Tree of Life: 6th Grade

In sixth grade, we studied movement. I have always thought that Klimt's Tree of Life looks like it's moving! My students agreed and we set to each creating our own Tree of Life. Students used tempera paint and oil pastels to create these beautiful, unnatural trees!

I wish this student had been able to finish! He was working very steadily and doing an amazing job!

Radial Symmetry: 6th Grade

Sorry about my awful photography on these next projects! I introduced my sixth graders to types of symmetry before tackling this project. To accomplish this project, I pre-cut paper into squares (12x12) and had my students fold them into eighths. I had a box of shapes on the counter for students to start out with. I encouraged students to add their own organic shapes as well.

A lot of students struggled with knowing where things repeated, but most of the students understood after the first day.

Pictured below is my own, unfinished example:

A few of my students are fellow Doctor Who fans!

These students did an EXCELLENT job on their pieces!

A display at one of my elementary schools.

PTO Chili Supper Posters

I just wanted to share the wonderful posters my students made for PTO's Chili Supper and Craft Fair! These are marvelous!

I had my class of 5th and 6th graders make these in one 50 minute period! They made these all on their own, I only supplied the words that were supposed to go on the posters. These students are so talented and creative! There are supposed to be nine posters, but it appears I am missing a picture of one of the "Thanks" posters. I will try and get it added next week!!

6th Grade Graphic Flowers (Georgia O'Keeffe)

My sixth graders created bright, expressive flowers! Here are the steps we took for each class.

Day 1: Observe Georgia O'Keeffe's flowers and practice drawing our own large flowers. I asked students to make their flowers so big that the petals ran off the page.

Day 2: Background time! I had students choose either warm or cool colors. Students drew circles inside of circles on a sheet of 12x14 paper for the background (reference the final results). Students then did a watercolor wash over the top of their background. If students used warm colors, than the color they chose was warm.

Day 3: Students drew large flowers and put different patterns inside the petals, leaves, etc.

Day 4: Students traced over their lines with oil pastels. With a smaller class, I would have had the students use oil pastels right away. Some of my students used crayons. The next time I do this lesson, I will have everyone use crayons. They just work so much better!

Day 5: Students used watercolor to make their flowers look awesome!

Day 6: Students cut out their flowers. Students folded strips of paper accordian style and glue them to the back of the flower and to the front of the background. This make the flowers POP off of the page. Voila!

Don't these look awesome!?

Keith Haring Figures: 4th-6th grade

I've been working on a Keith Haring project with grades 4th, 5th, and 6th. The way my classes are, I do not have any class that is completely 5th grade. The 5th graders are combined either with 4th or 6th. At one of my placements, there is a second art teacher who teaches two classes that I never even see. It's complicated to understand at first; don't stress over it!

My reasoning for explaining that first is to explain why there are only two different projects!! Both projects start out the same, but the information is put together differently for the final art project.

The first day, I displayed pictures of Keith Haring's art. I started out with the subway graffiti pictures. The students thought it was very interesting how he made his chalk drawings with other people always there watching. I showed some of his later works and talked a little bit about the Pop Shop and how he enjoyed working with children. Teachers need to take extra caution when choosing examples to display in class!!

I do my best to make art relevant to the students personally. I played a Sesame Street video (there are a lot of choices on YouTube!) that uses a wall Keith Haring painted in a gymnasium. Some students claimed to have seen it before, which is great!

I also found photographs from Google images of celebrities wearing Keith Haring's art on their clothing! The students love these photos. It really makes the artworks "cooler" to them.

 Nicki Minaj, Beyonce, Kelis and Rihanna wear Keith Haring's Art Inspired Clothes

Beyonce wears a Keith Haring necklace in her music video, Move Your Body.

I chose not to show this video in class since Beyonce is a talented, provocative dancer.

However, the video is available on YouTube for those who may choose differently!

Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly) also seems to be a fan of Keith Haring! 

After all the pictures and videos had been shared, I had students practice drawing people in Keith Haring's style. I told them that their behavior was a test for how we would spend the next class: FREEZE DANCING!

Yes, I played 80's music (or really it ended up being a mix of fun, appropriate songs from the 80's, 90's, 2000's and now). I had a table (group of four) go up and dance for the rest of the class. When I paused the music, the students froze and those sitting down picked one of the poses and drew it on their papers. Every one was required to get up and participate! Even if the student did not want to dance, I told them to pick a pose when the music stopped. The students loved this activity.

The next class, I had students pick 2-4 (the number depended on which grade) poses to use for the project. 

This is my example for 4th grade:

Please excuse the left side, my blue marker was kind of dry!

I had the students begin by folding their paper in half. The students were to draw one pose in the middle of each half. On one half they use cool colors, and on the other they use warm colors!! I demonstrated how to trace around the figures using my Elmo. I felt so encouraged when they begged to stay in art class! They love this project! I found this idea here: http://ourartlately.blogspot.com

This is my example for 6th grade:

I instructed students to fold their paper into fourths (I demonstrated this for them as well). I had my students color the sections in with markers, while in my example I glued paper down instead. The students receive one color of paper (cut down to size!) and are to draw one of the figures they selected on it. I really push for them to draw them large because 1. it looks better and 2. it's easier to cut!

Students raised their hand when they had finished the first figure. I checked it and either gave constructive criticism, i.e. draw the legs/arms thicker, or gave out the other three colors. Students cut out the figures and glue them on a section with a different background color. The students trace around the figures with black marker and add motion lines. I was inspired to do this lesson while visiting this blog: http://dalimoustache.blogspot.com

I'm excited because both of these projects will look amazing hanging up in the hall!! The students all seem to remember the artists name! I will post student examples when they are all done!