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.

Complementary Colored Hands: 1st Grade

We spent a lot of time on colors in the first grade! This project focused mainly on complementary colors, a bit of a difficult concept for some younger students to grasp.

I had each student trace their hand by the edge of the paper three times, their hand + arm, twice, and parts of their hand on the edge of the paper 2-3 times. Afterwards, I gave students permission to add a few hands if they wished.

I told students to pick out one color to do patterns with on the insides of their hands. On the outside, they had to use the complement of that color to create the circle pattern. Even my older students were impressed with how these turned out!

Klimt Portraits: 3rd Grade

Third grade also looked at Klimt's work. We concentrated more on his use of patterns. In my example I used my cat (she's cuter than I am when she sleeps).

On the first day, students split a yellow paper into five sections. Each section was filled in with a different pattern. I encouraged students to mimic some of the interesting patterns Klimt used. During this class, I took a picture on my teacher iPad of the students "sleeping." I printed these out for the students to use later.

Students at one school used a patterned paper for the blanket. At my other school, students had to create a patterned blanket. Both methods worked well. I had to remind students to make the blankets LONG; otherwise, it looks like they have no legs!!

Here is what their artworks looked like after piecing them all together! I hope that this is a piece they keep for a long time - they all did so well!

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!

Evil Twin: 4th Grade

This project was a lot of fun! I walked students through how to draw a portrait. We drew our faces step-by-step together. Students had to finish in that first class. During my prep, I photocopied each portrait twice. That means each student had their original plus two!

I explained to students that one portrait needed to be colored like how they really look. The other portrait was their evil twin! Students loved coming up with how to make their alter-egos look.

My example:

When both portraits were finished, I had students bring me their two portraits. Using the paper cutter, I chopped the portraits up together into 1-inch strips! Students reassembled their portraits, alternating between good and evil sides. Each student ended up with two portraits!

Here is my finished example! Fun, right?!

Hot Air Balloons: 2nd Grade

Second grade did a collaborative project with Hot Air Balloons! We looked at the artist David Kracov and imitated his style. Each student drew, colored, painted, and cut out a hot air balloon on a piece of posterboard.

 I had students come up by table and lay their balloon somewhere on the floor overlapping one another. I used pieces of foam to space out the balloons as I attached them (I used masking tape).

I put them all up after school and decided they were missing something. So the next day, I had each student create a cloud! Here is the final product!

Looking back, I wish I had taken the time to cover the board with a blue paper. The final piece is still pretty amazing though! Go second grade!

Cupcakes: Kindergarten

I was really struggling with how to teach Kindergarten about texture. This project just came out of nowhere and it is now one of my favorite projects!

I precut a LOT of cupcakes out of posterboard for my Kindergarten classes. Seriously, my hand hurt for hours after cutting all these out.

I gave each student a cupcake a paint pallet of four colors: red, blue, yellow, and white. I told students to start painting! I loved listening to them discover how colors create other colors all on their own! They even remembered it later when we talked about primary and secondary colors. Teacher win!

 

 

The next class, I gave students a paper to draw patterns on. We talked about how patterns can create texture. After the patterns were all drawn, I demonstrated (and helped a lot of students) how to fan fold! During my prep period, I stapled the paper to the cupcake bottom. I explained to the students how the folded paper also created texture!

Here is my example: 

The last step was to add sprinkles! I gave students a pile of foam stickers on their table. Some students used all of the stickers, some only used 10-15. ALL of the results were perfect!