Color Value Self-Portraits

We embarked on our second self-portrait of the year in December, but this time we focused on the principle of value in art. To lay the foundation, five and six year old students created quilts of color of different gradations.  Seven eight and nine year olds experimented with watercolors and tried to see how many different values of a color they could create.

Next children examined themselves closely in mirrors and drew themselves in fine-tipped color marker.  Lastly, they colored in their self-portraits using colored pencil, crayon or craypas.  Children were asked to include light, medium and dark values in their finished works.  They ended up being a beautiful hallway display!

Fall Vegetable Still Life

I started this project by talking to children about farmer's markets, why they are special and what it means to buy and eat locally and seasonally.  I brought in beets, carrots, and apples for them to children to touch and examine.  They really enjoyed noticing all of their lines, colors and grooves.  

Everyone got black 7x9 construction paper and craypas and represented the still life at their table.  Children were asked to color the background in no more than two colors.  

Didn't they come out beautiful?

Folded Symmetrical Masks

I started this project by showing kids a variety of masks from various cultures.  We spent some time discussing the reasons and meanings of the masks in the cultures presented.  We identified common aesthetic elements in the masks we observed.

  

Then each student got a basic oval of brightly colored cardstock folded in half and a basket of construction paper, scissors and glue.

Students had to create masks that considered the following: symmetry, breaking the edge(extending beyond the contour of the mask) and layering of color.  Ideas I gave them for "breaking the edge" were adding horns, hair, beards, scalloped edges... 

Next I demonstrated a variety of paper sculpting techniques that can be appied to masks (curling and crimping for hair, folding for noses, curving for eyelids etc.) to give them a 3D effect.

Ebony Pencil Self-Portrait

Children spent a lot of time looking in the mirror and observing all the lines and shapes that make up our faces.  Students created self-portraits based on their careful noticings.

Exploring shape

Kindergarten students explored the principle of shape in art.  Children created collages using shapes with both straight and curved edges. We played around with different arrangements before we glued down the one we liked best.

Exploring Line

Beginning of the year included studying the principle of line in art.  Kindergarten and first grade students created line designs using different types of direction (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) and character(curly, wavy, jagged) lines.  Check out their beautiful work!