2 Point Perspective

The 8th graders just learned about creating work using two vanishing points (known as 2 point perspective). The students can choose to create a city, a birdhouse community, or 3-D letters. We then watercolor them. Here are some of the results.

Art History Research

I'm one of those art teachers that feels it is really important to teach art history. The 6th graders spent 2 days this trimester researching an artist they chose. Then, they wirte a paragraph about what they learned about that artist. Next, they create a reproduction based on a work of art done by that artist and we hang them in the hallway with an example of the artist's original work. The students really gain an appreciation for all that goes into a masterpiece. Plus, its really fun to hear them telling each other about things they learned about their artist as they are all working on their projects. Here are a few of them as they hang in the hallway!

Colors, Tints, and Shades

What's the most important part about a color wheel?.....color, right? I walk the 6th graders through this project by teaching them step-by-step how to make each color. They know where to put the colors based on the color wheel we do with colored pencil as a warm-up to the project. I always like seeing how this project turns out. These kids did a really great job this trimester!

Color Wheels

The 7th graders are always given the challenge of creating a color wheel out of anything. For some, the task is monumental (where to begin). Others love the chance to share what they love. I've posted several that did a great job with their ideas!

Self-Portraits

The 8th graders have been busy working on their self-portrait project. I love this project! We start by making a 20 step value scale and then I take the kids’ photos. We put a grid over their photos and then grid a large piece of paper. They actually draw the entire picture with the grid and then paint the project with acrylic paint in a monochromatic (one color) color scheme. I have had several students in the past come back and tell me that they have their self-portrait framed and hanging in their homes! These may end up hanging in homes soon!

Color Wheel

The 6th graders walked through creating a color wheel as I taught them step-by-step how to properly mix each color. To make sure they know how to make all the colors, I only buy the primary colors. When I grade them, the student has to have all of the correct colors in the correct order and is also graded on the creativity of their project. I thought these turned out really nice!

Self-Portraits

I love this project!! In fact, I tell the kids that this is one project that their kids will do. As a warm-up, we paint a 20 step value scale in one color. Then, I take their pictures with a dinosaur of a digital camera (I can't find a new camera with "Solarize" as a setting). We print the pictures in black and white. Then, the kids sketch their portraits using a grid system to enlarge them 3 times the original size. Once the drawing is done, the kids paint them using their monochromatic value scale to assist. Shown are some of the best from last trimester.

Color Wheels

I've been searching for a color wheel project that turned out to look like a work of art. Something that could, "hold its own" at the art show in May. I played around with this lesson and I'm happy to report that the results are just what I was looking for.

We started with our 3 circles on the paper (they had to be inside each other). Next, the kids divided the paper into 12 sections using any type of line they wanted. We walked through step-by-step painting each color (plus its tints and shades). The kids had to know where the colors went and if they had the correct color (there were about 10 color wheels hanging in the room). I was happy with what we ended up with!

The 8th graders learned about 2-point perspective when we created these cities. I walked through the steps to create the buildings, sidewalks, and windows. From there, the kids just had to choose a theme and take off! I've posted some that are hanging in the hallway right now!

Self-Portraits

I LOVE THIS PROJECT!! This is the only project that I teach that I will still be teaching when I retire. Others have come and go, but this project finds so much success that I hope to always teach it! I have so many kids that come back and tell me that their parents framed their self-portrait and hung it in their house. In fact, my husband's cousin's has been hanging in his house for several years.

To begin, I take a photograph of each student with a black background, lights out, with just a spotlight, using "Solarize" on a dinosaur of a digital camera. Next, the tech guy prints them out for me in black and white, and the kids enlarge their picture (using a grid system) until its 3 times bigger. Then, it's simply a matter of choosing a color and painting the tints and shades of that color. The kids are always amazed how much easier it is than they thought it would be.

Art History Reproductions

I hated the drowning feeling I constantly had during my first year of teaching. Since then I have been fine-tuning lessons that I teach regularly each trimester. I know, I know, to be a good teacher I should change up my lessons much more often. However, I have kids that say, "I've been waiting to do ________ project like my older sibling!". Plus, there's comfort in knowing what works in a lesson and how to best teach it. Having said all of that, I've been trying out some new projects this year in an attempt to refresh myself. A few of those attempts have gone okay (not good enough to share or brag about), some have fallen on their face, and others turned out FABULOUS! This project is a "Fabulous".

I have been blessed to work with an outstanding group of 6th graders that have great attitudes (the perfect ingredients for a successful new project). However, when I first introduced the lesson I was a little worried. I LOVE studying art history...I'm not normal. On the first day I was practically jumping in the air with excitement over the idea of my students getting to learn about famous artists in the past. When they came to class I had spread out about 40 Scholastic Art magazines featuring 40 of my favorite painters. Each child had to choose someone different and then we headed to the computer lab where we toured a museum and they each set out to research their artist. They then printed out a picture of their artist's work and created a frame. The students then reproduced that work of art by their artist. I then hung all of their work in the hallway and that's where we had class for 1 1/2 days while the kids did their artist presentations. It was SO COOL! Everyday people in the building tell me how much they enjoy looking at them and how much they have learned....I love educating others about art (even when its not in my classroom)!!!!

Self-Portraits

The 8th graders recently created monochromatic (one color) self-portraits. Here are a few great ones!