Grade 6: Monochromatic Value Paintings (Autorretratos monocromáticos)

Our Monochromatic Value paintings began with a study of one color.  We added white to our color to get tints, and black to our color to get shades.  Students varied these colors so that they would range in value on a scale from 1 to 9.  Color # 1 was the lightest color and, # 9 was the darkest color (See Ice-Cream Value Paintings).  Students mixed the paint into cups, and labeled their cups from 1-9.  Next, the students were given a picture of themselves that had been enhanced in Adobe Photoshop to better show the light and dark values.  They began circling the different values in their faces.  Labeling the lightest areas with a # 1, the next lightest area with a #2 and so on, until they reached their darkest area with a # 9.  Lastly, we transferred their faces using transfer paper, and began painting.  We painted the values labeled with a # 1 with our paint that we had mixed earlier in the year that was also labeled with a number one, then we moved to #2-9.

Nuestras pinturas de valor monocromático comenzaron con un estudio de color.  Añadimos blanco a nuestro color para obtener tinte, y negro a nuestro color para obtener sombras.  Los estudiantes variaron estos colores para poder hacer escalas de valores del 1 al 9.  Donde el color #1 era el más claro y el color #9 era el más oscuro (vea: Pinturas “Pinturas de valor El Helado”).  Los estudiantes mesclaron las pinturas en vasos y los etiquetaron del 1 al 9.  Después, se les dio una foto de ellos mismos que había sido arreglada con Photoshop para que pudieran apreciar los valores de la luz y la sombra.  Comenzaron entonces a circular los diferentes valores en sus rostros, etiquetando con uno las áreas más claras, la siguiente más clara después de la primera con el dos y así hasta llegar al número nueve. Finalmente, transferimos sus caras usando papel para transferir y comenzamos a pintar.  Pintamos los valores etiquetados con uno, con nuestra pintura que habíamos mesclado anteriormente en el año y que también estaba etiquetada con el número uno y de ahí fuimos al dos y tres hasta el nueve.

Cleveland School First Annual iCAN Art Show!

We had our first annual Art Show here at Cleveland Elementary School this past Friday and it was a wonderful turn out! Thank you to everyone who helped and attended, and a BIG thank you to the Incredible Children's Art Network!!!

Art In The Garden

This year in iCAN's after-school Art Enrichment Program fifth and sixth grade students created signs for our garden!  The garden has been recently renovated here at Cleveland, by our awesome garden teacher Sarah.  Students first went up to the garden in January to see what it was they could make to add some flare.  Once we decided on signs, they did some on site sketching to get some images they could incorporate into their paintings.  Next, we sketched, and transferred the drawings.  Students learned how to mix acrylic paint to create value, gradations and shadows.  Finally, we put it all to work on our garden signs!  Our last day was a celebration of what the garden means to our school.  We found spots for our signs, and talked about the importance of growing our own food!  

Grade 6: African Adinkra Print

My sixth grade students learned about African Adinkra cloth.  This is a hand printed fabric that is made in Ghana, African.  This fabric was developed by the Ashanti people, traditionally made for royalty to wear at religious ceremonies. Over the years, people also decorated the cloths to tell a story or to express their thoughts or feelings.  Sixth graders looked at African Symbols for inspiration, then sketched their own designs using Bilateral Symmetry, Radial Symmetry or an Asymmetrical design.  Once they were satisfied with their artwork, they transferred the drawings onto Scratch-Foam printing plates.  Using a simple hand printing process the sixth graders printed their designs onto their paper once again using symmetry to create a pattern with their prints.  Here are our end results!  (this lesson is courteously of Art with Miss Angela, a fellow teaching artist)