Kindergarten: Mouse Paint

Mouse Paint

In the beginning of the year our Kindergarteners learned about the primary colors, red, yellow and blue.  We began talking about the colors using the book Mouse Paint by Ellen Wash.  Following our reading students were given a cup of red, yellow and blue paint, and a piece of paper divided into 6 squares.  Together we began to mix the colors to make all the colors we find in the color wheel.  We mixed them one at a time, then painted each square on our paper a different color.  Once our paper's dried we used tear dropped shaped tracers for our mice.  Students traced the shape, cut it out and placed it onto their paper, in the same order as our color wheel.  Finally, we used back markers to turn our shapes into mice, just like our friends in the book Mouse Paint.

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!  

Kindergarten: Jackson Pollock Hands On Painting

Student’s began this project by analyzing samples of Jackson Pollock’s work.  They identified the lines in the painting based on a previous line study they had completed the week before.  Students then learned that Pollock painted his line drawings by throwing paint on large canvases on the ground.  In order to create similar style artwork, kindergarteners were given a plastic tray with different four different colors of paint.  Each cup of paint had a marble placed in it.  Students put their paper in the tray, used a spoon to place the paint-covered marbles in the tray, and then rocked the tray side to side.  This motion guided the marbles across their canvases, each one creating a unique design.

Kindergarten: Primary Colors Mondrian Collage

Kindergarteners began this project by looking at some of Mondrian’s paintings. They looked in depth at Broadway Boogie Woogie and discussed how abstract art can make a viewer think of different things. They created the collage by cutting out different sized squares and rectangles from colored construction paper and layered them on top of each other. They finished by dipping craft sticks in black paint and adding black lines on top.

Grade Four: Mixed Media Winter Birch Tree Landscapes

Fourth Graders began their exploration of Birch Trees with a discussion about the natural beauty of things that we find in nature.  We decided that things like, waterfalls, animals, fields and sunsets were things that were naturally beautiful.  Then, we began our quest to capture the natural beauty of these objects in our artwork, like many famous artists have done before us!  We began with a resist out of tag board to cover the bottom on our snowy landscapes.  Then, the students used oil pastels to blend their skies, using warm and cool colors, adding suns, moons and fences to make it their own.  The trees were done on a separate piece of paper using a “dry” brush technique with cardboard and black paint.  When the trees dried they were attached to our background.  At this point our fourth graders had a discussion on light sources and shadows, they were then in charge of determining where the light source was in their picture, and where the shadows would be.  Finally, the students used a flicking technique to add falling snow to their pieces.  The students learned a lot, and put a lot of work into these pieces, but they were so pleased with the end result!

Grade 3: Chinese Dragons

Third grade began this project by looking at ancient Chinese dragon depictions (paintings, prints, clothing etc.). They discussed the difference between western and eastern understandings of dragons and learned about myths.  We then did a guided drawing in our sketchbooks to practice our skills.  Once third graders were satisfied with their drawings, they transferred them onto larger paper.  Using thin and thick sharpies students inked in their details.  Finally, The painting began.  Students mixed colors in a plastic palette to personalize each dragon, we then added hints of sparkle with glitter watercolor.

Grade 5: Linear Perspective Cityscapes

The fifth graders learned all about drawing in one point perspective. They had an introduction to the concept in their first class when they drew their names in one point perspective block letters. They transferred the skills they learned from this small project to a bigger area and began designing their own cityscape. After drawing one side of the street with buildings, the students had the freedom to draw whatever they wanted on the other side. They finished the drawing by painting with watercolors.