Human Proportions and Color Schemes

Third grade artists are drawing from observation, looking closely at the art room's wooden mannequins. We discussed Proportion, which is a Principle of Design, and looked closely at how the ovals and circles of the mannequins where proportionate to the human body. We learned to draw contour lines, smooth unbroken lines, when we were drawing the ovals and circles.    

Then, we started to add color with watercolors.  First, we studied warm and cool colors, and noted the difference between them.  Students had to chose to put cool colors below the horizon line, or above it.  Then, the next class students painted the warm colors in the opposite spot.

Painting was a little tricky because students were trying hard to control their paintbrushes and not paint inside the mannequin shapes.  They did an outstanding job!

Check out the finished art here on Artsonia, our online Student Art Museum!

http://www.artsonia.com/museum/gallery.asp?project=1027622

4th Grade Self Portraits a la Matisse

Fourth Grade artists are painting their self portraits.  We looked at several of Henri Matisse's portraits and talked about his use of simple stylized lines in the people's faces, as well as his extensive use of pattern in the backgrounds behind the people.  In one portrait alone we counted fourteen different patterns!  Students carefully drew their faces using proportion.  We talked about facial proportions and measured with rulers to correctly place the eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and eyebrows. Then students drew five or six patterns in the background.

Students had the most fun adding the brightly colored paints.  Last we added oil pastel for fine details in the background.

Check out the finished portraits with oil pastel details here at our online museum at Artsonia!

http://www.artsonia.com/museum/gallery.asp?exhibit=786811

3rd Grade Keith Haring Group Project and Individual Collages

 Keith Haring is one of my favorite all-time artists.  Most of his artwork is kid friendly, and students love his kinetic figures.

We looked at many of his paintings in art class and talked about his use of movement.  We then learned about gesture drawings and proportion, and students drew several quick gesture drawings of me posing in different positions.  Students then traced around these gesture drawings to make them look more like a Haring figure.  They carefully cut out their best, and then traced that one onto construction paper.  The color scheme was complementary colors, and students randomly chose a complementary set.  Here students are cutting carefully around the figure to get that black edging.

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They turn out so energetic and colorful, and they look amazing all together.  Some classes' artwork will be displayed in April for Zilker's School-wide Art Show.

We also worked on a bigger group drawing that was displayed on February 6 at Family Night.  This is what the two panels looked like: