Still Life Pictures With 4th Grade

This project was inspired by the still life paintings of Paul Cezanne.  Paul was a french artist and a Post-Impressionist painter known for his still life paintings and use of color to emphasize tints and tones (highlights and shadows).  I like to push for value around 4th grade, so I felt this was an appropriate project for this age!

Materials
-10.5" x 16" white paper
-12" x 18" colored paper to frame
-Oil pastels (pull out the color black for last)
-Pencils

Objectives
The students will create a "still life" picture and use oil pastels to color in.  Students will show value by using colors as tints and tones (highlights and shadows).

I have students create 3 objects in their still life pictures.  The first object is a bowl.  Students have the choice of filling that bowl with fruit, soup, or ice cream.  The second object is a drink item, like a mug, shake glass, cup, or chalice.  The third object is student's choice: utensils, napkins, and candle holders seem to be the most popular, but I like to encourage choice.

Students have prior knowledge of placement of objects in a drawing, like a cup on the table, not above it.  Watch the students during the drawing of the project so they don't fall into the habit of drawing objects "on the line" and lose their placement or perspective

Directions

This project takes 3-4 days, 40 minute class periods.  

Day one is for drawing.  Students choose their own still life objects.  You can also change it up and add actual objects in the room for students to sketch (if you feel the students can manage drawing from observation).  My class is not set up for an observation table, and with our limited time, I have them draw on their own.

On day 2, I introduce how to create value with oil pastels.  I ask students to choose three colors, a light, medium, and dark (ex. yellow, orange, and red).  Students color in each space with the medium color, then use the light color for tints and dark color for tones.  I do not have students use the black oil pastels until the very end for tracing.

Day 3-4 is for coloring in the rest of their still life pictures.  Some students finish faster than others, so depending on what project comes next, I either create a simple 1 day project or have students start ahead on their next project.

Here are some finished examples!

Fall-Inspired Creations

It's that time of year!  I enjoy fall projects.  I love the colors, shapes, and other elements we visit when creating the student's projects.  I try my best to make all fall-inpired projects unrelated to Halloween.  With such a diverse community in our school, I try to create projects that are fun and inspiring, with room to create Halloween decorations if the student wishes.  Here are some of the projects I've done in the past and a few I've done this year:

1st Grade: Fall Leaves

Yes, it's a Pinterest idea.  When I saw an example of how to use clear ziploc bags to create a fall leaf snowglobe effect, I was exstatic!  You start with a light blue and brown paper cut 12" x 12."  I demonstrated how to fold the brown paper to cut a rectangle out, which made the frame.  Students then glued tree tops and grass, then glued down little colored pieces for the fall leaves.  The project was topped off with a little person colored and cut out!

1st Grade: Color-Changing Leaves

I start by sharing leave I have found with different colors, like green changing to yellow and red.  The students love to see the leaves up close, and they do say they don't take the time to look at the leaves since they're busy crunching them below their feet!  I use this project to show how to color mix.  With focusing on one set of complimentary colors, students enjoy watching the paint change colors after drawing their football-shaped leaves.  Tempura cake trays are best with cart-pushing and storage.

Kindergarten: Fall Trees

I like to question the students about trees!  I ask the students what parts of the trees were, as well as how the branches just reach anywhere they wish on the top on the tree.  I show the students how to just the strips for branches, and even how to tear the strips to have more fun.  The hardest part is making a bunch of fall colors leaf squares.  I spend some spare time before/after school at the paper cutter and trim enough pieces to last at least two years.  Even though it doesn't show it in this example, I like to ask the students to create a cubby hole in the tree and to draw the animal that's preparing to hibernate.

Kindergarten: Texture Pumpkins

This project was created to introduce the element of texture to my kindergarten students.  I start by showing the students a pumpkin!  I bring in the small baby pumpkins to pass around, and I ask the students if the pumpkin is soft or hard, smooth or bumpy, warm or cold.  After discussing texture, I show the students how to create their own textures on a pumpkin picture with the use of texture plates.  To save on students fighting over certain textures, I pass out a set of plates for each table.  Make sure you explain to the students how they need to color in the entire picture, as well as moving the texture plate over to complete the entire sky or grass!  This simple project was also created with 11 x 17 paper, which was run through a copy machine.  Over 100 copies of my hand-drawn pumpkins for my kiddos!

Choose to create with or without faces!

1st Grade: 3-Dimensional Pumpkins

This project is awesome, except you need to be on your toes with the class.  I have pre-cut strips of orange paper, and give the students four pieces each.  I ask the students to glue two pieces together to make a plus sign, then two other pieces together to make an "x."  Next, I tell the students to glue the plus sign on top of the x to make a star.

After the star is made, I tell the students to take two opposite ends and make an octopus, then to glue each end to the top to create the orange ball.  After the ball is complete, the students have the option to make a pumpkin face and add stems and leaves on the top.

3rd Grade: Pumpkin Patch

This assemblage project is my introduction to the grounds: back, middle, and foreground.  We talk about gluing the background first, starting with the grass line and moon/stars (daytime pictures are an option).  Next, the students design their own fence.  I get a wide range of fences with this project, some with gates open, and some with a  complete fence across the paper.  After the middle ground, the pumpkins are glued to the front, along with yarn vines and multiple leaves.  I ask the students to create three different pumpkin shapes: big, medium, and small to show distance in the pumpkin patch.

4th Grade: Pumpkin Farm

I like to re-visit the perspective idea with 4th grade.  It helps remind them of the grounds, as well as how to create the perspective.  Pumpkins are also easy shapes to draw, and painting is always fun!  I've seen this project done at the second grade level, yet in my school the students were not quite at the level to make something like this.  I show the students how to create the pumpkin circle large at the bottom of the paper, then how to shrink the circle smaller until the circles are time, which will show distance.  I also show the students the perspective house  I introduce watercolors at this level as well, and students practice their techniques working on this landscape.

Kindergarten: Fall Leaves

In this project, I introduce oil pastels and mixed media to the students.  I created leaf stencils from the die cuts in out school, and I've used the same set since my first year teaching.  I ask the students if they ever traced their own hand before, and they get excited when they tell me that they have!  I ask the students to trace at least 4 stencils, then they get fall color oil pastels to color in the leaves (mixing different colors each leaf).  I then have the students top it off with a blue wash for the sky.

6th Grade: Value Pumpkins

I haven't done this project in awhile since I changed the 6th grade curriculum to follow social studies (art history) but I used to buy a pumpkin just for this project!  I would have the lamp on the side of the pumpkin while the students drew from whatever corner of the room they were sitting.  I then taught how to crosshatch for texture, as well as using colors to show light and shadow.  Maybe I should bring this one back...

2nd Grade: 3-Dimensional Fall Trees

Paper sculptures!!!!  I love showing the students how to create a 3-D tree with paper.  I show them how to make a base (two-layered for stability), the how to fold the ends to make roots to glue to the ground.  The students then glue a green top on all the sides, then tissue paper the leaves.  I've had some creative mini ideas from students in this one, from raking a pile of leaves to making pumpkins on the board!

For more fall project ideas, please visit my Pinterest Fall-Inspired Projects Board!

Klee Kastles

This blog was developed after I had been NAEA's "monthly mentor."  After I completed my month of posts, I still had more to say!  I told myself all school year that I would start to share my project ideas that work well with traveling and cart, and now that it's summertime, I have the time to do it!

The first project I would like to introduce is one I use with my second grade students.  I consider this an easy-going project, which means I don't cart around loads of supplies for one project.

The reason I love this project is that I'm not only introducing an artist (Paul Klee), but I'm having students design their own castles using shapes, which goes along with a state fine art standard!

                                                        (Castle and Sun by Paul Klee)

The materials I use:

-Black Paper cut to 10.5" x 16"
-12" x 18" Colored Construction Paper for frame
-Oil Pastels
-Posterboard (spend time cutting shapes out of poster board that you can re-use for years)
-Containers for the shape stencils (depending on your method of dispersement, I use plastic ziploc bags filled with shapes for teaching from a cart, and plastic bowls in my classroom)

Shapes to cut out: Squares, circles, rectangles, triangles, archways..whichever shape you wish!

Introduction:

Have you ever watched Nick Jr?  They used to have a "trip to the museum" with Moose and Zee, where they visited different paintings.  That short is what inspired me to create this particular project.  The sad part is that I can't find the link to the video, so if you find it, please share it!!!

Moose and Zee visited Paul Klee's Castle and Sun and shared with the kids how the painting was made with beautiful shapes and colors.  After watching my daughter stare at the painting on tv, I not only thought about taking her to the art museum, but I wanted to have my own students create their own castles!

I first shared the image of Castle and Sun to the students.  I asked what shapes they saw, and what they thought the painting was about.  It's fun hearing what the students say!

After sharing some information about the painting, I then show the students how to start their picture.  I hand each student a black paper, their shape stencils, and ask them to use white oil pastels to trace their shapes.

I first start by showing how to trace a shape, but also how to use different shapes to build the castle.  After the demonstration, I have the students get to work.  It should take about two class periods to complete stenciling, coloring, and framing.  I choose to use simple 12" x 18" colored paper for a basic frame for an easy finish.