Color Wheel Umbrellas

Everything looks better in color, right?  Even a rainy day!!  2nd grade has been learning about the color wheel!  We've discussed analogous colors, warm/cool colors, complementary colors, and primary/secondary colors. The easiest way for students to draw the sections was to make them even, which messes up the accuracy of the color wheel a bit, but you could always modify to make it more accurate.  These are so bright and beautiful and perfect for Spring!!  

1st grade self portraits

It doesn't get any cuter than these winter self portraits!  1st grade has been hard at work on these adorable drawings!  I know there are a lot but I had a hard time choosing which ones to post, they were all so good!  Enjoy!

This one just needs a yellow chevron stripe on a black shirt and he could be famous!!

Abstract Hearts and construction paper colored pencils

A few years ago I ordered these fantastic construction paper colored pencils.  They're like the crayons except in a pencil form, perfect for my older kids.  After using them for a while and struggling with them breaking over and over after sharpening, (even just a little) I said I'd never order another box as long as I lived...

Well... apparently that was "short-lived..." I just couldn't resist!  They are awesome on black paper!  So I make my students promise not to use ugly words when they sharpen them and the break, and they sharpen again and break, and then sharpen and they break again, and again, and again... 

But aren't the results just beautiful?!  So worth the pain and suffering I tell them!!

I THINK they believe me...  :)

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Shabby Chic Valentine

2nd grade is working on these beautiful Shabby Chic Valentines.  I love the texture and colors in them.  We are also practicing some shading with paint and learning about high lights, form, texture and how to make things look round and three-dimensional.  I have a final step planned for these... but I like the way they look right now so I'm thinking I may skip that step! :)

Winter birds

Still hoping for some snow here!  So we are still doing winter themed projects for art!  2nd grade has finished their cardinals in the snow this week.  I found this project last year on Pinterest, and my friend and fellow art teacher Michelle Osbourne also does a similar project with some of her classes!  She does a neat variation with painted cardinals.  Perhaps we should try painting our birds next year too! 

Walking in a winter wonderland!

5th graders are finishing up their winter watercolor scenes this week.  We created these step by step and learned how to "plan" for watercolor.  I think they turned out pretty great!

Polar bear, polar bear, what do you see?

 

 

 

I see some very TALENTED third graders looking at me!! Third grade has been studying value in art the past couple of weeks.  We discussed lightness and darkness of objects (VALUE) and how to draw and paint objects with shading to create value.  These are not quite finished yet, we still have a little background to work on, but I just couldn't resist posting a few!   

 

 

I showed them how to create texture by brushing the paint in short strokes in one direction, overlapping and blending the paint just enough to make a gradual change from one shade to the next.  It's so tempting to keep painting to smooth out the brush strokes, but then we'd loose that fabulous furry texture!