Chalk Pastel Pumpkins

2nd grade created realistic still life pumpkins using chalk pastels.  Some of us used our artistic license with our color choices, but they sure looked cool hanging in our hallway.
We learned about

• drawing a still life
• using layering/overlapping to show depth
• creating contour lines
• using different values of the same color to create shading & depth
• blending different tints & shades to create unique colors

"Boo" portraits

In 1st grade we learned about emotion in artwork through facial expressions and/or body language.   We created a self-portrait demonstrating how we thought we would look if startled or scared by something.  As a class, we reviewed our use of oil pastels and how to blend to get the exact colors we want.  Each student created their own bald likeness in oil pastels before we added "hair".  To add our scared hair, we used drops of liquid watercolor that we then used a straw to blow upwards to create crazy hair.  We have gotten tons of complements from our BOO portraits hanging in the hallway!

Lots of Lines in Kinder & 2nd

In kindergarten, we are learning about line as an element of art.  We find lines in famous artworks and each others artwork. We can use actions to demonstrate different types of lines as well as use and recognize lines in our own art.  We first practiced line types/styles on white boards then created all 5 types of lines on watercolor paper using crayons.  After adding our lines, we learned how to use watercolors and filled in the spaces we created with our lines.  We also learned about watercolor resist and how the paint is repelled by the waxy crayons.
In 2nd grade we created a large leaf then designed patterns with all 5 types of lines using oil pastels.  After our designs were complete we used liquid watercolors to add even more color.  We reviewed how oil and water don't like each other so the liquid watercolor was repelled by the oil pastel.  Lastly we put all our leaves together to create a beautiful tree.  We are all
having fun and learning so much!