Thinking & Imagining Self Portraits

I particularly love the infusion of Aboriginal and Canadian heritage in this artwork.  Great job!

Lesson Background:

Well, after a wonderful year off to look after my baby boy, I now find myself back in the busy exciting creativity of school again!  This year I am teaching a Year 5 class and they are a fantastic bunch of kids.  To start the new school year off we made these self-portraits.  The students were asked to show me what they've been thinking about and imagining, and to make their self-portrait artworks tell me about who they are.

Lesson Materials (per student):

• Photos of the students in a 'thinking pose' printed onto A4 paper and cut out (my students did this themselves)
• 1 sheet of A3 art paper (watercolour if possible)
• Watercolour paints (we used watercolour discs)
• Water containers
• Newspaper or covering to keep the tables clean
• A glue-stick
• 1 small fine paintbrush
• 1 thick paintbrush
• 1 black permanent marker

Lesson Steps:

1.  We looked at some sample artworks from some other blogs:
http://cappywrites.com/2010/11/25/im-accidentally-delusional/
http://carlisleartclass.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/use-your-brain.html
2.  We discussed what shapes, images, colours, lines and techniques (such as shading) looked most effective.
3.  We stuck our photo on the bottom corner of the A3 paper. 
4.  We used a black sharpie (permanent marker) to start drawing patterns, pictures, symbols and words that helped to represent ourselves.
5.  We coloured images in bright watercolour paints.
6.  Some of us chose to paint the background as well. 
7.  When dry, we went over the black marker in any places where the paint had covered the black marker.

 

Year 5, I am super impressed at your first artworks of the year!  Next time, I'll start to teach you how to create these blog posts yourselves.  Well done, 5B!

Year 5 Artworks:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Hand & Footprint Decorations with Baby Baker!

Charlie's foot and handprint decorations



Lesson Background:

Well, it's been a big year for me!  I've spent the year on a break from teaching my gorgeous Year 1/2s and have instead been bringing up and teaching my gorgeous baby boy.  Recently, I decided we would make some hand and footprint decorations to give to relatives to commemorate Charlie's first Christmas.

Lesson Materials:

*  Air-dry clay
*  Gold spray paint
*  A straw
*  Thin Christmas ribbon
*  A black permanent marker
*  A rolling pin
*  A knife
*  A sheet of baking paper
*  A BABY

Baby Baker with his new buddy, Santa

 Lesson Steps:

1.  Roll the clay into a ball, place on the baking paper, and use the rolling pin to flatten to about 1cm thickness.
2.  Hold the baby's hand or foot as flat as you can and press it firmly into the dough, squishing (firmly but gently) around all parts of the hand or foot, to leave a clear imprint.  (I had to turn this into a game with lots of silly voices and sound effects for Charlie to be on board!)
3.  Wash the baby's hands and feet, and put them in a safe place while you finish up!
4.  Using the knife (or a template), cut an oval shape around each of the imprints, leaving a small space above the top of each print for a hole.
5.  Use the straw to press a hole into the top of each ornament.
6.  Leave to dry 24 hours, or as long as required.
7.  Spray paint gold on both sides, leaving time for them to dry in between.
8.  Write an inscription on the back using the black permanent marker.  I wrote: "Charlie's first Christmas ~ 2014"
9.  Tie a piece of Christmas ribbon through the hole.

 

Merry Christmas from Mrs & Baby Baker!

 

 

Grade 1/2 Charcoal Landscapes

By Ella (Grade 2)

Lesson Materials (per student):

1 stick compressed charcoal

1 sheet A3 white art paper

1 sheet newspaper (to lay your paper on)

Landscape photos (showing landscapes with a large range of textures)

Lesson Steps:

1.  Look at the photo you have chosen.

2.  Carefully draw the outline of all the large shapes and horizon line.

3.  Look at where the shadows are in the image and use colouring and smudging to recreate these shadows in your drawing.

4.  Add in fine details such as leaves and grasses, using a range of different mark-making techniques (thin lines, thick lines, flicks, arcs, etc)

Student Artworks:

By Austin (Grade 2)

By Jeff (Grade 2)

By Eve (Grade 2)

Grade 1/2 Charcoal Flowers

By Xander (Grade 2)

Lesson Background:
As a part of our charcoal drawing unit, the children drew these still-life pictures, looking very closely at the textures, shapes, lines and shadows in the real life display I set up. 

1/2B studying and drawing the still life display

The vases I set up, trying to have a mixture of plants
with different textures for the children to draw

Lesson Materials (per student):
1 piece of white A3 art paper
1 stick of  compressed charcoal
1 piece of  newspaper

vase/s of highly textured different flowers (for the class to share)

Lesson Steps: (written by 1/2B class members as a joint construction)

1. Turn your paper into portrait position.
2.  Draw a line to show where the table is (about 1/3 of the page from the bottom).
3.  Draw an outline of the vase.
4. Start drawing the outline of the flowers and stems.
5. Add some shading and details to the flowers, stems and vase.  Make sure you use a range of white, light grey, dark grey and black shades.  Try to use different types of marks to show texture (thick/thin lines, arches, flicks, etc.)

Student Artworks:

By Angela (Grade 1)

By Jeff (Grade 2)

By Kayla (Grade 2)

By Millie (Grade 2)

By Nive (Grade 2)

By Paige (Grade 2)

By Eve (Grade 2)

By Ella (Grade 2)

Grade 1/2 Charcoal Toy Drawings

By Angela X (Grade 1)

Lesson Background:

We are doing an art unit focusing on charcoal drawing techniques at the moment.  We are encouraging the children to show light and shade, and use many different types of lines and markings to show texture.  For this lesson, the children had to show these skills by drawing a toy they had brought in from home, or found in the classroom.  I was really impressed with their efforts!

Lesson Materials (per student):

1 piece of white A3 art paper
1 piece of newspaper to keep your table clean
1 piece of compressed charcoal
a toy to draw


Lesson steps: (Written by Angie and Millie, Grade 2)


1.  Get your toy and place it on your desk in front of you.
2.  Start by drawing a simple outline with your charcoal.
4.  Add the finer details.
5.  Include light and shadow by smudging or pressing more firmly or softly with the charcoal.
6.  Add texture by using different types of lines: thin, thick, straight, curved, flicked, etc.
 
Student Art Works :

By Austin (Grade 2)

By Agnes (Grade 2)

By Millie (Grade 2)

By Nive (Grade 2)

By Xander (Grade 2)

My sample drawing to demonstrate ways of showing texture

Picasso Spring Flower Paintings

 

By Agnes (Grade 2)

Lesson Background:
Spring time here in Canberra is gorgeous.  We have a beautiful flower festival called Floriade which many of our class members visited in our recent school holidays.  To celebrate this beautiful time of year, our class made these flower artworks based on the famous artwork by Picasso, "The Flowers of Peace" (shown below).

Lesson Materials (per student):
Written by Amelia (Grade 1) and Ella (Grade 1)

• acrylic paint
• 1 black permanent marker
• 1 lead pencil
• 1 water container
• 1 thin paint brush and 1 thick paint brush
• newspapers (to keep the tables tidy)
• 1 A4 piece of white art paper

Lesson Steps: 
Written by Jeff (Grade 2) and Tahir (Grade 1)

1. First,we pretended that we were holding flowers with our hand and then we laid   our hands down onto the paper in that position.
2. Next we got our partner to trace around our hand with a lead pencil.
3. Then we edited the shape of the hand, using our pencil to smooth bits that were a bit bumpy or wonky.
4. After that we drew in lines for the fingers and arches for the fingernails.
5. Next we drew in some extra details for the hand.
6. Then we outlined the hand with a black permanent marker.
7. After that we drew the stems of the flowers.  We imagined the stem going through our hand and then continuing out under our fingers.
8. Finally we painted the stems and flowers .

Student Artworks:

 

By Josh (Grade 1)

By Angie (Grade 2)

By Austin (Grade 2)

By Ella U (Grade 2)

By Angela (Grade 1)

By Eve (Grade 2)



By Xander (Grade 2)



By Paige (Grade 2)

By Serina (Grade 2)

By Kayla (Grade 2)

 

 

By Leo (Grade 1)





some of 1/2B's beautiful spring paintings