Here's a lesson about making 2D circles into Spheres with Oil Pastels

I've done this lesson a few times with paint with my third graders and up - and this year I changed it to using oil pastels and had much more success!  The biggest issue I've had is continually saying spheres and avoiding the word "balls" until it becomes painfully awkward.

I got this lesson idea off of Pinterest from KatieMorrisArt.com.  She had her students draw balls and make them look 3D.





Here are the directions I made for this lesson.  My students are practicing first, then we will take our 4-6 best spheres and putting them on top of a woven background.














Here is the handout I made of all the different "How to Draw Balls" pages from KatieMorrisArt and some I drew.









And here is my YouTube Video demonstrating the color mixing and blending tints and shades. Enjoy!

Middle School Christmas Ornaments in Oil Pastel - with PowerPoint and handout

This is my first year with my middle-schoolers, and I have had a rough time knowing what skills they have, and which they still really need to work on.

After our last value study project seemed like a real struggle, I thought I'd take it easy with a step-by-step guide on drawing and shading color values with Christmas ornaments.  This project is not concerned so much with the reflections of the ornaments.  We only concentrated on 3 parts: cast shadow, mid-tones, and highlight.  We also practiced building layers with our oil pastels and mixing tints and shades.  Also, I teach in a Catholic school - so Christmas ornaments are A-OKay.

I started with a handout full of stolen images from the Internet and a PowerPoint too.  We discussed the parts of light and shade that create value and the difference between grayscale and monochromatic color schemes.

The handout coincides with the slides on the PowerPoint and discusses vocabulary.
Next, I take the students step-by-step through the process of drawing and coloring and rendering their Christmas ornament in 3D. They do actually have an ornament in front of them to look at and draw.  The slides were up on the TV as the kids worked, so we mostly all stayed together, but some friends needed additional help.

      

Included in the handout is a rubric for this lesson.  Overall I am pleased with the results!  I only see my middle schoolers once a week for 45 minutes.  It was a learning process at the beginning of the year, and I felt I was never going to get through any sort of curriculum.  We've started working smaller and less independently, and that seems to work.  Here are some student works:

Shepard Fairey for Kids! Free PowerPoint Slideshow for Elementary use.

It is difficult to explain street art culture and graffiti to a bunch of fifth graders.  I touch on the history of graffiti, and try to carefully discuss the legalities, but it can get kind of sticky.

This is where Shepard Fairey comes in.  We are influenced by the Obama Hope poster for our project "monochromatic identity" (full lesson at the link).  I think Shepard Fairey's entire story  - from the viral Andre the Giant stickers to the appropriation battle over Obama's image- is fascinating.  My students think it's fascinating too.  They always have a ton of questions and often hung up on the whys, whats, whos, and hows. 

I put together this PowerPoint presentation on Shepard Fairey (with sources!) to teach my students a little bit about his life, street art, and activism.  Our discussion often turns to what is ethical, on top of what is legal and illegal.  It draws forth a good discussion.  I love when they see Shepard Fairey in the videos too.  They always say "he's so young!"  This makes me happy, 'cause he's older then me, AND it makes me realize how many old dead guys we learn about.

There are two short video links in the presentation.  I'm sharing them here because I think they are pretty good to show elementary kids.  The first one is a mash up of Obama's "Yes We Can!" speech with images of a HOPE mural being installed.
Barack Obama x Z-Trip x Shepard Fairey x Fresh Pressed from chumpchampion on Vimeo.
 The second is Shepard Fairey talking about influencing students to be positive.  

Illinois Art Education Association Student Art Show Lesson Plan

I am honored to have one of my (now former) student's art appear in the Illinois Art Education Association's Student Show this Fall.  I just want to share her awesome piece and the lesson plan.  Way to go Catherine!  I am so proud to have been your art teacher the last six years!

Elementary Visual Arts Lesson Plan

Forest Park School District #91

Author:  Heather Kostal

Activity Title:              Monochromatic Identity            Grade Level:  Fifth Grade

Objectives:

Students will learn about the artist/designer Shepard Fairey.

Students will understand the concept of identity in art.

Students will know how to create rhythmic patterns.

Students will know how to paint monochromatic color schemes.

Materials:

Mirrors

Pencils

Heavyweight tag board

Colored permanent markers

Digital Camera

Computer & Printer

PhotoShop or similar photo manipulation software

Tempera paint (Color spectrum colors and black & white)

Construction Paper

Brushes

Paint palettes

Procedure:

There are many parts to a students’ identity. Their physical characteristics, their personality, and their environment are just a few. Throughout history artists have brought forth their identity through vivid self-portraits, collage, and photography.  There is no right or wrong way to show who you are through your art, but how you show it can tell the viewer a lot about you. 

For this project, students will focus on parts of their identity and list what is important to them and what makes their identity unique.  Using mirrors, students will practice how they can portray their identity physically.

The art teacher will take a photograph of the student in their practiced pose.  It can be of their head neck and shoulders, just their face, or more.  It depends on how the student wishes their identity to be portrayed. 

Next, the photographs will be digitally enhanced in PhotoShop.  Each photo can be resized if necessary to fit to 8 ½ x 11.  The image will have the filter >artistic> cutout applied.  One copy should be printed for each student in black and white.

In recent art history the manipulation of photographic images has become brought to the forefront of our visual culture.  The street artist/graphic designer Shepard Fairey gained notoriety during President Obama’s presidential campaign for altering an Associated Press photograph for the now infamous Obama HOPE poster.  Students will enjoy hearing about the life and art of Shepard Fairey.  This poster had an impact on the identity of then presidential hopeful Barack Obama and is now part of the National Gallery.  The rise of a 21^st century artist and the similarities in the artwork they will be producing will give this project a connection to the outside world for the students.

Students will next learn about monochromatic color schemes and rhythmic patterns in art.  There are several different types of rhythm found in art like one-beat patterns, flowing, jazzy patterns, just like in music!  What kind of pattern matches their identity?  Students will come up with a rhythmic pattern background for their photograph on a 9 x 12” piece of tag board.  The pattern will be traced in their choice of colored permanent marker.  This will be the color they paint it monochromatically.

Students will paint their portrait with a different monochromatic color scheme from their background.  If they would like to trace the shadowy shapes first that were created by the computer manipulation, it might be helpful.  The lightest gray tones will be their lightest tints.  Their darkest blacks will be the darkest shades.

The painted photographs will be cut out and glued to construction paper, then cut out again and glued to the painted backgrounds.

Assessment / Evaluation:

Students will fill out a self-assessment for this lesson.

Did I show my PERSONALITY in this portrait

Do I know how to describe RHYTHM in art?  Do I know what RHYTHM I used in the background of my portrait?

Can I describe what a MONOCHROMATIC color scheme is?

Do I know who the artist Shepard Fairey is?  What is his contribution to Art History?

Does my final product look unique and original?

Did I do QUALITY work?