This lesson was inspired by this pin, I found on Pinterest some time ago. I needed to do a color wheel lesson with my fourth grades but I wanted it to be something that would hold their interest. Since it is Autumn and Halloween is just around the corner, I decided to go with pumpkins!
I instructed the students to start by drawing six overlapping pumpkins. Every time I was asked: "Why do they have to overlap?" In return said: "Think about it." They knew we were using the color wheel in order to paint them in. Happily, there were a few students that quickly answered: "Where the pumpkins/colors overlap we will get the tertiary colors, red-orange, blue-green, etc..."
The first steps looked something like this. I reminded the students the major objective was to keep there colors in order of the color wheel starting with red. They outlined their drawing with black Sharpie marker before painting.
If they had more than six pumpkins, they were to go full circle and repeat their colors from red until they were out of pumpkins to paint. It took one 30 minute class to draw out, trace and paint their pumpkins. Very few students needed extra painting time the next class. The students kept asking: "Can we paint the background?" Mind you they are used to me always saying: "Paint everything!" "No, we are not painting the backgrounds this time." I didn't know what I wanted to do with the backgrounds at that time. Something that would give it some pizzazz! Something that would make you say: "Wow!" When you looked at them. So I thought about it all week. I wanted a background element that would contrast with the colorful pumpkins. I came across this pin.
That was my "AH-HAH " moment! Zentangle the background with black Sharpie! The black and white designs would be the perfect companion to the colorful, simple lines of the pumpkins! When the students saw the completed sample they were very excited to start their own designs! All the classes are doing an excellent job and loving the end results! Here are a few finished and in progress pieces from this week!
Your Ah-hah moment worked very well. It allows the viewer to focus on the colour mixes. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I(and more importantly the kids) love how they are coming out! Thanks to everyone out there in Bloggyland for the infinite inspiration! :)
DeleteI have just discovered your blog as you commented on my daughter's blog, 'greedyforcolour'. I love all you are doing and think you are absolutely inspiring. how lucky 'your' children are to have you to teach them I am often frustrated with my attempts at painting and your work with the children absolutely inspires me. Thankyou for sharing your work with the blogging world, I will return!! I love the colours you used and can see you are another who is greedy for colour! aubrey
ReplyDeleteI tell the teachers and children in my school all the time... every one is born with the ability to create in their own way! Have fun with your painting and enjoy it for you! Find inspiration in others but don't expect yours to look like theirs. Find your own style and develop it! Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by! :)
DeleteVery nice! I've seen that pin before with the overlapping bottles and have wanted to use it somehow as well...was going to do that and then have students cut them out and glue them over ugly wall paper! LOL But I absolutely love your idea to do pumpkins instead! Creative!
ReplyDeleteThanks! When I see an idea I like I always think "How can I adapt it for my students?" If its a technique, objective I would be using I think about the subject matter, will it hold the interest of my students? Do I need to modify it to make it more successful for them? My students are my biggest critics! They will remember what they did/ retain more information if they enjoy the process! :)
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