Term 3 session 8

The children worked hard all day colouring their composition with pastel. That sounds easy and not hard work... However, the thinking and planning that went on was ‘brain hurting’. Not only did the children have to colour each bird, they had to blend colours in the birds that went together. After colouring all the birds they next considered the background colour that would enhance the bird. The discussion about complimentary colours was a lively one as that knowledge took on a new meaning.

The children all made a colour chart (A4 white paper - around the outside a square of the each pastel colour was laid). They were able to put the colour chart next to each bird to find the complimentary colours. It did take some children to little while to understand the concept of making the colours work against each other to make the birds stand out. Some put very similar colours together and soon realised their picture was muted. Decisions and problem solving all day!

One tip: I found it very important to reapply the chalk lines around the birds and dividing lines before the background was coloured. This reminded the children not to colour right up to the birds as we want a black (dye) dividing line between.
Next week the final reveal...

Term 3 session 7

Today we finished the abstract paintings. While drawing their images, the children used the knowledge they have gained over the past weeks by looking the negative shapes around the images they were replicating to ensure the lines were correct. It is amazing how more accurate the drawings become by using this method.
It is also very satisfying watching the children make their own decisions and experiment with different media to achieve quality artworks.

Continuation of the bird compositions
The children were given a choice of media to complete their composition. They decided on pastel and black dye. For many of them, they had not learned how to use pastel correctly or how to draw in chalk to hold the place for the dye.

The children prepared their plan (process on previous blog) and draw their images onto brown craft paper (A2) with chalk. The brown craft paper has a tooth (rough side) that holds the pastel.

Because the children have been copying line drawings they have to research the birds used, making sure they know the name, habitat and colour of the plumage.

Next step apply the pastel. This has to be thickly applied with no gaps showing the paper. They have to be careful not to apply the pastel to the chalk lines. Once the pastel is applied to the paper dye will not penetrate, so if they accidentally pastel over the chalk line the black dye will not have the same impact.

Blending of pastels and tonal changes create interest within each image. I discourage the use of straight colour to areas larger than a fist. Scratching a pattern into the thick pastel is also effective. Textures can be created by stroke marks or circular movement of the pastel. To keep the colours clean the pastel ends must be kept clean. I tell the children the pastels like having their ‘nose blown’ with a tissue. Keep plenty of tissues available.
The foreground images are being coloured first then we will look at the background colours. That will be a discussion about complimentary colours and the colour wheel.

Term 3 session 6

Warm up today was drawing the negative shape around a chair. This is a much harder concept than drawing around a single object. The chair has angles, shapes and lines to consider.
I showed the children how to find the angle of a line by holding the pencil at arms length, closing one eye and lining the pencil up with the focus line on the chair. By putting the pencil straight down on the paper without changing the angle it gives a pretty close line.

It is amazing when the children look at and draw the chair they do not get the perspective (all four legs are the same size), but by concentrating on the negative shapes the perspective is naturally drawn.
This photo shows the two modes of drawing by the same child.

Next up we revisited the abstract paintings started last week. The children are drawing birds on the abstract background with indian ink. Today we were looking at different ways to highlight their drawings. Several different examples show the initiative children took.
One: using white crayon very heavily then scratching patterns in it
Two: using different coloured paint for the lines.
Three: blocking in the whole shape with thin white paint and reapplying the indian ink outline..

We have started planning our next composition by using geometric shapes and bird images.
So far the process has been:
draw a variety of bird images on single pieces of paper, vary the size of images
cut the images out
place the cut out birds on A2 paper
form geometric shapes around the bird shapes - birds can extend into another shape
move the images around until a balanced composition is achieved - when correct glue into place
This process completes the plan... next week we will transfer the plan onto heavy paper.

Term 3 session 5

Time to continue composing the drawings on the abstract paintings we made last week.
First task was to decide on an image each child wanted to draw on the painting.
They practiced drawing several images with indian ink and a stick. Funnily enough all the children decided on bird images.

The children then decided on what painting they were going to draw (they had done several paintings each last week). There were other materials available to draw but everyone chose indian ink again.

After the first images were draw the children realised that a light colour was required to show up the image on the dark paint, hence they included white paint to bring out highlights on their images.
After they have finished their first painting/drawing the children will be able to experiment with other materials. They will have the knowledge and confidence to allow this.
The artworks are very different to anything we have produced before, very exciting!

Term 3 session 4

After an unsuccessful attempt to teach about negative shapes this week I got the children to draw on object (the positive shape). After a discussion about positive and negative shapes, and a demonstration, I got them to draw the air around the object (the negative space). I knew straight away if they were looking at the object because they started to draw on the detail. To draw the negative shape they look carefully at the shape created between the air the and object, by draw a little at the time and then shading in the negative space the image started to emerge. See the photos.

In this photo the child drew what he thought was the object (left). The middle image is his attempt to draw the negative space, except he was not looking. (His brain was definitely in left hand mode). With a little time spent by me getting him to look from the middle of the object out and draw the space created in and around the object he succeeded (to his delight) See the right hand drawing; notice the direction the koru is going now, that was the correct way.

Indian ink and a wooden stick (kebab sticks) have become my best friend today. After pondering at great length on how to get these little cherubs to look carefully at the lines, shapes and detail of their drawing, I thought about indian ink. So I gave them detailed line drawings of insects to copy. To my delight the children looked carefully, drew with deliberate lines, added detail and came up with some fantastic images. (Yes! they can do it).
To top off the success I heard comments like, “ I never knew I could draw like this”. This is the best thing I have ever drawn”. “ Oh wow! The details are the same as the picture”.

Just for fun, we changed tack completely and did abstract painting. This was a first for these children.
I thinned some acrylic paint and put out four different colours in containers, each with a spoon. Then I added a variety (colours) of containers with liquid dye to choose from.

The process is simple (but messy). Using wet strength cartridge paper you dribble two colours of paint around the paper then spray them with a water spray bottle. Next you dribble a dye colour and turn the paper up and around to spread the mix. Using a straw to blow the mixture also adds strange effects.

The first effort was a disaster! The children put too many colours on at once and discovered the age old problem, too many colours turns to mud. After some discussion it was decided to restrict the palette to 3 colours and spread the paint out around the page instead of putting it all in the centre. Great problem solving.
Watching the children observe the colours blending and forming patterns was magic. We decided next week (when the painting are finally dry) we will draw insects over the paint with indian ink. This is a lovely way of transferring knowledge.

It was interesting to note, the two best drawers in the class found this activity very difficult and the non academic children excelled in making patterns not mud.

Term 3 session 3

The usual warm up, drawing upside down and drawing on the window picture plane.

In response to children not knowing how to use a grid to transfer images I had photocopied a variety of grid drawings. I showed the children how to number the lines before looking carefully at where the lines of the image passed through the grid lines. This activity had mixed results, but most children did very well.
Next time we drew hands the children were more confidence in drawing the image from the picture plane to paper.

Drawing from negative shapes
Our next step in learning about drawing proved to be a little more difficult - drawing negative shapes in an object. Using the picture plane we tried drawing the negative shapes in and around a chair. This activity did not go so well because it was very hard to hold the view finder and plastic (picture plane) and draw on it too.
Next time I will get the children to draw the air around on object straight onto paper.

The objective of drawing the negative shapes is once again making the left brain be quite (because it is not the object being drawn) and let the right hand brain work. It is amazing (when the activity is done properly) how the actual object is far more accurate when it appeared from the drawn negative shapes and spaces. Reason: it is the lines the artist is concentrating on not the object.

A number of the children in this group are finding it hard to copy or trace lines on the picture plane or even copying lines from a line drawing. I need to question the expectation I have of them and whether the program is suitable for their development level. Back to the drawing board so to speak.

Term 3 session 2

Started with a warm-up exercise of drawing upside down. These drawing are getting more accurate as the students feel more comfortable about looking at lines.

I introduced the picture plane concept. We taped a view finder on the classroom window for each of the children and with a whiteboard marker drew the scene outside. To do this the child must hold their head as still as possible and shut one eye, then they trace the images on the window. They did find this quite hard to draw the lines in the environment. They enjoyed this activity, however, the problem is how do we transfer the image from the picture plane to paper.
To expand the picture plane concept the children held a view finder with a clear plastic sheet attached (overhead projector transparency) on their hand. This was used as the picture plane to trace the lines of their hand. The children were amazed at how their hand drawing looked real. We photocopied the clear plastic to get a good image. The children repeated the hand drawing on the picture plane the then using a simple + grid transferred the image onto paper. Unfortunately I overestimated their ability to do this and they found it to hard. I will need to teach the children how to use a grid to transfer images before trying that activity again.

Term 3 session 1

Before starting any teaching I had the children draw three picture: a self portrait (using a mirror), a picture of their favourite person (it was amazing how this image resembled the self portrait) and a drawing of their hand. These drawing will be our benchmark later in the term. The drawings also gave an indication on the ability and confidence of the children.

I introduced the students to copying line drawing upside down (that is the line drawing was upside down not the students).
My whole objective is to get the students looking at, and copying the lines. The skills used in this exercise develop spatial awareness. Estimating how long the lines are, how big the are lines, the angle they go, how wide apart they are and where they join each other. The students are then looking very carefully and seeing detail they have never noticed before. To carry on the theme of observation the next activity turned out very abstract.

The children taped white paper to the desk (to prevent moving), with one hand (holding pencil) on the paper they turned away and looked carefully at their other hand. Without looking at the paper they drew the lines on their hand. It did not matter if they were not connected or lost their way, they just started again. The whole objective was to follow the lines with their eyes and transfer that information to their hand. We photocopied the image enlarging in the process. The children then colours the shapes and spaces formed by the lines. This way fun and reduced the stress of drawing realistically.

Nearly finished Painting

Painting is nearly completed. After blocking in the colours on each prop the students have gone back over each part of the painting adding in patterns and details.

After everything had been blocked with colour most of the students thought their paintings were finished. We re-looked at Henri Matisse (our focus artist) and discussed how he used patterns, shapes, line and colour. Before they started the patterns on the painting, they revisited their plans and drew the patterns on the objects, when confident they painted. This process has taken two days. Yes, I know it is a lot of time. However, the quality of the artworks speak for themselves and for the perseverance of the children.

GOOD ARTWORKS TAKE TIME. A benefit of giving time is the children get on a flow, they become absorbed in their work spending long periods of time concentrating, even the children who traditionally have a very limited concentration span.
All the children are now assessing their own paintings, looking for parts that don’t look right or need more work. I am delighted with this development because it shows the children have become confident decision makers, problem solvers and independent thinkers in relation to their artwork.

It was interesting listening the the comments when we looked at several pieces of art. The children talked about the patterns used, the colour variations, the shape of objects and how things worked well together. It was a real buzz for the children who’s art we discussed.

Beginning to paint composition

The children drew their pictures onto the undercoated cardboard with chalk, copying them from their pre-drawn plan. Chalk is used because it can be easily rubbed off the undercoat if the image is not right. It is important to get the image large and bold; use lines only, no colouring in.

After the chalking had been completed the children painted over the chalk lines with thin blue paint and very thin brush (#0 or #1). This makes the image more permanent when applying the top coats of paint. I use blue and not black because I have found black paint permeates through the other colours after they have been applied. I was delighted to see the children enlarged their images to fit the A2 size cardboard. Certainly modeling and talking through the process helped them understand what was required.

Before starting to apply the colours the children had to colour in the part of their planning picture that was farthest in the background. This was a revelation to them as they began to understand background and moving forward to the foreground. In many cases the background was the sky or walls in the composition was done indoors. Some children found they had not included a horizon line and yet others did the typical putting a sky line at the very top of the picture. We had a great discussion about how the sky meets the earth. By colouring the plan many of the problems faced in colouring the composition have been recognised and solved before painting.

The work continues...

Planning our painting

Today we looked at how painting tell stories. We discussed Glenda Randerson’s painting of her daughter. It did not take long for the children to talk about the girl and her likes and activities. The children had to say what they thought was happening and what props. colours or actions gave them the clues.

Next we discussed:
- the things we like doing
- our favourite clothes
- our favourite thing
the place we like to be most of all

I gave them A2 size and a permanent black mark pen. Use half the paper (landscape) they had to draw themselves doing the activity they liked most.
Then they had to draw the favourite thing (large).

Lastly they had another A2 paper and had to draw the scene of their favourite place. It was interesting that a few children could not draw this from a ground view they draw a birds eye view.

After finishing the three drawing we cut out the two first drawing and placed them on the scene (the place) They were able to manipulate the images around to get the best position then glued them. This became the planning drawing for our paintings.

I will now photocopy the planning drawings and the children will use these to work out the colours they next to use.

The A2 cardboard was then painted with undercoat awaiting next week.

A lot of work for one day. However, the drawing are amazing and have covered the whole page. It has created background, overlapping and the foreground subjects.