looking into the eye of the beast.

During this rotation, my 5ths are exploring paint, color value, and symmetry. We have been looking at the work of Australian artist Brad Eastman for inspiration for this experience. Brad is a very prolific artist who draws much inspiration from the patterns that are found within the natural world. I really love his play of geometric and natural shapes, his use of contour line, and his wonderful sense of composition as he pulls everything together in works that range in scale from intimately small digital works to immense wall murals.

I start the activity by sharing two murals that Brad has done that are similar in subject, symmetry, and use of color value gradations. We spend a few minutes identifying these elements and talking about what these works remind us of- what the students see in them.

To start the hands on activity, the students and I create a small sketch inspired by these two paintings. I want them to see how they can break up the picture plane to create a design that emphasizes symmetry and repetition. We start with the eye form and then add matching lines to the top, bottom, left, and right of the eye. The point of this is for them to see how they can start with simple large shapes to set up the compositional framework. Then, I encourage them to add more lines to give their sketch more detail.

Once that sketch is complete, students create a second sketch that starts with a shape of their choosing. They break up the picture plane in a similar fashion to the first one.

With both sketches done, students choose one and enlarge it softly onto a large (12x15") sheet of watercolor paper. They hold off putting their name on the paper until the drawing is complete. They do this, so that they can use the back of the paper to restart their drawing if the need arises.

To create the bold contour lines, students may trace their pencil lines with a crayon, chisel tip sharpie, or fine tip sharpie- or a combo a couple/all of them, depending on the detail present in their drawing.

When students move on to the painting step, I demo creating light and dark values by adjusting the amount of water used with the tempera cakes that we are using. Each student gets a scrap of watercolor paper to test out colors while they are working. Students choose a brush to start with- large, medium, or small. If they need to change brush size, they are responsible for cleaning the brush in the sink, putting it back if the right bin, and getting a different size brush. They are also responsible for changing the water in the cups that they are sharing with their paint tray team.

Most students have needed about 2 hours to complete this activity. Some more, some less. I meet with my 5ths for 90 minutes, so this activity has been completed over 2 sessions. When they complete their painting, students reflect on their process by answering 3 questions on an exit slip.

I am really emphasizing question 2- What was the hardest part of this activity? How did you deal with it.

I want them to really think about that. How did they solve that problem?

I really have been digging the variety in approaches to this activity. The students have been thoroughly engaged during the painting experience.

moving like beastman.

Beastman!

The newest superhero on the block! His super power is creating amazing murals in Australia and around the world! His secret identity is Brad Eastman:)

Beastman showed the 3rd graders that you could create a sense of movement in art by using line patterns throughout an art work. The patterns can be thought of like the beats in music. He showed them how you can have a pattern or a shape start out small and get bigger (like the light of a flashlight) to create a sense of movement too. He also allowed them to see his use of contour lines in all his work, big and small, to outline and define shapes.

Now, Beastman would not want copycats, so students were inspired by his vocabulary of line and shape to create an abstract drawing that showed a sense of movement.

The kids all did 2 guided sketches to reinforce line- diagonal, circular, angular, line pattern, shape pattern, line pattern fill, and curved. They told a neighbor why they were going to choose one of their sketches over the other. They were not allowed to just say that one was cooler than the other. They needed to support their choice with evidence.

Students drew out their arrangement on a larger sheet. If the design changed some, that was okay. If they realized they had more space to add more detail, line, or pattern, they could. They traced their lines with a wide chisel tip sharpie to emphasize the contours. I showed them how they could hold the marker differently to create variety in line width. They could then use any color combinations they wanted. All they needed to do was follow 2 rules- include color patterns and to vary pressing hard and soft to create different color values.

They then reflected on the process and product by completing an exit slip. All this took one full session and about a third of a second.

The remaining time was spent on creating artist trading cards for the big trade being organized by Nic over at MiniMatisse. They created another drawing, still inspired by Beastman's work. They could base it on their large drawing or do something different as long as they still used the vocabulary of line, shape, and pattern. Students watched a short video that Nic put together that illustrated the importance of quality in an  ATC. I reiterated her points and posted them on my board to remind my kids.

For students to participate in the upcoming trade, students must make sure they follow the 4 rules of quality- show proper use of materials, take their time, use the whole space, and be prideful.

 the process- planning, refining, reflecting, and extending.

And now, I don't see them again for another 4 weeks. Until then, stay creative my young 3rd grade padawans;)