4TH GRADE ARTISTS
One Point Perspective Art Galleries!
Fabric Monsters- description coming soon!
This project has ended up being one of my favorite projects of the year and one of the reasons is that the kids got so into this project. They discussed Russian architecture, the characteristics of it, forms, colors, and the similarities and differences of the architecture we see everyday in our lives. They had to fill the whole paper with the cityscape and have at last 2 dome buildings. The dome was a challenge to draw and draw it symmetrical, but once they practiced a few they were pros. When their cityscape was completed in pencil, they traced with sharpie. After sharpie came the color by using marker. They were encouraged to create interesting patterns on their buildings and make them colorful to show the characteristics of the Russian architecture. So many students got very involved in their patterns and color! The last step was the sky and that was an open choice. They could use crayon, color pencil, or marker and I challenged them to think about blending colors and making their sky look whimsical. I was so proud of how serious students took this project, how hard they worked, and how great they turned out. I even had a few students ask if they could make another one once they were finished! :)
I think there could be a lot of architects in the 4th grade classes from these two projects (clay houses and cityscapes). 4th grade first planned their house with a 2D drawing. Then it was a quick, one day clay project. One day projects are tricky but 4th grade ROCKED it! The students built their houses around a milk carton. They wrapped their milk carton with paper towel so the carton would easily slide out. They rolled a large slab and cut out the bottom of their house using a template. They added windows, doors, shutters, porches, and any other fun details they could think of. Then another slab was rolled out and the roof was added. The students learned that they must score and slip every time you add something to make it stick together. Any last details were made on the house and sent to dry. After a long, long week wait, they were fired and ready for paint. The kids used acrylic paint and could paint them however they wanted. A lot of them turned out very colorful with some impressive patterns. The kids loved working with clay and these houses turned out way cool! I was also so impressed with their building skills.
4th grade learned about Claude Monet's "Magpie." Before they got started we talked about light sources, shadows, near and far, and warm and cool color pallets . Students began by using masking tape to tape their trees on the paper. They used smaller pieces of tape to create branches. Next was using watercolor to paint a sunset background with a warm color pallet. They added salt to absorb the color and create a snowy background. The ground was painted with a light blue to create a snowy ground. Once the paint was dry the tape was taken off and black and brown paint was used to add details to the trees. These trees turned out beautifully! Claude Monet would be proud!
4th Grade Is Full of Colorful Characters! 4th grade worked so hard on monochromatic self-portraits. Students learned about portraiture, proportions of the face, and how to look in a mirror and draw what they see. They also learned and practiced how to mix tint, tone, and shade with tempera paint to create a monochromatic color scheme. The students first drew out their portraits in pencil, painted the background, skin, facial features, hair, clothes, and any extra details. Students paid extra attention to mixing different tints, tones, and shades making sure nothing blended together. These portraits turned out great and they depicted themselves perfectly. They are displayed in the main hallway in a colorful way!
4th grade artists discovered tactile and visual textures. They practiced drawing 4 different animals, chose their favorite, and textured their animals using line, pattern, shapes, and different values. They created some very interesting critters!