Activity Ten

In Progress

Project 1

Final

Project 1

Project 2

Reflections

1. This project was really fun, but also a little stressful at some points. I typically am not a “go with the flow” type of person, especially with my art, I tend to wAnt control and have an idea before I even start. By with this project, i really had no initial idea of what to do going in. With Project 1, I initially knew I wanted to depict my shadow as an artist, but it turned into this almost anxious yet powerful piece. There’s about 5 hands reaching towards my shadow, some of them are grabbing and others and lending what seems to be a helping hand. I also tried to make my shadow literally look like a shadow – meaning I made it blurry rather than an outline, almost like an obscure or unknown entity. Then I introduced color into it as I have a love for exploring emotion though color. I used pink, green, purple, and cyan in an attempt to make it seem both playful (as I would sometimes consider myself a playful person) but also serene and powerful in the face of what may be considered anxiety – as if I’m overcoming my anxiety through these emotions.  So, I did have fun during the process of it. However, sometimes I had trouble figuring out how to create a less-literal and more abstracted composition, especially with Project 2. Although I loved the expression of the hands in my first piece, I wanted something different where I could use the shadow to make my body look non-humane. We figured out weird ways that our shadows looked in certain directions, like being squeezed together when directly in front of the blue. Nonetheless, I did have a lot of fun and it was really great to use shadow in art – perhaps I use “light and shadow” as one of my big ideas in my lesson plans.
2. During this project, I found it really beautiful how so many meanings and emotions could be evoked through shadow. Some people were very literal, and others were more abstract and used texture or composition to evoke emotion. I really learned how art can be taken in so many different directions while still stemming from the same source. We all had the same direction of copying our shadows, but everyone took it so differently. Some cut out shapes and used negative space, others cut out shapes and used them as a collage, and some jumbled colors and different parts of the body all around the canvas. Also, as someone who works a lot with emotion in my art, I constantly was feeling the emotions given off by everyone’s works. Some were playful, others were scary or anxious, and others were simplistic and sweet.
3. If I were to use this activity in my classroom, I would do it the exact same way with a wide range of ages (probably 6th grade to high school). I’d start by giving everyone the broad instruction of copying their shadow onto a piece of paper to represent their identity. We might go over what identity means, and how people can have multiple identities. They start by working alone and being allowed to use charcoal, and chalk or oil pastels. Some may literally trace their whole body and draw what they see, and others may make it more abstract. That’s exactly what I love about this activity – there’s no right answer and it can be taken in a variety of different directions. This will help students to explore and access their creativity without realizing it, and they’ll also learn from others after looking around the room.

Activity Nine

In Progress

Final

Series 1 – 3

Comic Strip

Reflections

1. I really really enjoyed this activity, and I think it may even be my favorite one yet. It was so exciting and invigorating trying to think of what scribbles could resemble look like. As an experienced artists, I think it was easier for us, as opposed to those who aren’t artists, to think of individual shapes and put them together to create an image. However, an an artist who dwells on perfection and detail, I rarely let myself just “be” and rely on instinct or impulse. For example, with the Spiderman drawing, it was handed a scribble that vaguely resembled Spiderman. Instead of thinking of another, possibility more advanced or detailed idea, I just went with my impulse and drew Spiderman – and in my opinion, it turned out well and was fun in the process. I also really enjoyed seeing how everyone else interpreted shapes; some people in my group were especially good are dating cartoon or animated faces (a skill I wish I possessed), allowing for a wide range of techniques, styles, colors, and characters within the images at the end.
2. I learned that sometimes it’s good to allow myself to relax and just draw for fun; it’s rarely something I get to do as an artist in college. I’m so used to drawing for class projects in a realistic, detailed way, that I sometimes for get what it’s like to just doodle or draw for fun. I also don’t typically get to think so creatively in this way; usually if I’m asked to draw creatively, I’m given a blank piece of paper and told to come up with something, which can be intimidating and daunting. While doing this project, I felt like I had enough of a prompt and enough down on the paper where I could think freely without feeling intimidated and stressed in order to come up with an idea. I also think it’s a great way to access your creativity and imagination. As I said in class, I rarely think this creatively as I’m very scientific and a realist; but, clearly, I can think creatively, I just didn’t know how to access it in a way that worked for me. When I’m stressed or am bored, I can definitely see myself handing a blank piece of paper to someone and asking them to scribble so I can doodle for fun.
3. If I were to use this in my classroom, I would probably do the same as we did with middle school students. They would sit in groups of 3 or 4 students, then they would go through a series of steps where they’d pass it to the person to their right in between the steps. Step 1: Blind Scribble, 2: Draw, 3: Draw (background), 4: Draw(another interactive element or details), 5: Color, 6: Text. They’d do 3 series of this, where they’d repeat elements from each series into the next one. Then, we’d all look at them as a class, pointing out things we notice or like. Next, they’d individually choose 2 panels from their images and add another one. Finally, we’d look at each other’s comic strips individually and they’ll each have a chance to discuss their storyline or comic. Though, I could also see myself assigning this as a sketchbook or journaling assignment, asking them to do all the steps themselves in one drawing a day (so they’d be scribbling, drawing, coloring, and adding text themselves). I think it’s a very relaxing and enjoyable activity that can help students relieve stress at the end or middle of their day.

Activity Eight

In Progress

Final

Reflections

1. I felt really excited while working on this activity! It was all about experimenting and seeing what types of lines and forms we could make out of just tape. It was so interesting seeing the differences in different forms and what everyone chose to do with the tape, as well as with ripping vs. cutting. I think ripping it added a very organic quality that looked really nice, especially on the clock tower to show the texture of the bricks. I think what I enjoyed the most was creating the storyline behind the art. We all had an idea or vision of what we wanted and thought of ways to physically depict them using tape rather than by sketching or painting. The tape also added a “sketchy” quality to the art because the lines weren’t perfectly smooth or defined which added a lot of character and interesting qualities.
2. After doing this project, I think what I learned most is how far you can go with a material you might think can’t offer a lot. Similar to the activities we did that involved figuring out different line styles or paint combinations, coming into the project, I thought I already knew the limitations of tape; though, as I worked on it, I found myself figuring out new ways to use the tape like in tiny pieces or crumpling it to give it texture. I also learned a lot from what other people were doing. Others were bending the tape to made flowers or to represent texture. I had the most fun experimenting with making the little boy sitting on the floor because it allowed me to bring in my figure drawing skills while still experimenting with the material. I also learned how you can use the material to your advantage; after using drawing and painting tools for awhile, I got bored because I felt like I had reached their limitations since they’re mostly 2-D; but, with tape, you can make texture and 3-D elements that allow for more creativity and experimentation.
3. I would use this in my future classroom either in the same way or on a smaller scale. If I were doing it the same way, I’d use a classroom wall or put paper on the wall and allow (probably with older kids) the students to create their artwork collaboratively just like we did, and rotate after 20 minutes of working on their own. If I did it on a smaller scale (which would work better for the younger kids), I would either create groups and put large piece of paper on each table, or put one large piece of paper on the floor and allow the students to all work collaboratively. If in groups, they’d travel/ rotate to each other’s tables in their groups after 10-20 minutes of working. If on the floor, they’d all work together, and switch around after 20 minutes to another part of the artwork to make sure that they can learn from their peers and have more opportunities for ideas experimentation.

Activity Seven

In-Progress

Final

Redoing Someone’s Build

Reflections

1. Originally while doing this activity, I was stressed and a little overwhelmed without the lines guiding my observational drawing. I struggled to maintain my proportions, and keep my lines straight or directly parallel/perpendicular. It was also confusing while drawing the ghost lines, because many lined up with the visible lines in my drawing, and it was hard to differentiate which lines were ghost lines and which were real lines. I eventually decided to make the ghost lines lighter and the visible lines thicker, but it still seemed to be confusing – in hindsight, I would’ve preferred to do the ghost lines in a different color. However, when we were drawing on the grid lines, I found it easier and more scientific because I was able to use the boxes to represent proportion in height, length, and width. Overall, even though it was stressful, I enjoyed the challenge. While looking at someone else’s drawing, though, I struggled to understand some of the lines they made and, once again, confused ghost lines with real lines. I would’ve preferred different colors for different line types, and possibly even multiple different angles.
2. I learned that observational drawings can be just as hard as imaginary drawings. You’re using two different ideas to draw, but each are equally as challenging for different reasons. Imaginary drawings are complicated because you only have your own mind to use; you can be inspired by different elements, but ultimately, its all on you to put together an idea in your head. Observational/scientific drawings, on the other hand, can be frustrating because you know exactly what it’s supposed to look like, but you have to find a way to put it down on paper; it’s also easier to criticize yourself because if it doesn’t look exactly like what you’re drawing, anyone and everyone can see the mistake and you get stressed – unlike imaginary drawings where only you know what it’s “supposed” to look like, and you’re allowed to change it in anyway that seems fit.
3. I think I could use this project in possibly a middle school or high school setting. Often, little kids struggle to grasp abstract ideas, such as ghost lines or different perspectives, and they only draw what they see. Once kids have begun to understand more abstract concepts, it’ll be easier to explain this activity to them. However, I’d suggest that they draw something familiar to them to make the assignment easier and interesting, rather than just stacking blocks randomly. This way, their drawing will feel familiar, and when others draw it, they’ll be able to figure it out easier. For example, a student may decide to build a house out of the legos. So, when the go to draw it, they know that the shape has to resemble a house, and it will be easier than drawing blocks in a random configuration. Next, when they disassemble their build and hand their drawing to someone else, the new student will be able to recognize that it’s a house, and have a general idea about what they’re looking for. After having built by configuration randomly, I found it difficult to put it down on paper in an observational way – it got too confusing at some times. This is what led me to make sure my future classroom uses a more familiar configuration, hoping to make the task less stressful and more enjoyable. For a younger class, I might also suggest a limit on the number of blocks, like only 10 legos.

Activity Six

In-Progress

Final

Reflections

1. After doing this activity, I felt a little confused or overwhelmed. Having drawn from life or observation before, I normally don’t find it particularly difficult. However, students like myself draw very familiar textures like metal, plastic, glass, fruit, or even skin on the human body. With this activity, I found it difficult to convey such a rough, bubbly, unfamiliar texture. Still, it challenged me in a way I never have been before; I wasn’t just improving upon my drawing skills by drawing more meticulous or bigger objects, but I was exploring a whole new area that I never had before. Texture can be hard to convey through drawings, even ones meant to be scientific or analytical, because a texture isn’t just a “look,” it’s a feeling, and you have to convey what it looks like as well as how it feels.
2. I learned that I probably need to challenge myself in areas I’ve never experienced before. It was interesting trying to convey 3-D texture through a 2-D surface. It reminded me of the first activity we did where were only allowed to feel what we were drawing. I wonder if the same could be done, but in reverse. For example, could we be able to look at a drawing and “guess” it’s texture by sculpting or collaging it as an object? I also learned what it might be like to be drawing from observation for the first time; you have to analyze the texture in person before you can figure out how to represent it on paper. For someone who’s never drawn metal before, they’d have to study its smoothness, reflections, curves, edges, etc. Then, they’ll be able to figure out how to draw it on paper with sharp contrasts and harsh lines with little gradation.
3. I think a way that I would use this activity in my classroom would be as a collaborative effort. I would have the students pick an object, then draw it from observation scientifically. Next, they’d pass their drawing onto someone else, possibly randomized, and the students would have to guess which object their drawing represents. This way, they can learn from each other and see how other people might’ve drawn different textures and surfaces.

Activity Five

Project 1

Final

Project 2: Imaginary Landscape Painting #2

In-Progress

Final

Project 1 is the “finished” version of the Imaginary Landscape Painting #2. I didn’t have enough time in class to finish, but I got some of the major parts in like the snow on the ground, the “Kit-Kat” tree house, the lollipop poles, the gumdrop mountains, the cotton candy trees, and the chocolate river. Hopefully, at some point, I’ll be able to finish painting this. I really liked doing it!

In Project 2, we picked out background color, then got to work cutting up out old projects in different shapes by either ripping them or cutting them with a scissor. We started by placing everything down, then after we got the composition we liked, we glued it. We also decided to add little bits and pieces of black paper to add some contrast and a visually interesting composition.

Reflections

1. While finishing Project 1, I was really excited to get started. Though, I wish I had more time. i tend to focus on individual parts of my artworks and finish them, details and all, and then move onto another part. That didn’t seem to be too efficient though. As for Project 2, I did have fun doing it, but it was stressful trying to coordinate with each of my group members because we all had different ideas in our head. I usually don’t speak up for myself, but I felt more comfortable doing so  and I felt like everyone was listening. I’ve never had a composition like this before, so it was interesting trying to work it out and come up with ideas off the top of our heads. Overall, I’m really happy with the outcome, and it sparked new ideas and ways of thinking about composition.
2. I think the biggest lessons I took away from Project 1 were how to let-loose and think creatively, as well as the importance of time management. For a long time now, I don’t feel like I’ve been able to express my creativity through artworks as I’m normally painting or drawing for a specific class in a realistic way. This allowed me to think outside of the box and really let my imagination flow instead of thinking so strictly and realistically; better yet, I did so while keeping in mind the concepts of landscapes and depth perception. For Project 2, as with our other collaborative activity, I learned how to be more comfortable about sharing my ideas and opinions. I realized the importance of getting your own voice out there and making sure your heard – everyone’s opinions matter equally, and you never know which of your own ideas might be really appreciated by others. I also learned how to think of composition in a new way. Originally, we were just thinking of ideas off the top of our head, but it turned into this wonderful, explosion-like composition. Though it seems simple, it’s still visually interesting with the strong contrast of the background and the different colored papers, and the different shapes and their directions. So, as long as you keep in mind basic elements in art like organization, cohesiveness, contrasts, etc., you can have so many different types of compositions.
3. Since I already talked about the Imaginary Landscape Painting #2 in my Activity 4 post, I’ll discuss how I would use Project 2 or Activity 5 in my future classroom. Like we did, I would allow the students to pick their color background. Though, I think I might go a different route with what they cut up/the materials they use. Instead of old artworks, maybe I could use different textures like old cardboard, scrap paper, cotton balls, bubble wrap, leaves, etc. This way, the students will also be incorporating texture into their projects. It will also give them the opportunity to use already cut-up objects, instead of cutting them on their own, especially while using scrap paper. They’ll have to learn to make a composition given only the materials they have. It will teach them to think more creatively and problem-solve, while also communicating with their groups to find the right composition and make sure everyone shares their opinion.

Activity Four

Project 1: Imaginary Landscaping Painting #1

Final

Project 2: Imaginary Landscaping Painting #2

In-Progress

Final

No Final Photo Yet – Not Finished

The Project 1 outline was written in my last post. In addition to that, I finished the painting and chose a background color and glued my project to it.

In Project two, we each picked an object that seemed to speak or relate to us somehow. Then, we had to create a painting that featured the object in an imaginary landscape, realistic or not. I chose an owl as my object and it reminded me of the classic Tootsie Roll Pop commercial with the owl (Mr. Owl) from 1970. So, naturally, I made a candy-themed world that features a candy tree house, a chocolate river, cotton candy trees, and gum drop and candy corn mountains. I hope to finish my painting next class as I’ve only finished the outline so far.

Reflections

1. After having finished Project 1, I feel happy with the outcome. It can be hard being create on-the-spot, but I ultimately feel like it worked out. I understood the concepts that created foregrounds, middle grounds and backgrounds, and even though I wasn’t able to get a lot of detail, I think those ideas concepts show. I think this project prepared me for Project 2, or the second imaginary landscaping painting. I came up with an idea more quickly and even felt more confident with my creativity. I wasn’t as stressed when thinking of an idea for the landscape or how to feature the object. It all seemed to come together and I let my imagination flow. For the first time, I wasn’t worried about the outcome of my painting, just the process and how I could have fun while doing it.
2. Like I wrote in my post for Activity 3, I learned how important it can be to test your creativity. There’s more than just what’s at the surface. I feel like throughout high school and college, and possibly even middle school, we’re taught to focus on realism and perfectionism while dismissing creativity. Of course, as a realistic and perfectionist artist, I love reproducing pictures point-by-point or drawing still-lives in a realistic fashion, but it’s also extremely important to remember to explore our creativity – it’s what makes us all unique. I also think I really began to understand the concepts involved in depth perception. Sometimes, I feel like it’s hard to put into words what makes things seem farther away or closer, so I’m glad we went over them in class. I’ve began focusing on saturation and detail for the most part, which I feel like are the most convincing concepts. In Project 1, I made the trees in the background less detailed and mixed gray into the green to mute and desaturate it. I also made the grass in front more saturated and vibrant with more details like upward strokes to reflect individual pieces of grass. Also, in Project 2, I made sure to overlap many features like the tress and the mountains to show that it’s going further back.
3. If I were to do this activity in my future classroom, I think the format we used could work for older children. Giving them an object gives them inspiration and a starting point while letting them explore their own creativity. No one will have the same artwork. For younger kids, I’d probably use toys of the same variety, like just animals or just cars to avoid confusion or even fighting over toys. For older kids, they could bring in their own objects or choose from a set of objects I brought in. Before starting, I’d go over the concepts of depth perception (foreground, middle ground, background) and how they could achieve that (for example, the bottom of the page is closer, more saturated and more detailed, but the top is farther away, less detailed, and more grayed). The lesson would probably need to be spread over two or even three classes. One would need to be for the depth perception lesson, choosing the objects and making the outline, and another for painting and glueing it to the background. Older kids might especially need more time since they may be more advanced and go into further detail in the outline/painting. Overall, my hope would be that the students would focus on the process rather than the product because this project is about exploring their creativity and the creative process, while still focusing on key concepts.

Activity Three

Project 1

In-Progress

Final

Project 2

Final

Project 3

In Progress

Final

No Final Photo Yet – Not Finished 

In Project 1, everyone had a wide, flat brush and had to make as many lines as they could using it. After drawing the lines, we had to describe them using 3-4 adjectives. For example, the first line I drew was a straight, continuous, horizontal/vertical, and thin line. In Project 2, we used the primary colors, as well as white and black in some samples, to create as many colors as we could think of. Then, we described what the colors reminded us of. For example, the first paint sample I had reminded me of indigo, the galaxy, the night sky, or the color of a car. Finally, in Project 3, we designed and drew an imaginary place that we each thought of. We had to represent a foreground, middle ground, and and background. In my painting, my imaginary place was a castle in the middle ground, a bridge in the foreground, and trees in the background. To perceive the depth, I made the objects smaller, “blurrier,” and more grayed out as they went further back. After Projects 1 and 2, we walked around the room looking at everyone else’s projects and pointing out interesting lines or colors we saw.

Reflections

1. While doing these activities, I felt like I was being challenged as I had to use my creativity to come up with ideas. As someone who draws directly from reference as realistic as possible, it’s sometimes hard to form images in my head out of nothing. It’s a skill that takes a lot of practice, which I’m glad I had with this project. I found it difficult to come up with lines after the third or fourth one I drew. It didn’t seem like there could be any more types of lines – yet, the more I thought, the more the ideas came. It was also intriguing to walk around the room and see what everyone else thought of. While that can seem a bit intimidating, especially when comparing your creativity to somebody else’s, it didn’t feel that way. I enjoyed seeing what somebody else could think of that I didn’t.
2. After doing these activities, I learned that doing simple things like these to test your creativity can be extremely helpful and let’s you see the differences in creativity between yourself and others. After walking around the room and seeing everyone’s projects, I realized how different we all are and how we each have our own ideas. No one’s ideas or better or worse than someone else’s, they’re just different. I also learned that there’s more depth to your creativity than what’s at the surface. At first, while drawing the lines in Project 1, I could only think of a few basic ones like straight, curvy, or zig-zag lines; but, as I pushed myself to think of more, the more ideas came. Additionally, I learned how important it can be to teach kids about descriptive language. Even at 19 years old, I sometimes found it challenging to think of descriptive words for my colors or lines. I could only imagine what it’s like for a 4th grader to do the same with a smaller vocabulary. It’s a skill that’s extremely important for not only art and writing, but for daily life. We don’t realize how often we describe things and to what detail. Even for comparisons we use descriptive language – “this reminds me of that,” “oh, this kind of looks like that other thing,” etc.
3. If I were to use this activity in my classroom, I would use it to teach descriptive language and the importance of it, but also spatial perception. I think the two projects we did with lines and color would be perfect for any age. This way, the children would have actual examples or references to use when learning about descriptive language. For example, they’d be able to look at a color and say, “This color reminds of ____,” perhaps without even knowing that they’re using descriptive language! The goal is to have them push their creativity and expand their minds to think of more associations and comparisons. Without being challenged to think of these descriptors, they’ll never be able to use it in a real-world setting. Afterwards, they’d walk around the room like we did and discuss what they like about certain colors or lines, and how they would describe it. As for the Imaginary Place Project, I think the project we did is great for older kids. It allows for complexity and imagination while still teaching them about foreground, middle ground and background. Perhaps, with younger kids, it’s better to do a simpler project; for example, maybe only using a couple of objects and asking/ describing to them what makes something appear further back (e.g., make it smaller, make it blurrier, make it grayer, make it closer to the top of the page). I could also hand out cut-out drawings of objects, some which are clear and saturated, and some others which gradually get smaller and grayer. Then, after having taught them the concepts of spatial perception, they could glue the objects onto a piece of paper with a landscape drawn, and put them where they think they belong in the landscape.  This way, it teaches them the concepts of spatial perception without making it too confusing or complex.

Activity Two

In- Progress Photos

Project 1

Project 2

Final Photo

Project 1

Project 2

In Project 1, we started by painting patterns on either colored paper or plain paper using yellow, red, blue, and/or white paint. We were given sponges, paint brushes, foam brushes, cut-up pieces of cardboard, popsicle sticks, etc. Then, we traded our patterns, making sure to choose one that wasn’t our own. The next step was to use black paint to put designs over our patterns. Next, we used white paint to add to our black designs, which I decided to use to fill in some of the shapes I made. Our next step was where we picked a piece of colored paper for our background that we thought looked well with our pattern aesthetically, and then glued our projects onto the colored paper. Finally, we put some designs on our backgrounds.

In Project 2, we each started off with a big white piece of paper. Our goal was to create as many new colors as possible. We only had yellow, red, and blue paints on our table and we figured out that we could make curvy lines, straight lines, zigzag lines, or even spirals. With this in mind, we started to fill our papers with different shapes and colors while making sure to blend them together.

Reflections

1. While working on both of these projects, I felt both relieved and stressed. I say I feel relieved because it felt great to view life from a child’s mind and act like we were going  back to when we were 5 years old. However, at the same time, I felt stressed. As a class, we discussed how these projects think about the process more than the product, which I think is a  great way of putting it. As adult artists, we’ve trained our minds to think of the product as if it’s the most important thing. It’s similar to the phrase, “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” I found myself struggling to let go of concepts like composition. I constantly see through the lens of an artist, so I was struggling to “let go” or relax and simply draw as a child. In all honesty, I feel like it’s a shame to be trained to see art in this way, and I’m sure a lot of artists feel the same way when trying to “let go” of concepts we were trained to believe are so vital for art. Picasso had a great saying, “It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.” After working on these projects, I understood him. The first pattern was the hardest to make as I was still focusing on these concepts. Though, as I kept working on more patterns, I felt myself relaxing a little more and just having fun – not concentrating on how it looked. While I don’t think I’ll ever be able to “let go” completely, I hope to start trying to focus more on the process rather the product.
2. Similar to what I’ve already wrote, I learned how hard it is to simply forget how to view art non-conceptually. Viewing the process of creating art from a child’s lens showed me how important it is to protect the idea of “the journey” rather than “the destination.” As we talked about in class, while complimenting someone’s art is definitely appreciated, it can also have more negative effects like creating an environment where a child only or even mostly cares about the product and the compliments it brings to them. I believe it’s important for kids to know that the process is just as important as the product. Additionally, I also learned that it is okay to have fun while painting. I took my first painting class last semester, and I found myself not being able to appreciate or have fun while painting because I was so focused on a deadline. In the end, while I produced a good amount of quality paintings, I felt drained and exhausted. So, during this activity, I went back to a time where I did art because I loved doing it and it was fun, not just because I had to. While it may sound a bit foolish, it’s easy to forget what you love about art when it becomes part of your career rather than a hobby. Finally, in terms of teaching, I learned that not everything needs to be taught so straightforward. This activity showed that you don’t need to be taught the color wheel, but rather experience it for yourself. With kids, they learn through experimentation and experience, not just feeding them knowledge. By mixing colors as they go along, they’ll see for themselves the color combinations that can be made.
3. I would use this activity in my future classroom to show my students the color wheel, and how they can experiment and see it for themselves. For younger students, its great to start off with experimentation through shapes and lines like we did. It can also be done practically, especially for older students with more critical thinking skills. For example, we can ask students to mix pairs combinations of yellow, red, and blue until they can fill in the outline of an orange or a tree, or even the outline of scenery like fields or the ocean. I would also use the idea of different types of brushes like round and flat brushes. Students would be able to figure out which types of lines they can make, especially depending on how you hold them. The idea of picking out background colors also provides the concept of having a person style, or understanding the concepts of contrasting and complimentary colors, or color schemes. For older kids, teaching those concepts will make sure they have the vocabulary to explain art and ideas in art. After having created the color wheel for themselves and explaining it further, it will be easier to explain complimentary colors since they are on opposite sides of the color wheel. I believe that having them experiment to see how colors mix first-hand will lead them to understand the color wheel better than just explaining it or showing them a picture.

Activity One

In-Progress Photos

Final Drawing 

In this project, we used 4 steps to make one big drawing. First, each person received a bag with objects inside, and drew (with charcoal) what we felt inside. For example, harsher lines could mean the object was harder, and softer lines could mean the object was soft or bendable. Second, we cut a view finder out of a piece of paper, and placed it over an area we felt had the best composition.  Third, we redrew what was in the view finder on another piece of paper. The three of us at our table then  glued them onto a bigger piece of the same colored paper, making sure to take into account composition and flow. Finally, we figured out ways to connect and flow our three individual drawings so that they were unrecognizable as individual artworks. Pictured about is our final result.

Reflection

1. During this project, I felt excited. I’ve never done something like this before, but it was exciting trying to figure out how we could connect three completely different drawings. By the end, I could barely tell where the three drawings were. It was fun watching this whole project come together and turn into an artwork that represented something bigger. It could be analyzed by the class and we could describe it using characteristics like chaotic or aggressive.
2. We each used our own styles and had to see from each other’s points of view. When connecting our drawings, we started on one that wasn’t our own. I had to mimic the way each person did their drawings and try and make sure they flowed. I learned how to appreciate everyone’s own personal styles and work with other artists to create something that reflects all of us. Without having prior experience working collaboratively with other artists, it taught me what to expect and how to work around and with the needs of other artists.
3. In my future classroom, I would definitely use this activity to promote collaboration and teach kids how to work with each other in a group setting. Especially with younger kids, they’re just starting to get used to playing and sharing with others. It’s an important concept to learn, and doing it through art can be a fun and exciting way to introduce it. Communication is another reason for using it in my classroom. By working collaboratively on a group project, they’ll learn how to communicate what their needs and wants with others, as well as empathize with others’ needs and use that to compromise on a solution. I could see myself using this same project to introduce these ideas, but I could also adapt it for kids of different ages. For example, with kids in Kindergarten and first grade, instead of having them look through a bag and draw something, maybe I can have them draw random lines with a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. They’ll then connect each other’s lines to their own on one big piece of paper. Another adaption of this project would be to put a picture on the board (for example, a cartoon flower or a landscape with different objects) and have children in groups work together to redraw it on another sheet of paper. They’d have to communicate which parts of the drawing they’re going to do and how they’ll do it. I could also ask each group to make a landscape of their own on a sheet of paper, and they would discuss what they should include in it. Overall, I think the concept of a collaborative drawing is very important to introduce ideas of communication, sharing and empathy to kids.