5th Grade-Op Art Value

This project is mainly used to practice using different values by pressing harder or lighter. Value is used in this project to create an optical illusion.

1st Grade-Mondrian Object

For this project we discussed how some people take famous paintings and use them in different settings. We looked at examples of how people use Mondrian's famous painting and incorporate it into clothes such as shoes and dresses and it has been painted on buildings. Students then created their own Mondrian inspired objects.

2nd Grade- Mondrian

We started this year with a project that would help us review things learned previous years. These include non-objective artwork, horizontal and vertical lines, primary colors, secondary colors, and painting (using a brush with control and washing brush between colors). This was a 2 day project.

Day 1:

We started with this worksheet 

And the glued black strips of paper on a white 12 x 18 inch paper

Day 2: We painted in the squares, but made sure to leave some spaces white like Mondrian. Here are some student examples. 

3rd Grade- Op Art

For 3rd grade we did a recap lesson of many things we learned in 2nd grade including non-objective artwork and organic shapes. The students were introduced to warm and cool colors. They cut 6 little pieces of paper (yellow, red, orange, blue, purple, and green) into organic shapes. We then folded a 12 x 18 inch paper in half, opened it, and glued the warm colors on one side, cool colors on the other.

Then starting in the middle, we used a sharpie an made a line the page. We then made a line right next to it and repeated this. If a line was about to hit a shape, you had to draw around it. I stressed the idea to keep the lines equally spaced apart and to constantly trace to the side of the next line (do not let the lines touch). Here is a picture of one in process.

Here are student examples

4th Grade- Zentangles

4th grade studied non-objective artwork through Zentangles. We discussed how non-objective art is art that is made up of lines, shapes and colors. For this project I made a Zentangle Basic cheat sheet that is full of different lines and elements students could use (they could invent their own designs as well).

We started our project with 2 wavy lines crossing through our paper and added 2 shapes to break up the paper even more.Here is one that is in the beginning stages.

Student Examples

1st Grade- Mondrian

In first grade we study Mondrian as well, focusing on horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines. We add four of each of these lines to our paper with pencil. We traced the pencil with sharpie. After, we colored in all the triangles with the primary colors. The students had to be detectives and search thoroughly to find all the triangles.

Kindergarten- Mondrian

We looked at artwork by Piet Mondrian. We discussed different types of lines including horizontal, vertical, diagonal, and curve. We discussed how Mondrian only used horizontal and vertical; students drew both of these lines on their paper. We then colored in some squares using our favorite colors.

With this lesson I also teach a line song. The tune is to Frère Jacques:
Horizontal, horizontal, side to side, side to side,
Vertical is up and down, vertical is up and down,
diagonal, diagonal.