The 4th graders created Personalized Color Wheels. We discussed primary, secondary, and tertiary colors and how the primary colors can be mixed to create the secondary and tertiary colors. The students then picked a personal symbol to turn into their color wheel. Once they picked and drew their symbols, we divided the symbol into 12 sections. Each group was only given the primary colors and the students had to mix the secondary and tertiary colors.
The 5th graders created Blue Dog Inspired Animals. We looked at and discussed the work of George Rodrigue especially his Blue Dog series of paintings. Here's a link to his website. We also discussed what complementary colors are. Students could then pick any animal they wanted. We painted the animals using only tints and shades of one pair of complementary colors, either blue and orange, yellow and purple, or red and green. Here's a picture of some paintings in progress and it's followed by some completed student examples.
And finally, the 6th graders created value silhouettes. We discussed value, tints and shades, monochromatic and what a silhouette is. The students painted along with me to get the background started and then completed the background at their own pace.
After the backgrounds were completed the students added in their silhouettes in black paint. When coming up with their ideas for the silhouette, I told students to think about looking up at the moon and what would they would actually see in real life to create their silhouette.
