Student Gallery
grade 8
Ceramics: 8th grade
watercolor ILLUSTRATIONS: 8th grade
Students learned about famous illustration artists such as Garth Williams, Amy Bates, and John Howe. Then they chose their favorite book to illustrate. Some chose to create a cover illustration and others chose a specific scene. Once students finished illustrating the story with watercolor and ink, they wrote a summary of their chosen book and how their illustration visually enhances or conveys meaning to the story.
Abstract watercolor: 8th grade
Students learned several watercolor techniques and then were given freedom to play with the watercolors. They were given two sheets of watercolor paper. Most of them chose to make at least one abstract piece and one representational piece. Once they were dry, they used an extra fine sharpie to define the shapes and images.
Reduction Printing: 8th Grade
Students learned about different uses in printmaking, as well as various artists in history who were famous for printmaking such as Albrecht Durer, Andy Warhol, and Katsushika Hokusaiways. Then, through a process called Reduction printing, they carved away parts of the block to make multi-layered prints with different colors.
Candy Drawing: 8th Grade
Students looked at and discussed Wayne Thiebaud paintings of candy and desserts.They learned how to use the “Rule of Thirds” to create a composition and photographed pieces of candy. They also practiced using complementary colors to create depth and dimension in a drawing. Then, they made an enlarged drawing using a measured out grid and layering colored pencil to shade.
Self-Portraits: 8th Grade
Students learned about facial proportions and shading to create a self-portrait drawing.
Op Art: 8th grade
Students enjoyed looking at several examples of optical illusion art and discussing the illusions. Then, they made their own 3D optical illusion drawing with simple lines, shapes and values.
Lines, Shapes, VALUE/COLOR: 8TH GRADE
Using a variety of lines, shapes, patterns, and values, students made abstract drawings with their choice of either color pencil or graphite.
grade 7
Ceramic Coil pots: 7th grade
Students had to use two or more different coiling techniques to create a decorative pot. Once fired, they were painted with a dark base coat and dry brushed with a metallic paint over the top to give them an aged look.
Self Portraits (before & after): 7th grade
Students were asked to draw a self-portrait at the beginning of the semester as a pre-assessment to see where their drawing skills were. Then, after learning several drawing techniques, including looking carefully, contour/shape/form, value/shading, and facial features, students were asked to draw another self portrait as a post-assessment of their skills after a semester of art class.
Still Life Drawing: 7th Grade
After having a lot of practice shading shapes, students were introduced to the "Rule of Thirds" and taught how to use a viewfinder. They made several thumbnail sketches and a larger practice sketch before starting their final still life drawing. They used a variety of values and shading techniques to make a realistic drawing of what they saw.
Figure Drawing: 7th Grade
After studying SHAPE, FORM, and VALUE, students took turns positioning wooden mannequins that they observed and rendered to look three-dimensional by shading with chalk pastels and blending in a monochromatic color scheme.
Paper Mache Masks: 7th Grade
Students learned and discussed various uses of masks in different cultures. Then, they made a mask to represent themselves using recycled items such as newspaper & cardboard, and then painted and added embellishments. When the masks were completed, students wrote a reflection abut their mask. Although this was a long project, students really enjoyed it and were proud of their finished masks.
Color experiments with food: 7th grade
As an introduction to color theory, students did 3 color experiments with food. During the experiment they made connections to what they have been learning in science class. They answered questions on a worksheet related the each experiment. They made a hypothesis, wrote down the procedures and their observations, and then made a conclusion about color theory.They really enjoyed learning about color while doing these experiments, and also got to eat colorful cookies.
Color Wheel: 7th grade
Students came up with their own shapes to use for designing a color wheel and made stencils out of tag board to trace. They measured and drew two equilateral triangles overlapping to create a star shape. Then they traced the shapes around the triangles taking into consideration which shapes and sizes would be best for the more dominant primary colors. We watched videos about light and color and discussed the color wheel, and then painted the color wheel using only primary colors, mixing secondary, and tertiary colors.
SYMMETRICAL color scheme paintings: 7th grade
After learning about balance and symmetry in nature and art/architecture, students made a symmetrical drawing and then painted each side by mixing colors with a complimentary color scheme (ex. warm/cool, complimentary).
Skull Designs (DIA DE LOS MUERTOS): 7th Grade
After reading and discussing an article about Dia de los Muertos (The day of the Dead) and watching a short cultural video, students made a skull design by drawing images of their choice and coloring it with colored pencils or markers.
grade 6
one -point perspective city: 6th grade
Students learned about One-Point Perspective including terms such as, horizon line, vanishing point, orthogonal lines, parallel lines, perpendicular lines, horizontal lines, and vertical lines. Then they created an imaginary city in perspective and colored it with colored pencils.
Ceramic Sea Creatures: 6th Grade
Students looked at several images of fish and various sea creatures and discussed their features. Then, they made several thumbnail sketches to develop ideas for their fish/sea creature design. Once they decided on a design, they made a larger drawing that would serve as the template for the ceramic fish. Students were then introduced to ceramics. Using the slab method, they created a fish/sea creature. Using additive (scoring/slipping) and subtracting (carving) methods as well as pressing objects to create textures, they made designs in their fish/sea creature and glazed them.
ZEN-TANGLE/Doodle skull designs: 6th grade
After reading and discussing an article about Dia de los Muertos (The day of the Dead) and watching a short cultural video, students made a skull design using Zentangle doodling. They were encouraged to use a variety of lines and shapes, filling up approximately 80% of the skull. This was a great introduction project to get the students focused, as well as loosen up because they could not use a pencil and eraser for the doodles.
zen-tangle/doodle snowflakes: 6th grade
EXQUISITE Corpse: 6th Grade
As a last day drawing activity, students made exquisite corpse drawings: each student is given a piece of paper to fold into three sections. They get 15 minutes to draw a head of any kind in the top section and then fold it over. Then, students switch seats to a new table and have 15 minutes to continue drawing a body without looking at the head. Students change seats again and continue to draw the lower part / legs within the 15 minutes. Once everyone is finished, students return to their seats and open the folded paper to reveal the creatures they created. I hung them all up and we voted on the most creative/interesting combinations. Students really enjoyed being creative with this activity.
