Zentangled Scratchboard

                           Zentangle

Scratchboard 1

                                                                               Scratchboard 2

Zentangled Scratchboard

This project was done by mixing two techniques into one.

The Zentangle is a method of abstract drawing created using various patterns. Creating Zentangles is said to be meditative.

A scratchboard is created using black tempura paint and a few squirts of dish soap. The dish soap interacts with the paint in a way that allows the paint to be easily scratched off of paper.

I absolutely loved this project!!

I started by creating two different Zentangle patterns on 9x9 paper.

I took black tempura paint, mixed it with a few squirts of dish soap and completely covered my zentangles.

Once the paint/soap mixture dried I used various objects (pencil, fork, knife, tape cutter, screwdriver etc.) to scratch off the paint in the patterns you see above.

I loved making the zentangles but my favorite part was scratching the paint off. I scratched the paint off to create a beautiful pattern but in doing so another pattern was revealed underneath. For instance when you look at Scratchboard 2 you can see the patterns I scratched off but if you take a step back you notice the circular pattern of the zentangle underneath. 

I will definitely be teaching this lesson to my future classes!

Batik

Batik

Materials Needed:

100% cotton material

Tempura Paint

Elmer's Liquid Glue

The hardest part in creating my Batik was putting enough glue onto the fabric that the paint would not soak through but not too much glue so that it all ran together into one giant blob.

When I first started all of my glue ran together so I had to wash it off and start all over. The second time around I traced my pattern on first and then started squeezing the glue on, very lightly. Once the glue was dry I painted over everything with blues and greens, following the sea theme. When the paint dried I washed the cloth in the washing machine on gentle and hung dry.

If I were to teach this lesson, I would only do it with about fourth graders and up. Younger grades tend not to have the fine motor skills needed to squeeze the glue into a pattern. With a project like this, too much glue would ruin the final product and cause the younger students to become upset.

One possible way to teach this lesson to younger grades would be to pour the glue into cups or bowls and have the students paint the glue on with paintbrushes.

I would also suggest they lightly draw their pattern on with pencil before beginning.

100 Colors

100 Colors

The top 50 colors were created using watercolor while the bottom 50 were created using acrylic paint.

I have taught lessons about the color wheel and mixing colors and if there is one takeaway from that experience, it would be the pure joy students receive when mixing paint.

They are dumbfounded and excited by the magic of creating a new color.

This project may not be the most eye pleasing piece you will create but your students will love it!

It is the perfect way for students to experiment with color mixing, tinting and shading with two, or more, different types of paint. Before I did this project it had never occurred to me that I could change the shade of watercolors by using less water. It is a great way to teach these principles but also allow students to experiment and discover them on their own. 

Alien Names

Alien Names

I thought this project was so fun that I ended up teaching my roommates how to do it and we now make anyone who comes over make one. We have about 20 hanging on our fridge!

I started by writing my name on a purple piece of paper, I chose to write my name in print first.

I traced the space around my name and in between the r and the h. 

I decided which end of my alien I wanted to be the head. My alien was stacked and round so I decided he would be made of a jelly substance. Because I made my alien jelly like, I made my planet rough and sharp; my alien is jelly so it can move easily over the rough terrain. 

Part of this project was to recognize fore,mid and background. To do this I used red mesh and crumpled tinfoil.

The art side of this project is quite simple. It's the imaginative part that makes this project a huge learning opportunity.

Once students have created their name alien it is up to them to decide what it is going to look like and where it is going to live. The students could create this environment through art and writing, they could even present it to the class. 

This project is perfect for integration with other subjects.

Printmaking

                      Transfer Method 

     

Potato Stamp                             

Printmaking

Printmaking is something I have learned in school starting in about first grade. 

It's fun and fairly easy. There are so many different printmaking techniques out there and just about all of them can be adjusted to fit your desired age.

For my first printmaking project I used the transfer method. I started by crumpling up tinfoil and using it to stamp blue paint on as water. Next I painted a lily pad onto a paper towel and then transferred it onto the water. Lastly I used a plastic bag and painted a the basic lily shape and transferred that onto the lily pad. Using a darker color I outlined the lily and added more petal detail. Once I had transferred that I used yellow to create the pollen.

For the potato stamp I bought the biggest potato I could find and started cutting away.

I don't have the proper stamping tools so I just painted a glass plate with a medium layer of paint and lightly placed the potato in the paint. I was able to get the perfect amount of paint on my potato this way.

Light Paintings

Light Paintings

This project was so fun once I finally figured out how to do it!

I started by downloading some free apps to my phone but those did not work like I had hoped. My digital camera did not have the right functions for me to change but I still managed to make it work. I was able to set my camera to its night setting and prolong the shutter speed.

To create the beautifully colored light I had each of my roommates look up their favorite color on their smart phones. Once the color completely filled the screen I had them turn the brightness of the screen all the way up. 

I had one roommate act as our model while the other two stood behind her waving their phones around while I took the pictures.

This Project would be extremely fun for students of all ages to experiment with. The only tricky part would be making the classroom completely dark in the middle of the day.

If the school does not have access to Ipad's or Ipod's you could bring in your personal camera and see what fun things the class can come up with as a whole.

Cardboard Constructions

Dog on a Rug

Materials Needed:

Cardboard (boxes, paper towel rolls, etc.)

Water

Strong Glue

Scissors/Box Cutter

I struggle a bit with abstract art so I chose to create a sculpture of a dog on a rug.

To get my cardboard to fold the way I wanted I soaked it in water. When I was finished I added a little bit of water color to the dog so It wouldn't blend into the rug.

I think students would have a good time creating their own cardboard sculptures, abstract or realism.

If I were to do this with grades younger than about fourth, I would provide pre-cut cardboard pieces for the students. To have them cut the cardboard would be too dangerous and would take a very long time, not to mention a mess!