Colorful Masks

 

Young 5 students just finished their colorful masks featuring yarn for hair.  To begin this project, students drew their own mask, outlined their pencil with a black thin tip marker, added color with crayons, and then used scissors to cut the edge of their mask.  After cutting their mask out, students were instructed to glue their mask to the center of a large piece of colored construction paper.  When the glue was dry, students cut out their mask a second time.  With the construction paper around the edge of their mask, and the help of a hole puncher, students finished their mask by adding yarn.  Students struggled with the fringe technique at first, but once they mastered the skill they were unstoppable.

-GRich

Kindergarten Self-Portraits

Kindergarten students love creating their self-portrait paintings with snowflakes in the background!

Students drew their self-portraits free hand and then added color with crayons.  After finishing with crayons students loved seeing their snowflakes brightly appear even after they washed black watercolor paint ontop of their background.



-GRich

 

Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant

 5th grade students entered artwork into a contest for the Grand Rapids Symphony in January.  The artwork they created was inspired by the poetry book Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant written by Jack Prelutsky and illustrated by Carin Berger.  Students drew their artwork free hand and finished them with Crayola Markers.  Selected pieces of art were displayed on a large screen during a performance by the Grand Rapids Symphony for West Michigan's youth. 

The musical performance and projection of student artwork was an experience to be remembered. 

Congratulation to those students selected!


-GRich

Eagle in a Birch Tree

1st grade students created beautiful eagles within the last month.  They drew the head and neck of their eagles free hand.  After they had the outline of their eagles finished they traced their projects with a black thin felt tip marker.  Using the Crayola Color Sticks students added color with gradation to show the appearance of shadows; they were especially careful in handling the color of the eagle's white feathers and the birch tree's trunk and branches.  They did an incredible job!

-GRich

Hey Mr. Snowman!

Young 5 students created a waving snowboy or snowgirl with crayons and watercolor paint during the cold month of January.  Students loved having the ability to chose whichever colors they wanted on their scarf, hat, and buttons, along with learning how to draw a snowman up close without three circles.

-GRich

Discovery: A new, fabulous art medium!

CRAYOLA COLOR STICKS

As an art teacher I am always experimenting with new material in hopes to find something that would be a great tool for my students. Mission accomplished! The product is Crayola Color Sticks.  They are colored pencils without the wood and constant need of re-sharpening with the beloved handheld pencil sharpeners! They offer vibrant color on any construction paper or drawing paper.  Their cost is higher then regular colored pencils of course but not having frustrated elementary students who can not seem to sharpen the colored pencils correctly is worth the price, in my opinion!

Above is a drawing that I created as an example for a special project I plan to do with a group of fifth graders who are studying white wolves.

I hope if you try color sticks with your students you find they love them as much as mine do!!

-GRich

Rizzi City

Inspired by the late James Rizzi, and many popular art blogs, 3rd grade students created their own Rizzi City with Permanent Marker and Crayola Colored Markers.  Students drew the cityscape free hand and loved adding faces with the shapes of their building's windows.  They discussed the difference between a window's reflection during the day versus the night and using different colors depicted the realistic effect stylistically.  Students also loved not having to draw the perfect 5-point star for the night sky, and enjoyed adding smiles to their suns.  The cityscapes look great!

-GRich