In the Art Room - Lego Designs

My 6 year old LOVES Legos and he was the impetus for this project.  The 4th grades received a quick tutorial from me on how to draw a standard minifigure.  Then I gave them tips on how to add facial features (no noses of course!) and hats or hair.  They loved this project and were quite creative with their designs.

In the Art Room - Magazine Bowls

I recently had a donation of Nat Geo magazines and I immediately thought of having my 6th graders wind down the school year by making bowls out of them.  If you've never made them before, check out Mini Matisse's bog because she gave some very simple instructions to follow.  None of my kids bowls turned out very big, but we take what we can get around here!

In the Art Room - Lighthouse

This one was so easy and every single one was beautiful!  The first graders followed a few easy oral directions to get them started and then we spent two days painting them.  We painted the lighthouse with warm colors and gave ourselves a nice, cool colored background.

In the Art Room - Rainbow Fish

I saw this done on That Artist Woman and had to give it a try.  Her students look a little more polished than mine do.  I definitely saw where I need to improve for next year!  No matter what the kids loved making them!!

In the Art Room - Calder Sculptures

This was so much fun for the 5th graders!  They all started with 2 yards of silver wire and I laid multiple colored wires on each table for them to add.  They were instructed to make a portrait - not sure where the duck came from but I liked it!

In the Art Room - Desert Landscapes

I love how the kids can have the same subjects, but their pieces look so different depending on how they use their colors!  Chalk pastels are not my favorite art room medium because of the mess they leave behind, but these were worth it. These turned out great and the second grades loved making them.

In the Art Room - ASL Hands

I was reading on another art teacher blog about those times when you've given the assignment, explained the directions and the students have all begun working when one by one, they come and start asking "Can I add ..."  or "I was thinking it would be cool if I did...".  I've done this project for three years and I had some of the most creative interpretations this year!  Some, did simply follow the directions I gave, but others took it to a whole new level!  I think you can figure out who!

In the Art Room - Highlights, Halftones, and Shades - 5th Grade

Here's the 5th grade version of my shade, halftones, and highlights lesson.  One of the kids recently gave me this amazing robot book which we used for inspiration while drawing the bots.  Then they simply colored them in!