Emphasis Photography

Good morning everyone!  Today our focus will be on the design principle of EMPHASIS.  First let me remind you of what the design principles are....they go along with those art elements we always talk about, and when I describe them in class I usually say, "the elements and principles of art and design are like the ingredients we use to create our art.  The art might look all different sorts of ways, depending on how we use those ingredients."  Here they are:

As you can see, emphasis refers to the "most important part of the artwork", or the "part that stands out the most", or the "thing our eyes notice first, in a work of art".  But HOW does an artist create emphasis in artwork?  Check out this video to help explain it.  This one is also kind of a silly one.

If you have any trouble viewing those, or if you just don't have the time, I will skip to the juicy stuff:  An artist creates EMPHASIS by using the elements of COLOR (make one thing a different color), SIZE (or scale, one thing could be much BIGGER or smaller), and PLACEMENT.  There are other ways, but those would be the basics.

Now that we have gotten through the artsy info and vocab, lets talk about how you will create your work of art today.

STEP ONE....Choose an object...... 

I went with a tulip

STEP 2....... Draw the object over and over on your paper.  You could scatter them, draw them in a row, or draw them as if they are in a certain place.  No need to color, unless you want to.  I left mine in thin black marker, to really EMPHASIZE the last step, which is to place the real item on top of your drawing and take a picture.

Which one shows the emphasis?  And why?  Is it the color? Texture? Placement? Here you can clearly see that your eyes go right to that real tulip, because it stands out from the rest.  That is what emphasis is all about.

Here is a second example I did of an apple....

And here are some other artworks that show emphasis in different ways.....

USING SIZE:

USING PLACEMENT:

USING COLOR:

Well, now you are officially experts on the principle of EMPHASIS!  I can't wait to see your photos!  Happy Arting!

Nature Collages

As springtime nears closer to summer, the weather is getting sweeter and sweeter, so how about we use some of that beauty to create art this week?  We will be going  on a nature scavenger hunt today!  I encourage you to try to find a variety of different things out there, and then decide what to make AFTER the scavenger hunt.  I went out with no particular thing in mind, and once I sat down to look at my findings, tons of ideas started popping up for me.  Here are some of my "nature collages":

As you can see from my examples, you'll be drawing and using your nature-based items to add to those drawings.  

Here are some of my items I gathered.  I mostly went the plant route, but you could use rocks, pinecones, flowers, seashells, sand, dirt, whatever you think might make an interesting picture for you.

Once I got my things inside, I started looking at each item, one by one. I turned them different directions to see if anything came to mind.  

I trimmed some of them to fit my ideas...

I repositioned things until they made sense in my pictures...

Keep in mind, you don't have to glue these things down, though you could if you wish.  You could also just snap a picture and keep that photograph as your finished art project.

I cannot wait to see what you come up with!  These will be so fun to make, and there is no wrong answer.  Enjoy that beautiful May weather!  

Salt Dough Pendant

Hi first grade friends!  Time to make some jewelry, and all you really need is flour, water, and salt!  We will be making salt dough pendants for this week's art lesson.

First, to make the dough....you'll need...

1/8 c. salt

1/8 cup water

1/4 cup flour

Stir it up...

Squish it together, to get all the ingredients together....

Once mixed, take out the dough, and break it apart into two pieces (if you are making only one pendant.  You probably could make two with this amount of dough) - one for the pendant, and one for the decorations.  I made one section of the dough slightly larger than the other.

Squish the larger piece flat with the palm of your hand.

Decide on a shape, and simply use your fingertips to squish it into place.  For this one, I went with a heart shaped pendant.

Then it will be time to decorate.  You can experiment with different techniques to create these decorations....roll a ball, a coil, make some zig zags or triangles. 

To attach, all you have to do is push it onto the pendant.  The dough will stick to itself while it is wet.

I also used a little play doh tool (or simple butter knife) to push some designs into the dough.

When you are satisfied with your design, it is time to make the bail.  This is the little hole for the chain or string of your necklace/medallion.  Start by rolling out a little coil (worm-like shape) with the dough.

Gently push it flat with the tip of your finger.

Gently fold it in half, leaving space between for the string.

Attach it to the back of your pendant by smooshing it into the dough.  Really rub this part in so it doesn't fall off when it dries, but be careful that the hole doesn't collapse.

Here's a view from the side/front, so that you can see what it should look like.

I had to wait several days for the pendant to be fully dried.  You'll know it is dry because it will become lighter in color, hard like a rock, and a little spotty or speckled from the salt in the dough. 

After it is dry, you can paint or color.  Keep in mind that if you are going to wear your pendant, and you choose something washable when coloring, the color could rub off on your skin. 

You could also keep these as ornaments or chimes.  Either way, they are pretty cool, and I hope you had lots of fun making them!

Nature Names

Well third grade artists, it is getting really nice out there, so I thought we would focus our art lesson this week on the beauty of nature. We'll be going on a little scavenger hunt for some natural plants, rocks, pinecones, etc., to create some "name art", if you will.

This is more of a photography lesson, so there is no need to glue anything down, unless you want to.  I simply clicked a picture after it was done.  Now I could have it printed later on if I wanted.

This is a pretty simple lesson.  My advice for you is to go out, and search for your materials without really thinking of the shapes you need to create.  Just get out and enjoy yourself!  

Pick out a variety of things, so that you have many options when you start your name project.  

Choose things that interest you.

Then start by looking at the shapes that make up the letters in your name.  If it helps, you can even lightly write out your name on some paper first.   Whatever you do, make it nice, and big, so the things you gathered can fit together.

Then, when you've thought it through, you can tear or cut things to suit your needs.  I tried to keep most of the shapes similar to what they look like in their natural habitat, so that my art still kept that natural look.

Arrange, snap a picture (glue if you wish), and boom!  You're all set :)

I hope you had fun, and if you enjoyed this, check out other letters in nature and snap some more pictures...enjoy that beautiful spring weather!  I'll talk with you soon!

Recycled Castles

Hello third graders and resourceful artists everywhere.  Your next art project will be recycled castles.

As always, I encourage you to create using your own style, and other materials available to you.  No need to copy each part you see here, though I do hope it helps inspire some ideas for you.

First, choose your paper.  I used black, but any color would be fine.  I also set aside some TP rolls to create the towers and make them stick out.

Tin foil is what I chose to cover these with, because they reminded me of the gray of the castle.  You could also opt for painting it, or using cardboard, or even some sort of print.  If you have any magazines with architecture in them, you could cut some paper out with a brick or stone pattern.

For towers, cut up each side of the tube to cut it in half.  If you want a taller castle, turn your paper and us paper towel tubes.

I planned a little ahead before I glued anything down.  I wanted to be sure I had space for some grass or any other interesting details I would add later.

Here are some diagrams of parts of a real castle.  Think about materials you have that could be used for other parts?  Do you have any toothpicks you could use for a fence or a gate? Any tissue paper for a mote? 

Next thing I did was cover my towers with the foil....

No glue was needed for that part.  I then cut some extra for the middle part of my castle.

Cardboard worked for my door. Again, you could find a door in a magazine...or you could use something like popsicle sticks. 

Before gluing anything down, I cut some slits at the top of my towers.  I cut them about a pinky's width apart.  Every other tab got bent inward, like so, to create the castle battlements .

I cut out some windows...

Added in some flags.... and I used our Easter grass as my "grass".

Whether your castle is a traditional type like mine, a magical unicorn palace, or something completely out of your imagination, I can't wait to see what you come up with!  Have fun!