Today's Lesson
In this lesson, students were asked to create a painting of a monster on a stretched canvas. Students used acrylic paint and were given the opportunity to include various 3-D objects on their project such as yarn, fabric scraps, pipe cleaners, cotton balls, and googly eyes. Teachers introduced color mixing techniques in order for the students to mix new colors for their monster paintings. In today's art experience students experimented with the abilities and limitations of using acrylic paint, and giving a name and story to their paintings.
Essential Understandings
- Art can communicate stories and ideas
- Artists combine 2-D and 3-D materials into one artwork
- Artists will understand the creative abilities and limitations of acrylic paint
Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Mix colors to make a new color
- Incorporate 2-D and 3-D materials on one surface
- Identify key characteristics of their monster
- Create a painting that tells a story
Skills
- Creative problem solving
- Innovative ways to manipulate and combine materials to make something new
In our second meeting with the students of Cooper Home, the class explored using acrylic paint and adding 3-D objects onto a stretched canvas. This art experience gave students the opportunity to mix paint and apply it to a canvas, and demonstrate innovative ways to include 3-D materials. After introducing the project, the teachers provided some sketchbook images, movie characters, historical, and contemporary examples of monsters for students to look at. The teachers also shared the story of their monster they painted for the project, and how they included other materials in their art.
To begin the creation process for this project, each student was given a small sketchbook to draw or list ideas they had for their paintings. Students were asked to consider a favorite food, home, and name for their monster in this process. Simple sketches were drawn on the board for students to reference in the initial stages of the project. One student expressed "I liked the Medusa picture! I want to paint some snakes today.". Another student declared his favorite movie is The Shining. He said "I'm pretty sure that I will try and paint something that would live in a Stephen King book.". Much like the first meeting with these students, there were many different ideas expressed for their art work.
To begin the creation process for this project, each student was given a small sketchbook to draw or list ideas they had for their paintings. Students were asked to consider a favorite food, home, and name for their monster in this process. Simple sketches were drawn on the board for students to reference in the initial stages of the project. One student expressed "I liked the Medusa picture! I want to paint some snakes today.". Another student declared his favorite movie is The Shining. He said "I'm pretty sure that I will try and paint something that would live in a Stephen King book.". Much like the first meeting with these students, there were many different ideas expressed for their art work.
This student expressed her love of Spongebob Squarepants. She stated "I love Spongebob, but I don't want my painting to look exactly like him.". The student continued to explore the character's features in order to make it her own in the sketching process.
During the process of creating their paintings, the students were given the option to use easels, in order to keep their paintings from being flat on the table. Most of them decided to use them while others kept their canvases flat like drawing paper. There were a few students that were unsure of how to use the easel, and required help to set them up, but one of the students commented on how they already knew how to set up these easels and helped out their fellow students.
This student expressed that her favorite movie was Despicable Me. She said "I know Minions aren't monsters, but I really want to make one for my painting. My favorite thing about Minions are their goggles!". The student showed great enthusiasm when it came to Minions.
After letting the students generate ideas for their paintings on canvas, the teachers divided the class into small groups and demonstrated some basic color mixing techniques using a palette knife. The students were shown how to mix colors to create a new color, along with adding white and black to paint in order to tint and shade colors. At this point, students began experimenting with color mixing and began working on their paintings.
Upon mixing some paint, this student questioned "Will the cotton balls stick if I put them on paint?" After applying some paint to her canvas and pasting a few cotton balls to the surface, the student noted "It works just like glue would! Now I want to paint them pink." Check out the video below showing the student painting the cotton balls pasted on the canvas.
In her Medusa painting, this student experienced difficulty creating skin tone for her project. After one teacher showed her how to make the color, she exclaimed "That's cool! I'll be able to use it for this painting and other paintings I make soon." See the video below to watch the student paint using her newly discovered color. |
This student played with different ideas for shapes in her sketchbook. Her painting demonstrates which shape she decided to use for her monster, as she transferred the shapes from sketchbook to canvas. She then mixed blue with white to color in her monster light blue.
The student expressed interest with texture in his painting. He explained "I like how the edges look when I flick my hand a little. It looks really cool! I'm glad I tried this out.". Be sure to check out his final painting in the gallery of work at the bottom.
This student expressed her frustration with painting and drawing. The teacher helped her with the drawing aspect of her art work but also introduced 3D materials to the student. The student loved the idea of using 3D materials and started to add little red flowers all over her painting. She really thrived once she was introduced this approach to her art. She connected colors of her 2D work to her 3D work with her monster's red body and the red flowers she glued to the neck.
This student used his sketches from sketchbook to create a painting of his monster. He named his monster "Larry the Lobster-Scorpion" and added significant features to his painting to depict Larry's personality. For example, Larry loves pizza and so this student drew a pizza in front of Larry's mouth. This student also noted, "I want to make his mouth pink. I can mix red and white to do that.". Check out the brief video below of the student mixing color. |
The student took her ideas from her initial Spongebob sketch and applied it to her painting. "My painting is called 'Not-So-Spongebob.'. This is my way of painting him; I painted the background yellow because Spongebob is yellow.". She was quite happy with how her version of Spongebob turned out referencing back to how her mom works with acrylic as well. |
Not wanting to take a page from the creator's of Despicable Me, she followed the similar body shape but gave him a stylish pair of shades and an orange suit instead. Prior to moving to the canvas, she worked in her sketchbook stating "I'm drawing Kevin!" before explaining she wanted to use him as a reference for her personal minion. As she continued, she expanded on her plans for the blank background: "I'm going to make a blue to red background.". After more time developing her minion, she began to create her gradient of red to blue creating a wonderful contrast amidst the primary colors. |
As our second meeting with the student of Cooper Home came to a close and the class cleaned up their workstations, teachers asked students to divide into small groups and tell each other about their monsters. The students told each other what the name of their creature is, where they live, and what their favorite food is. This group displayed a wide range of creative and artistic skills in their art work! Check out some final thoughts and finished student artwork in the gallery below.