Fancy Birds

Audubon Bird Project

Audubon Day- Introduction to famous American based artist, explorer and naturalist John James Audubon. How did he live and work? Observation and Imagination.

Bird sketches-studying class resources, handouts, and print reproductions create a bird sketchbook, pencil & sketch paper. Looking closely, details, contour lines, anatomy, using art/science vocabulary.
Science/Art connection  

Audubon inspired bird prints-Student select bird drawing from their portfolio to create as a limited run series of print. Transfer image to soft plate using a wooden stylist. Model printing process. Small groups pull prints, sign artist proof, refine and make individual paper and ink color choices. Reflect on images.
Engineering/Art connection observe imagine process product

Name Tile Project

4 part project

Audubon Bird Project

5th grade Up Up and Away

Connecting to classroom Science standards and building on VAPA standards regarding student understanding of a Landscape, this mixed media project offers lots of creative expression within a structured step by step framework. 3 Part project...

Famous Portraits

After a series of facial drawing lessons and lots of practice time students were ready to put their new skill set to the test. Using a black and white copy of a famous painting, students were challenged to recreate the painting in pencil and charcoal then add color with color pencil.

Charcoal sketching

Developing an understanding of how to draw a realistic human face one part at time.

Picasso Inspired Paper Face

Continuing with our 5th grade portrait projects we looked at the work of Picasso. Using construction paper, crayons, scissors and color pencils students created a Cubist inspired face.

Bird Print Portraits

4 part project, life study drawings to finished prints.
Part I: drawing from life introduce Audubon (brief history connects to 5th grade standards). Using bird prints and coloring book drawings, students create a series of bird portrait sketches
Part II: artists refine their sketches and introduce the printing process
Part III: one drawing is selected and transferred to the printing plate-model process and allow for practice with materials
Part IV: Printing Day-set up large tables and work in small groups.

Expressive Tree in a Landscape

This 2 part direct drawing and creative expression project is a great way to start the art year with older students. They always surprise themselves with the end result...and I must say I am pretty dazzled too! This project allows for high success, builds art skill confidence, connects to art history landscape compositions, addresses art vocabulary such a color theme, realistic, expressive, Fauvism, foreground, middle ground and background...and is just plain adventurous!

Direct drawing steps

After practicing on sketch paper students draw with white glue on black pre-cut construction paper. 

Allow the glue drawings to dry for at least 48 hours. Part II, compare and contrast realistic color choices with more expressive/non realistic choices. Model how to blend pastels and color in the direction of the shape to emphasize texture and or movement. Students then add color and detail with chalk and oil

pastels. Artists name signed with Sharpie in the corner. 

Royal Dogs

This fun end of the school year project for 5th grade takes a leap from the American History text of the Revolutionary War.
2-3 sessions to complete using lots of dog images and print of 18th century royal fashions. Drawings were done in pencil  including a frame or boarder,  outlined with sharpie and crayon and last watercolors.