Name Projects...

So I've been working with my two awesome Art ladies this month, and we are doing lesson planning together.  We did some great beginning of the year lessons using the kids names.  I'll illustrate a few below and tell you about them!  On most of the examples, I went over a lesson on Pop Art before we started.  I taught them all about Pop Art and the artists Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Claus Oldenberg, and Jasper Johns.

This is one inspired by Zentangle designs, it's a 5th grade project.  We had the kids draw a fish, then do their name really big on the inside.  Then in each space in between they did patterns and designs.  After they were completed, I had the kids cut the fish out and glue them down on colored paper.  The color really makes the black and white fish POP off the page.

This one is also based on Zentangle designs, but it's more of a Zentangle mountain of letters.  Also a 5th grade lesson. The kids could do their name or their initials.  They filled in the spaces in between with patterns and designs.  Then, they color the letters neatly with markers.

This one I did with 2nd grade. We talked about bubble letters and how to do them, then they wrote their name with pencil on black paper. After they got it how they wanted it, they traced their name with white crayon, then did colored patterns in the background with construction paper crayons, which are totally awesome!

In this lesson I taught the kids about the crayon resist technique. They drew their names big on white paper and traced over them heavily with a black crayon. Then they did patterns and designs in between the letters, and were careful not to color them in. During the next class, we painted the white background with watercolors paints, and I got the expected Ooohs and Aaahs when the crayon would push the water away.

This was a quick 3rd Grade lesson.  They drew their name and then went around and around it with marker.  It was surprising how easy it was for some, and how hard it was for others.

And last my 4th Grade lesson.  We talked about Pop Art and also symmetry.  Then we divided the paper up like you see below and drew names and patterns in the spaces.  They colored it carefully and neatly with markers.

For my Kindergarten class, I printed out their names on white paper and had them practice coloring neatly.  They're a mess and I only see them for 30 minutes at a time!  I never get anything done!  Oh well, slow and steady!  I'm really enjoying this school year and I'm excited to post more pictures of what we've been working on soon!