4th Grade: Adventures in Sewing

The 4th grade art students have recently completed a sewing project- a first for most! The students worked in their sketchbooks to design a monster and then took part in every step towards bringing them to life.

First, students had to make paper templates for all parts of their monsters (body, arms, legs, accessories). Then, the pieces were cut from fabric and felt. We mostly used donated fabric remnants and recycled men's dress shirts.

Once the pieces were cut out, students turned them right-side-in (with arms and legs tucked in), and sewed the perimeter of the body. The students used a mix of running and whip stitches. Many students also decided to sew on buttons! The best part was turning them right-side-out, stuffing them, and seeing their complete creations!
This was a challenging project- I was extremely impressed with the attention to detail and how the students used the materials so carefully.

The class was SO busy it was hard to take many photos. The students were determined to bring them home for Christmas, so before I knew it, they were out the door! I'm hoping to get the whole gang back together for the Art Show in February :o)

Radial Symmetry Color Wheels

The 5th grade graphic arts students have recently completed their Radial Symmetry Color Wheels. Students were challenged to work in their sketchbook to design one "piece" of the color wheel. They made several thumbnail sketches before settling on a design. The students then used tracing paper to transfer the image to each piece. Finally, the color wheels were painted and the bold lines re-traced.
They came out beautifully!

Gorgeous Graffiti

The graphic arts room has been busy this fall working in their sketchbooks and trying their hand at graffiti drawing. We began the unit by watching a news clip interviewing graffiti artists as well as citizens and building owners. The question posed was "Is graffiti art or vandalism?". The students had a hard time making up their minds definitively which lead to interesting and animated class discussions.
They set to work creating their own "tags". The process included working in sketchbooks to try out different styles and design elements. Grid lines were drawn and decisions on symmetry and line were made. On their final drafts, students made decisions of color and value. Process was the focus as the students used sketchbooks as an inquiry tool to "try before you buy-into" the different elements. It was interesting to hear the vandalism vs art debate grow and change throughout the different stages of the project.
The results were excellent!