Having three snow days in a row has really motivated my blogging. I'm digging all the way back to the 2014-2015 school year for lessons and photos on my external hard drive. After getting a new (much smaller hard drive) computer at school, backing up all of my old photos on an external drive, getting a new phone and finishing up my master's that year, I just did not do much blogging. At least I did take a lot of great photos of projects that I am excited to share now. 

​For this project, we did some observational drawing in our sketchbooks. We drew the manikins in action poses, and we drew random stuff around the art room. Then, students picked one of their sketches to draw big. I was obsessed with 18X24 that year.

We mostly drew with chalk on black paper and colored with chalk pastels AND oil pastels. I have found that I have more and more students that are sensitive to the texture of drawing with chalk or sharpies on paper.

The vibrations bother them and I either have to let them use a rubber glove, an alternative supply or find some other way for them to complete the project.

Do you have sensory issues with supplies like this? What do you do? 

  Day 1-2
Draw objects to practice in your sketchbooks. First, pose the manikin and draw the pose. Do 2-3 drawings of the manikin in different poses. Then, I will bring around a tub of tools, objects and basic still life materials. Set up a still life or draw one object at a time, practicing LOOKING at the contour lines of the object. No tracing! Select one of your sketches to blow up big. Sketch it on black paper with chalk. 

Day 2
​Finish coloring still life with chalk and oil pastels. Look at examples of Jim Dine's tool still life drawings. 

*I think I might've let a few classes work with a partner on this project. Also, I let them draw objects around the room, like my lava lamp. And I even let them draw a few made up objects like ice cream and sports balls and nail polish....

Supplies
still life objects
pencils and sketchbooks
chalk
black 18X24 paper
chalk pastels and oil pastels

Okay so the details on this one are a bit fuzzy. The idea, back in 2014 when we did this project was to introduce some basic procedures, but also to teach about perspective. I don't remember that my students really loved it because it was too cookie cutter. And I agree. I would definitely do it differently now. But as a teacher, I learned a LOT. My students blew through the oil pastels....it was one of the first projects that I did with every students, and oh man, I learned a lot about how quickly they get all chewed up and look old and nasty. I felt sorry for the 6th class each day....

I am pretty sure we looked at the Art Projects for Kids example on how to create a vanishing point along a road. 

When students are going to be coloring with oil pastels, I don't like it when they start the project with pencil. I think the results are much better if they start with white or yellow chalk....that way their erased pencil lines can't leave a groove in the paper and they have to draw much bigger with chalk than they do in pencil, making it easier to color. In my opinion. 

Day 1
Seat work: Draw what Mrs. Mitchell looks like when you are talking while she is talking. Review a few procedures, practice a few of them, cover anything that was forgotten.

Objective 6: Interpret the environment through art: Use techniques to depict the illusion of depth in a landscape drawing.

• Read poem about perspective…..or quote….Define perspective. 
• Start ‘perspective project’.
• Draw Horizon line, make small dot in center, draw lines converging into the ‘vanishing point’.  Be careful not to smear the chalk while drawing.
  
• Students may choose between a DAY scene or a NIGHT scene.
• Make sure names and class codes (R-1) are on the back. Students might have a little time to add some color, but should start with the mountains, using cool colors that OVERLAP.

Supplies: 
gray 12X18 paper
chalk
ruler

Day 2

• Seat work: What are the cool colors?
• Objective: Use cool colors, use oil pastels
• Students should begin with the middle part of the paper being careful when coloring not to smear the pastel. Use COOL colors (write blue, turquoise, green on the board…purple is also a cool color, but we are substituting yellow because it mixes with green better).
• Save one blue color for the sky, use hot colors for sun. Use white for clouds.
• Be careful when coloring around trees.
• Save black for very last.
  

​

Supplies
Water soluble oil pastels
Table covers
Drawings from previous class

Following the plan I had used for the Christmas Pets in Oil pastel, I designed  a project to use basically the same ideas for my 2nd semester students, but we themed the animals to go with Valentine's day. 

The main differences, were that instead of just black background, I offered turquoise, purple, pink and black. Also, I had foam heart tracers students could use if they could not free-hand the heart. I also printed out several extra cartoonish images of animals holding hearts so we could reference those.  Several surprised me with their way of figuring out how to make a 3-D box for their pet to peek out of. I also told them they could make it for a family member if they weren't sure what they would want as a pet. 

This was a very successful project because most students were engaged in the process and happy to follow the directions. One student, chose not to color the entire dog, and did not even try to finish the eyes---so he cut it out just like this and glued it to the background. This would be an example of a '1' on a scale of 1-3. He made an attempt, and drew the dog nicely, but did not follow through or finish the project using the steps provided. 

 i
​This was the prompt I asked my students right before Thanksgiving break.I explained that when I was a little girl, I would lay in bed at night and WISH that I would wake up in the morning to find a new cuddly little pet peeking up at me from its little cage. I would pray that the sweet little new hamster or baby bunny would arrived equipped with all of its food, toys and accessories. 

I made a list of animals after they wrote them down and printed out a bunch of  'cute animal' visuals for them to reference. I also had them do some mini sketches to practice drawing the animal peeking out of a stocking. I opted for cute versions of the animals for my students to look at---as this project verges on toy versions of realism, and really appeals to my 5th grade students. The 6th graders are proud of their work, but weren't as sold on the project initially. 

The day we started, I had the cute visuals---clip art (simply drawn versions of cheetahs, sharks, horses, and it was helpful to have several varieties of dogs since some have snouts and others have snub noses.) I also had a few color prints hanging up that showed sad, big eyed-animals. We talked about the white highlight in the eyes, how that helped give the animal a lifelike quality.

Students drew their animal on 9X18 gray paper with white chalk. The nice thing about the chalk, is that it forced them to draw big and it also erases more easily than pencil, which can tend to leave a groove in the paper when they press hard with their pencil and attempt to erase, sometimes it still shows up when they switch to oil pastels.

I also had several 2" circles punched out of tagboard on the table and I encouraged my students to trace the circles for the eyes. For this project, I encouraged students to draw the eyes really big. The eyes were a little unnatural, and many of the animals look a little bit like stuffed toys---which I think is good for this particular project. 

TIP: Once students start coloring with oil pastels, I stressed to them that they should do ALL of the white first. Especially if their pet has a LOT of white, like a panda or a fox, because if they do the black first, it smears really bad! Also, if they are planning to trace the mouth or the nose with black, save that for last, after they color the fur around that area with another color, so it doesn't smear. 

I printed the photos above after finding them on a Pinerest search. I would love the give the artist credit, but I had trouble tracking down the original artist. I will post the link here if anyone finds it. 


Here is the paper, the tray of chalk+tagboard circles. I used my 2" punch to create the tracers. This size circle worked really well for this size paper. 

We spent a little time on one of the first, day before we drew the animal, practicing shading a sphere. Many students had never shaded a sphere and the eyes were looking really flat. I love the animals that have 'gum ball' looking eyes----they used the shading technique in their coloring, and did a nice job of blending the oil pastels! 

I posted steps 1-3 on the board and added 4-5 the 2nd day. 
1. Trace the eyes. Use chalk. (save room for ears/hat above the eyes)
2. Draw details and add a stocking.  
3. Color with oil pastels. 
4. Cut out. 
5. Glue to black paper, put name on black paper. 

Tip: Make sure eye highlight is white. The reflection needs to be white or else it looks strange. 

This is how they looked after day 1.

​Lots of foxes. Some had time to color the eyes. Some waited until the 2nd day to color the eyes. I encouraged them to do the eyes open, but the closed eyes are pretty cute too. Also, I suggested that they use multiple colors to make realistic textures. Some students spent a long time drawing, so they did not get as much colored. If they made the animal too big to squeeze the stocking on the same page, I let them use a 2nd piece for the stocking. The paws were optional. 

On the last day, we finished coloring, and cut out the animals, gluing them to a simple black background. This was all that some had time for, if they spent a lot of time designing the stocking or were slower at coloring. I had a few Christmas coloring pages for early finishers. 

I love the side view of the eagle and the 3/4 view of the red panda with open mouth above! 

Overall, this was a very successful project that we were able to finish in 2-3 art sessions. The kids loved them. At one point, I was so excited with the success: "You guys!! This room looks like a cute apocalypse, "I proclaimed with a class because there were SO many cute animals everywhere!! 

Students loved this project because pretty much any animal was approved...sharks, spiders, and peacocks were all welcome, and only a little bit of the head/shoulders had to peek out of the stocking. They were able to decorate and customize the stockings, and add toys/accessories, candy canes, hats, bows and anything else they wanted to make their image. 

One or two students that do not celebrate Christmas did not have to include the stocking, they could just draw the animal peeking out of its home or something. I would love another alternative if you have an idea, please leave it in the comments!