Still Life Collage Painting
1st-grade artists began this art unit by learning to draw and paint different 3D forms using value (cubes, cylinders, cones, & hemispheres). They then choose from various fruits, vegetables, and plants to draw and paint from observation. I have several plastic pieces that they use, and I also created a few drawing and painting guides to help them.
Once they completed painting their still-life objects, artists then painted a background by mixing secondary and tertiary colors. Finally, they used overlapping and balance when arranging their composition and gluing their objects onto their background. Artists completed their work using crayons to add shadows before sharing it with the class!
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Art Vocabulary:
Form: A 3-Dimensional object (ex. cube, cylinder, cone)
Value: The lightness and darkness of a color.
Tint: A color with white added to look lighter.
Shade: A color with black added to look darker.
Observation: To look at something carefully.
Secondary Colors: Colors you get when you mix two primary colors together (orange, green, violet)
Tertiary Colors: Colors you get when you mix a primary and secondary color together (lime, aquamarine, indigo, magenta, vermilion, amber)
Overlapping: Placing objects on top of one another.
Balance: Having an equal amount of art elements throughout a work.
Day 1: Cubes
During the first three classes, I have different color paints set up at each table. I then rotate the colors each week.
Day 2: Cylinders & Cones
During this lesson, we also learn how to blend the colors to create a smooth surface.
Day 3: Bowls
Before painting, artists can use a permanent marker to create a unique design/pattern on their bowl.
Days 4-5: Fruits, Vegetables, and Plants
During this portion of the classes, I have different fruits, vegetables, and plants set up at each table. Artists can choose to paint any object that they want. Once they are done, they place their work on a tray at the end of the table. They can then select another object to paint. We usually work on these for two classes, sometimes three.
Day 6: Paintings Backgrounds with Secondary and Tertiary Colors
Artists learn to mix secondary and tertiary colors. They then draw a horizon line and mix two colors to paint a background.
Day 7: Collage and Shadows
This is where we discuss overlapping and balance to create a composition. Artists than use a crayon to add shadows to their work before presenting to the class. Once all work is complete, we cover it in a layer of mod-podge. This gives the work a nice shine and ensures no pieces fall off!
Student Art
