Complementary Color Wheels

In 7th grade we are reviewing the color wheel.  Students first worked on a color wheel worksheet filling in each piece using colored pencils.  They chose 8 colors they wanted for their final drawing and began their complementary color wheel which is shown below.  Instead of just creating a plain colored background, students practiced shading with colored pencils.  The objects were later colored in the complementary color inside the triangle (make sense?)  Just for review here is a link to a color wheel (scroll down the page a bit)-the complement is directly parallel.

 

8th grade-MOSAIC

8th grade has been busy working on their CD mosaics.  I let them choose their subject matter this semester, and some did choose to do landscapes (like last semester did), but others took off and running and created some pretty amazing works of art!  With the Hunger Games movie coming out soon, my 3rd period class has created a lot of work based on the novels.  The “mockingjay” pin is represented below.  It is absolutely INCREDIBLE!

 

Monochromatic Paintings-8th grade-COLOR

8th graders worked with paintings for the assignment below.  They could choose an image of anything they wanted.  Once they did this, I put the image on my computer and used a computer program called Photoshop to alter the image--to create almost a paint by number look.  The main intention of the assignment was color mixing.  Students were to choose a color they liked, and by mixing that color with either black or white they created a monochromatic painting.  Some chose to do a faded look with the paints in the background--modeled after the painter Mark Rothko (while others didn't--which was OK too).  I am so proud of the results!

8th grade-COLOR & TEXTURE (cont.)

8th grade collaborated on an assignment using oil pastels.  Each student received an 8X8 piece of the painting Starry Night, by Vincent Van Gogh.  On an 8X8 white drawing paper, using oil pastels, students were to recreate what they see.  Trying their best to create the flowing movement that is so popular in Van Gogh's artwork.  There are obviously some that are missing (or not completed yet), but I think so far it looks pretty good!! 

This assignment was used with all level students-ranging from Gifted to Life Skills and everywhere in between--all part of the big puzzle!

Below are some of the finished mosaics created by the 8th grade classes (there is a preview of the beginning of the assignment on the bottom of the link).  I think they all turned out successful and will definitely do this assignment again.  Students enjoyed the hands on experience of cutting the CD's, and it really shows in the finished results.  

8th grade-COLOR & TEXTURE

Here is just a preview of what some of my 8th grade students have been working on.  

For the following 3 images students had to break up their paper into 7 sections.  They then wrote a word (or multiple words).  Each triangle shape has a different art element represented.  I think this was a successful first lesson to work with students-to introduce all the elements before we started to break them down into the different months.

Lesson concept from:  http://afaithfulattempt.blogspot.com/search/label/Elements%20of%20Art

For the next 3 images we talked a little about the artist Chuck Close, and how he uses the grid format when creating his paintings.  Students were to draw an image of a landscape (breaking the space into the different color sections) and the add color by creating almost a checkerboard design.  They could pick any shape to go into the square and could even change the shape when they changed their colors.  I love doing this lesson with students...they will complain about the length of time it takes to complete it, but the results are always amazing and can work with multiple learners.  I have everyone from my gifted to my life skills students working on this assignment with very little modification.

Below is a preview of the work that most students are working on right now.  We used old CD's to create a mosaic type landscape.  Students sketched their ideas first and broke the image into different color sections.  Using at least 3 different CD's they painted the shiny side with acrylic paint.  After the paint was dry they carefully (safety goggles were used) cut the CD's into tiny tiles.  Building up their color to create a very visually interesting work of art.  I will have to take more pictures soon (my camera battery died while I was taking these pictures).

Lesson idea: http://www.schoolartsdigital.com/schoolarts/20110506/#pg22