In Foundations of Art, students study the elements of art including: line, shape, form, color, texture, pattern. A zentangle is a design that can be repeated or transformed into repetitive patterns. Students began by learning how to draw organic shapes which are the animals. We worked on space by cropping the images tight to zoom in on what the student deemed as the most important area. Students worked on contour line drawings to focus on the shapes they were working with. From here, students began to sketch zentangle designs. The back dry erase board became a "never bored board" for students to add to the designs that we began with in the preliminary stages of a project.

Students then chose a color scheme to add to areas of their animal. The materials available were Sharpies, markers, crayons, colored pencils and watercolor paint. By allowing students to add color at their discretion we could discuss how the color has added to the design and how it adds visual interest in the work! Students worked on a large square piece of paper that was 24x24 inches with a focus on positive and negative space!

Arty on! 

Students completed research on individual artists. I chose the artists based on Scholastic Arts Magazines I had on hand. This allowed for the research phase to begin immediately and for the students to check out the magazines to complete research at home. 

Students watched the movie Wall-E as a consumption wake up call. I wanted students to realize what objects they were discarding and what those could be repurposed and reused for. I collected objects for several weeks in order to have enough. Students went in table rotations to claim supplies. A requirement was to use 10 different objects and they could only used recycled or repurposed objects on their project. I bought nothing, but what the students made was incredible! The sculptures were on display for the duration of the school year in the high school library.

Arty on!