Pumpkin in Contrast ...a Positive and a Negative Side

Pumpkin in Balance...a Positive and a Negative Side 

Medium:  Oil Pastels

Reason for Lesson: This is a lesson on Balance, and negative and positive space

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Class Time:  1-hour

Materials:  

• 12x18, or 9x12 Base Construction Paper, 
• 9 x 12, or 9 x 6 Orange Construction Paper, 
• Scissors, 
• Glue/Glue Stick
• Pencil
• Black Oil Pastel, or Black Crayon, or Black Pencil
• White Oil Pastel, or White Crayon, or White Pencil
• Raffia

Instructions to Lead Lesson: 

Step 1:   Cut out half side of Pumpkin.  Cut out two blocks in bulk of pumpkin.  NOTHING is garbage!! ... save it as it's the Reverse Side of picture (Negative Side)

Step 2:  Aligned and glue down positive side of pumpkin, then do exactly the same on negative side of pumpkin

Step 3:  Using Black and White Oil Crayons, color in base paper in shapes and lines using white crayon and use the black crayon on the orange paper.  Be sure each side reflects the other.

Step 4:  Optional...add raffia to finish off top.

Credit:  From Art-A-Baloo Past Resources

Colorful Apples

Colorful Apples

Medium:  Tempera Paint and oil pastels

Reason for Lesson:  Lesson was designed to create an understanding of mixing colors and warm and cool color.  Also negative space

Prep Time:  20 mins, need to make a paint tray for each child on a paper plate.  A quarter size drop of paint of each of 2 primary colors: red and yellow.  And dime size drop of blue.

Preparation prior to lesson:  Make a template for each child in the shape of an apple, cut it out of cardstock so it is strong.  

Class Time: 1 hour.

Materials: 

• 1-12x18 piece of white construction paper for each student, 
• 1-12x18 piece of blue, purple or green construction paper for the background, 
• a paint tray plate for each student, 
• a water cup for each student, 
• two paper towels for wiping the students brushes, 
• paint brush for each student, 
• tempera paint, red, yellow, and blue, 
• Pencil, 
• Apple template, 
• Brown and black oil pastels, 
• Scissors 

Instructions to Lead Lesson: Have a discussion on how we mix colors and how every color comes from our 3 primary colors. Discuss how we make the color orange.  Next discuss what a warm color is a what a cool color is.  Warm: red, yellow, orange.  Cool, blue, green, purple.  Finally discuss how negative space is the background color.  

Step One: Trace The Apple


Using a pencil trace three apples.  Draw a stem and a couple of leaves.  Next go over all your lines will and oil pastel.  This will help keep the paint in the right spot.

Step Two:  Paint The Apples

Now comes the fun part: painting! I placed the tempera primary colors on a paper plate and had the children paint one apple yellow. They used very little water and cleaned their brushes by sweeping the bristles over the paper towel. Next, they dipped their paintbrush into the red paint and painted the second apple red. Now, without cleaning brush, dip paint brush in yellow paint again and paint 3rd apple. The children will notice right away that the yellow and red on their brush creates orange. If they need more paint, they can add more yellow or red directly to the apple.

After cleaning their brush, they painted the leaves yellow, then dipped paint brush into blue paint and painted directly over yellow leaves. Don’t worry about the stems for now.

Step Three: Color the Stems and Cut out the Apples

With an oil pastel, color the stem in brown.

Step Four:  Glue onto a Cool Color Background.

Credit:  http://www.deepspacesparkle.com/2012/10/15/apple-art-project/

Tint and Pattern Circles, a Lesson in Color and Negative Space

Tint and Pattern Circles

Medium:  Tempera Paint

Reason for Lesson:  Lesson was designed to create an understanding of color, tint and negative space.

Prep Time:  20 mins, need to make a paint tray for each child.  A half dollar size drop of paint of each of the 3 primary colors, red, yellow and blue and a drop of white which will be used to tint the colors.

Preparation prior to lesson:  Collect circles for the students to trace.  I’m planning on using some small plastic cups.

Class Time: 1 hour.

Materials: 

• 1 - 8x11 piece of white construction paper for each student, 
• a paint tray plate for each student, 
• a water cup for each student, 
• two paper towels for wiping the students brushes, 
• paint brush for each student, 
• tempera paint - red, yellow, blue and white, 
• Pencil and 
• plastic lids or cups

Instructions to Lead Lesson: Have a brief reminder discussion on how we mix colors and how every color comes from our 3 primary colors.  Introduce white as a tinting color.  Discuss how white is actually and absent of color and it make the colors lighter. Finally talk about negative space, it is the space in the background.  

Step One: Trace Circles on a Paper

Using a plastic lid, trace circles around paper. Encourage overlapping and going “off” the edge of the paper. Of course, you don’t have to use this method of drawing circles, but it’s an efficient way to get to the good stuff.

Step Two:  Paint Negative space

Mix one primary color and white together on the tray. This color will be the background color or negative space. Sticking to one color is pretty hard for this age group but reassure them that the opportunity to mix more colors with the white will be coming up. Paint all areas of background.  Go over proper painting techenique, a little goes a long way, a glob will take a long time to dry.

Step Three: Paint the Circles

Have the students paint each of the circles in a different color.  Making sure they have one circle each of a Primary Color, and then have them mix the colors to fill in the rest.  Encouraging them to use the white to tint the color.

Credit:  http://www.deepspacesparkle.com/2010/10/11/tint-and-pattern-circles/