flying colours....

I've got to admit it: this is one of my favourite art projects.

It borrows from Science (making observations, and learning about "living things" more generally). It uses simple materials (oil pastels and construction paper). And it introduces the art concept of mark-making.

We begin by looking at lots of macro (close-up) photos of butterfly wings. We look at all of the little scales that coat the wings and create the colours and patterns. These scales make up the "fairy dust" that comes off of the wings when you touch them; or sometimes when the insect's wings move violently. Typically I will show the kids a dozen or so photos in a slide show.

A small selection of close-up photos of butterfly wings.

After that, I let each of the kids choose a close-up photo (printed) of a butterfly wing. All of them are different, so no two kids will be drawing the same picture. I let them choose a coloured piece of 12x18" construction paper, and show them how to draw the big shapes of their wings with white chalk. Then I show them how to "colour" in their shapes using short lines for marks, in imitation of the scales themselves. It's not quite pointillism, but it's far from just "colouring in" the shapes as well. It creates texture, and rhythm and movement.

At some point, I stop the class and show them how they can "blend" colours (without blending them) by overlapping or intermingling their pastel marks. Adding yellow to an orange area to make it lighter, or adding green to a turquoise area to give it depth and interest. (This is an Impressionist technique.)

Here's a selection of butterfly wing pastel drawings from several classes of Grade Ones.

drawing out loud....

A grade one student's "review" of  Alberta
Opera's Rumpelstiltskin. There was a part in the play
where one of the character's pants fell down,
revealing not-at-all-revealing boxers!

Lately I’ve been reminded of how many of the Grade One Language Arts objectives in my part of the world include “drawing,” “telling” and “listening;” as well as “reading” and “writing.” At this stage there is so much that kids know, that they haven’t got the skills to write down just yet. Drawing is a legitimate form of communication.

As an artist, I’ve always let my kids draw. Sometimes made my kids draw. But as a teacher who is newly discovering the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood instruction, I was puzzled by the love of permanent black markers as a drawing medium in Reggio circles.

It’s not that I was afraid of the mess the kids could make with them. It’s just I’ve never particularly liked that colouring-book effect of black lines outlining simple shapes. Waiting to be coloured in with a more interesting medium. I guess I don’t like the colour-inside-the-lines thing. (Heck, I don’t even like writing on lined paper!)

But.

I gave it a try and I’m duly impressed with what my kids have done with Sharpies this year. I don’t know if it’s the bold contrast that they like, or what it is, but they like drawing with them.

I like the commitment, the not-getting-mired-in-the-search-for-perfection, because once the lines are there, they’re there to stay. (I usually allow one do-over for my perfection seekers, but that’s all.)

I like the way they make every drawing seem important to both kids and viewers, which doesn’t always happen with pencil drawings.

I like the amount of detail they can put into a picture with their Sharpies, and that it doesn’t get lost in the colouring.

I’ve even started getting the kids to draw borders around their drawings this year, which is another thing I used to hate.

Hmmm.

Live and learn.


2015-06-02