3rd graders got into the spirit of fall with this project inspired by Kids Artists Blog and Dream Painters Blog. We learned all about landscapes, value, and positive and negative space for this project. Day one began with a Value Scale Popsicle game:

Students had to work together to create a popsicle value scale and order their sticks from dark to light. Then, they put their knowledge into practice and completed a Value Worksheet.

Next we made concentric circles on paper. Each table agreed on a color and cooperated to create tints and shades.

We talked about landscapes which have a foreground, middleground, and background. Students used the bottom of their paintbrush to sgraffito or scratch in a horizon line. The process reminded me of the scratch art I used ot do when I was little where you scratch through the black and see a rainbow. . . . and now I’m also thinking about Lisa Frank and wondering whatever happened to all of that neon outrageous awesomeness. . . anyways back to kids art:

The next week, students drew a tree outline on the white side of their paper making sure to use shapes instead of lines.

Then they cut out the negative space and reassembled their tree on a black piece of paper.

They used white oil pastels to add visiual texture and contrast.

The result is a magnificent monochromatic tree that is just in time for that spooky October holiday which shall remain nameless (in order to be PC)