Paper Sculptures

PK, Kindergarten and 1st grade artists took their lines and shapes into the third dimension! They created paper sculptures, thinking about different ways to change and manipulate their flat piece of paper to turn it into a 3-D line or shape.

We began by learning about the difference between two-dimensional and three-dimensional objects. We thought about how we could change a piece of paper from 2-D to 3-D, just by using our hands. We came up with a few different techniques, including folding and bending the paper. We learned how to fold it to make a zig-zag line, and how to fold the ends of a curved piece of paper to create feet to help it stand up when glued. 

We experimented with paper before beginning to work on our own 3-D sculptures. Starting with a cardboard base, we added colorful 3-D lines and shapes by changing the paper. We discovered even more ways we could change the paper, and creative ways to connect and add them to our sculptures. We also focused on using the appropriate amount of glue!

As we were building, many of us realized that our sculptures reminded us of playgrounds and amusement parks! 

Line Challenge!

We have been learning about line across many 

different grade levels. Lines are a basic element of art, and we noticed that once we started looking, we could see them everywhere around us!

PK, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade artists drew a variety of different lines in their "line challenges," using crayons to draw straight lines, zig zag lines, and even some lines that they invented from their imagination:

During the next class, we explored what happens when we add paint on top of our crayon lines. We realized that we could still see the crayon lines showing through, because the wax-based crayon and water-based paint resist each other.

Calder Contour Portraits

The 5th Graders started the year by doing a unit on contour line. We used Alexander Calder's wire work as our inspriation to take our line "off " the page to create wire self-portraits. We started by doing continuous blind contour drawings of our friends to understand how with wire, everything had to be connected. It was amazing to see the student's personality come through in a media most of them had never used before.

Kandinsky's Lines

As the Kindergartens have been studying line, we are finally getting to paint! They are so excited! They were also introduced to the famous artist Kandinsky.

 

First we had a directed lesson where students were told which line and what direction to paint their line. The purpose of this was to learn about different types of lines but also to see how different everyone's composition would still be  even given the same directions.

 

Here are some final results...

Sign it!

In talking about line we eventually get to contour line. One of the basic and hardest things for students to draw is their own hand!I decide to throw a little bit about disabilities and sign language in this lesson and had the students learn how to sign their names using the ASL alphabet.

Dream Playgrounds

Studnets love this lesson! After our unit on line, we take what we know on drawing different types of lines and make it 3-D. Students learn basic paper scultpure techniques while letting thier imaginations run wild. These are some of the simpler ones.

Lines, Lines, Lines

To start our unit on the art element of Line, students created a simple line design using all the different lines that they knew.

Outter Space Collage

Students continue using their knowledge of line to create wonderful, fanciful planets for an outter space collage. The most exciting part of the project through seems to be the splatter painting for the stars.

Mondrain's Composition

First graders got their first look at Mondrain's Composition paintings when studying the art element of line. They then created their own using horizontal and vertical lines to create "windows" for their primary colors.