Art and Art Appreciation for Young Children
Author:Mary L. Nisewande
School or Affiliation: London School, OR
Grade Levels/Subject: Multi-aged or mixed aged,
kindergarten through second. The primary subject area is art, when possible, integrated
with language arts, math, social studies, and science.
Overview: In design the elements are visual properties.
The principles are ways of using and combining the elements to get a desired effect. The
organization of the elements and principles in space is called design.
| Elements: |
Principles: |
| 1. Line |
1. Balance |
| 2. Shape |
2. Movement |
| 3. Form |
3. Repetition |
| 4. Texture |
4. Emphasis |
| 5. Value |
5. Contrast |
| 6. Space |
| 7. Color |
In this series of activities the primary focus will deal with the element of line. All
or a combination of principles of design will be presented in the line activities.
Purpose:
"The early years, when children are so fascinated with picture books, are the
naturally sensitive years for them to become familiar with paintings" (Wolf, 1990).
In working with young children ,they are natural artists, therefore providing them with
high-quality tools and materials that are worthy of their efforts allows them to develop
their own natural progression.
Objective(s):
- 1. Identify and demonstrate the element of line in their designs.
- 2. Identify the principle(s) used in their line design.
- 3. Demonstrate correct and safe use of art materials.
- 4. Identify and use the primary colors.
- 5. Explore and use mixed media to complete a project.
- 6. Identify and experience completing a project influenced by the style of an artist.
Activities:
- Line Collage
- Materials: 1"-3" wide strips of various lengths of colored construction
paper, 1 sheet of 9"X18" white drawing paper per student, glue, scissors.
- Process: students glue the strips of construction paper to their piece of drawing
paper, using the edge of their strip to demonstrate the element of line. e.g. twisting,
looping, chaining, rolling, curling, folding, pleating
Line Printing
-
- Materials: 2" wide strips of various lengths of manila tag paper, 1 sheet of
9"X18" white drawing paper per student, paper clips, staplers, 3 plates of
tempera paint per group (e.g. hot/cold colors).
- Process: students fold, curve, pleat, etc. their strips of manila tag paper and
either paper clip or staple the form. Students dip each strip form into different colors
of tempera paint, then print onto their drawing paper to demonstrate the element of line.
String Painting
-
- Materials: 2-9"X12" white drawing paper per student, tempera paint in
bowls, 12" length of string (at least 3 per student).
- Process: provide several lengths of string for each bowl of tempera paint, hold
one end, dip string into paint. Lay string onto paper to create design. Re-dip and relay,
or use a new string and a new color.
- Variation: try dropping string onto paper.
- Note: for a strongly imprinted design, press a second sheet of paper or several
sheets of newspaper on top of your string design.
Pulled String
-
- Materials: yarn or string, bowl of tempera paint, construction paper or drawing
paper, damp rag or sponge.
- Process: dip string or yarn into bowl of tempera paint, do not squeeze paint out
of string. Lay string on a sheet of paper in any design, leaving the tail end of string
off the edge of the paper. Place another piece of paper over this. Lay hand gently over
paper and string. Pull string from paper, keeping hand pressing gently. Remove top paper
and observe designs.
- Variations: try a folded sheet of paper and place string inside. Try several
colors, one at a time, adding each color after the first is done. Try a rope dipped in
paint and place between very large sheets of paper (many hands can help).
Tying It All Together:
Art Postcards
-
- Materials: 2 identical sets of postcard-size reproductions of artwork (e.g. van
Gogh, Renoir, Matisse, Degas).
- Process:
Step one - students match identical paintings of a variety of
subjects. First begin using only three identical pairs, then gradually add more pairs of
that particular artist. Do not introduce the name of the artists or the titles of the
paintings unless the child asks about them. Now each pair has the same subject matter as
every other pair (e.g. mother with a child). This level of identical matching can also be
done with many other subjects. For the advanced level, select extremely similar pairs to
every other pair. All six pairs are painted by the same artist, feature the same style,
and have the same subject matter.
Step two - students pair similar paintings by an artist that are not identical
but similar in both subject and style (e.g. two different paintings of ballet dancers by
Degas, two different paintings of birds by Audubon, two different geometric abstracts by
Mondrian). Difficulty is gradually increased by selecting subjects that more closely
resemble each other. For the advanced level, the subjects of the paintings are all the
same (e.g. twelve portraits of children - two different children by Cranach, ...Holbein,
...Renoir, ...Lawrence, ...Picasso, ...Millais).
Step three - students begin grouping four paintings by each of three different
artists. At this point, introduce writing the artist's name under each painting.
Step four - learn about artists and their times. Continue to increase the
challenges that are age appropriate for each student's level of experience. Can be
integrated with language arts, math, social studies, and other academic areas.
"Cray-Pas" - van Gogh
-
- Materials: Cray-Pas, van Gogh art postcards, 1-9"X18" white drawing
paper per student.
- Process: each student chooses their favorite art postcard by Vincent van Gogh.
Students duplicate the artwork onto their drawing paper.
Resources:
- Cole, Elizabeth and Schaefer, Claire (1990). "Can Young children Be Art
Critics?". Young Children, 45 (2), 33 - 38.
- Kohl, Mary Ann F. (1985). Scribble Cookies And Other Independent Creative Art
Experiences For Children. BrightRing Publishing. P.O. Box 5768, Bellingham, WA 98227.
- Olshansky, Beth (1990). Portfolio Of Illustrated Step-By-Step Art Projects For Young
Children. The Center For Applied Research In Education, Business and Professional
Division, West Nyack, New York 10995.
- Wolf, Aline D. (1990). "Art Postcards - Another Aspect Of Your Aesthetics
Program?". Young Children, 45 (2), 39-43.
Useful Internet Resources:
Art History Theme Page
http://www.cln.org/themes/art_history.html
Art and Music
http://www.siec.k12.in.us/~west/sites/art.htm
ArtSeek - Internet Art Resources
http://www.artseek.com/ArtSites/Sites.html
The Art Teacher Connection
http://www.primenet.com/~arted/
Arts Lesson Plans
http://www.inet-edu.com/lessons/links/artslessons.html
Chinese Papercuts
http://www.isaacnet.com/culture/papercut.htm
Crayola
http://www.crayola.com/
Educational Standards and Curriculum Frameworks for Art http://www.putwest.boces.org/StSu/Art.html
GATES - Global Access to Educational Sources: Art & Music
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy/6617/arts.html
The Greatest Painters on the Web
http://kultur-online.com/greatest/
Japan - Resources for a Visual Arts Theme
http://www.primenet.com/~bec/
KidsWeb - Art & Museums
http://www.npac.syr.edu/textbook/kidsweb/Arts/art.html
The Library-in-the-Sky - Art Lesson Plans
http://www.nwrel.org/sky/Library/Materials_Search/Lesson_Plans/Arts.html
Museums Index at World Wide Arts Resources
http://wwar.com/museums.html
Pencils! Pencils! Pencils!
http://www.pencils.com/
Study Web - Art Teaching Resources
http://www.studyweb.com/teach/tocart.htm
The Top Humanities Websites: Art History
http://edsitement.neh.gov/websites-art.htm
Yahoo Home: Arts: Education
http://dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Education/K_12/
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