Kinder Pumpkins!

The Kinder classes took a field trip to a pumpkin patch in October, so I figured we should look at drawing and painting pumpkins!  I found a neat lesson online and tried it out with the kids*.  First, we looked at photos of pumpkins, and discussed how they were neither circles or ovals- instead they had segments and were rather bumpy!  We talked about how "real" artists look for what's really there- that they don't pretend everything is a set shape.  We drew two small ovals, one at the top of the page, and one at the bottom.  Then, we drew an imaginary straight line down the middle of the page, connecting the two ovals.  From then on, every line we drew had to be curved!  We created the segments of the pumpkin.  Finally, we reviewed mixing primary colors to get secondary colors, and began to experiment with tempera paint to find colors that reminded us of pumpkins.  The kids cut the pumpkins out, and then cut and glued faces out of black and white paper, to create jack o lanterns!

*http://www.deepspacesparkle.com/2013/10/16/funny-face-pumpkin-project-for-kinders/

Kinder Observational Leaf Drawing

As Fall fell across campus, our trees turned beautiful shades of oranges, purples, yellows, and reds.  The Kinders and I went on a leaf hunt and found all sorts of leaves with different shapes, sizes, and colors.

We brought them back to the studio, and observed the characteristics of the leaves... were they bumpy?  Sharp?  Did they have veins?  The Kinders then watched me draw one of the leaves from observation (from looking- not tracing!), and then they went to town.

Leaf People!

Pre-Firsters took a brisk jaunt outside to hunt and gather leaves.  They grabbed leaves of different shapes, sizes, and colors.  Once back in the warm studio, the used those leaves to create Leaf People, and then used oil pastels to fill the background.

Pre-Firsters draw people!

Pre-Firsters have been learning how to draw people!  All those little details like necks, fingers, legs, etc can be tricky!  This class period, the kids took turns posing for each other.  Each child was both drew and posed.  Miss Smith joined our class so we had an even number of people!  After the kids posed, we had to use our imaginations to figure out where the pose would make sense... would it be at a football game?  A person diving into a pool?  Somebody flying a plane?  The kids came up with backgrounds and used crayons to complete them.