Object Study, Leonardo daVinci Style.

After learning about the very famous Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, EII students took an in depth look at da Vinci's many drawings.  Da Vinci recognized the connection between mathematics, science, art, and invention.  He studied objects, animals, and people, drawing them over and over until it seemed he knew them inside and out.  We were able to see how this practice would have aided da Vinci in creating his paintings and planning his imaginative inventions.
We used this opportunity to learn and practice many different drawing techniques.  Students chose one object to study and draw using various techniques while showing different viewpoints.  We tried out contour and blind contour drawings with pencil, ink drawing techniques (hatching, cross hatching, stippling), charcoal drawing, and finally choosing a media to create a color drawing.  Students then selected their favorite drawing from each category and carefully arranged them together to create one display of their work.

Illustrative Design by EII

For this project, EII students learned about typography and letterform, and studied a variety of word art.  I asked each student to brainstorm some words that represent what art means to them.  Once they were ready, their job was to create an illustration that would visually describe their interpretation of the word and it's relationship to art.  Check out a variety of the designs!

Introduction to the Elements of Art!

We have had a busy and fun start to the school year!  This year all EI and EII students began by exploring the seven Elements of Art.  The elements of art are considered to be the building blocks of all art and will be used referenced by students throughout the year.  Students learned about each element: line, shape, form, space, texture, color, and value.  After each element was discussed the students were free to create a small design depicting each one.  EI students created a 2d composition on paper, while EII students created an elements cube.  The actual cube represents one of the elements; can you figure out which one?

Modern Art: Magritte and O'Keefe

With time for one final project before summer break, students had the choice of painting in the style of Wisconsin born artist Georgia O'Keefe or the dreamlike, surrealist style of Rene Magritte.  Students were introduced to each artist and learned what made their art unique.  Can you guess which works were inspired O'Keefe's love of nature and which were inspired by the mysterious Magritte?

Frank Lloyd Wright Cooperative Architecture

4th and 5th grade students worked in cooperative groups after learning about Wisconsin born and world famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright.  We discussed Wright's unique approach to architecture.  Using the natural environment as his biggest inspiration, Frank let the sites of his future architecture dictate the style and materials used to create his homes, museums, and other buildings. 
Students formed groups and chose the environment their homes would be built in.  They needed to ensure that the style of home reflected the land surrounding it, thinking carefully about which natural resources would be nearby and available as building materials.  Because Frank Lloyd Wright also designed the interiors, furniture, and even stained glass windows, each group also designed an interior room of their home as well as a window design.  Once complete, groups presented their complete architectural designs to their classmates.  Homes were designed on volcanoes, underwater, in rainforests, and even up in the sky!