4th Grade Art

Nature Art 2

Welcome back Colts. There are only 2 weeks left of our school year, and this week we are going to continue to explore art related to nature.

Last week we created art from natural materials like rocks, sticks, mud and water. This week we are going to practice taking great nature photographs, and we will create some drawings and paintings inspired by nature. Below are our first 2 nature art projects for this week.

1. Nature Photography

2. Lotus Flower Drawings

Check back on Wednesday for more art projects and videos if you are feeling very artistic this week and want even more art to work on.

Remember to share photos of your art making with me, and check out what other students have created in the Student Art Gallery.

Nature Photography

The video below gives tips and instructions for taking interesting and artistic nature photos.

When we take nature photos, we can either think big or small. A "big" picture would show lots of ground, trees and sky, like a landscape. A "small" picture would show something close-up like a flower or a plant. Try taking some big and small nature photos.

This is a project that can be done in your yard, or even in the house. If your family is able to go to a park or natural setting however, you may be able to find more interesting things to take pictures of. Make sure if you leave the house you are being safe and that your family always knows where you are, or comes with you on your artistic photo adventure.

After you take lots of nature photos, share about 5 of your favorite photos with Mr. Posey, so we can put them in our Student Art Gallery.

Videos about nature photography:

Lotus Flower Drawings

Watch the video below to learn how to draw a lotus flower.

Flowers in Different Styles

For our last nature art project, I would like us to use one of our nature photos from earlier this week as a source to create a painting or drawing. I will show you how you could do the a drawing or painting in different styles; realistic, impressionist, and expressive. Choose a photo, style and coloring material, and see if you can create a stylish flower drawing.

If you were not able to take your own flower photo, you can take one now, or look one up online.

Nature Art

Nature Art - Andy Goldsworthy's Earthworks

Videos about the Artist Andy Goldsworthy:

A short clip from the Andy Goldsworthy film "Rivers and Tides":

A longer film about Andy Goldsworthy called "Stone Wood Water". (18 minutes)

This film is 3 parts, and is for anyone who wants to know more about Andy Goldsworthy and Earthworks art. Some of the video quality is not great, but still worth a watch. Relaxing and really interesting. I really like it and hope that you do too!

Nature Art - Rain Shadows

Another way to use art to connect with nature is to make a rain shadow. If there is no rain, you can also use artificial rain, like from the hose or from a spray bottle.

A short video of Andy Goldsworthy creating a "rain shadow".

Nature Art - Maya Lin and Mud Shaping

The artist Maya Lin reshapes the Earth into artistic designs. We can do something similar by using mud like clay. This is a messy project, so I understand if you don't want to play in the mud, but I hope some of you give it a try.

Nature Art - Michael Grab Rock Balancing "Gravity Glue"

After posting Monday's video with the rock balancing section, a Kohl parent told me about a Boulder artist named Michael Grab who is a master rock balancer. I thought I would try again and this time really focus on getting a good balance. Watch his videos below, they are the closest thing to magic that I've seen in a while.

Nature Art Update - Thursday and Friday

Mr. Posey Reads - The Eleventh Hour

Last Week's Project: 3D Letters in 1-Point Perspective

For this week's project, we are going to do some art that is more technical. 1-Point perspective is a drawing technique that makes objects look 3-Dimensional, like they are going off into the distance. Watch the video below to learn how to make a words using block letters, and then use 1-point perspective to make the letters look like they are coming from a single point. At that point, you can shade the letters to make them look more 3D.

3D Letters - Part 2

Watch the video below for another way to draw 3D letters and shapes.

Last Week's Project: Pop-Art Portraits

Pop artists thought that art should be something that everyone can relate to, and something that everyone can understand. They used common subject matter like soup cans, comic books, and famous people. They also worked in a flat, graphic style with large areas of solid bright color.

For this week's art project, I would like you to create a pop-art portrait of someone that you like. This person should be someone that a lot of people would recognize. Basically you can choose any person that is popular in some way. "popular art" = "pop art", get it? This can be a musician, sports player, YouTube star, actor, inventor, historical figure. You need to be able to find some photo choices of the person online.

If you can use a printer and have a sharpie, you can use the tracing method, shown in the demonstration video below. Print in black and white at a low quality setting to save ink. Basically you trace all of the main lines with a Sharpie, then use the back of the paper where the ink has soaked through as the line drawing. You could also trace by putting your paper on your computer screen. Once the portrait is traced, fill in the shapes with solid areas of color. You just made Pop Art! Brilliant!

Watch the video below to learn how to make a pop-art portrait.

Extra Art Project for this Week:

The Heart of the Community - BVSD Collaborative Art Project

Kids and adults from all over the school district are making Heart Art for a giant community art project. I think it would be great to share some heart art from our creative Kohl Colts! Follow the instructions below to submit your Heart Art. Submissions DUE MAY 7th.

CLICK HERE to submit your Heart Art

Black and White Abstract Photography

This week’s home learning project is going to use some technology. It also involves looking with your artist’s eye to find things that are visually interesting or artistic. I would like you to practice taking photographs that are artistic and abstract. Take lots of photos, and then choose 3 to 5 that are your favorites to submit. As you take your photos, I want you to think about:

Composition - The way that the objects or shapes are arranged in your frame.
Value and Contrast - Take photos that have some dark areas, some light areas, and some values in the middle.
Abstract - Take photos that show shapes, patterns, and designs of things around the house or outside in your yard. Please don’t take photos of people. Be safe.

You can use anything that takes photos (phone, ipad, camera). In most devices, there is a way to add a black and white filter. If you can’t figure out a way to make your photo black and white, email it to me and I will change it to black and white for you.

As an extra step, you can look at the pictures that you took and make a drawing of them using any art tools that you have available.

Watch the video below about taking abstract photographs around the house.

Abstract Photo Part 2 - Value Drawings

Our abstract photos are great pieces of art themselves, but they can also be used as a source image to create a drawing. Since we have been talking a lot about “value” (The range of dark and light in a piece of art) we are calling these “Value Drawings”. First you would choose a photo that you took that has lots of different values. Then use a pencil, colored pencil, or crayon, to create a drawing of the photo that shows all of the different shapes and values. Remember, to get a darker value, you press harder with the tool, and for a lighter value you don’t press so hard. Watch the video below about turning one of your photos into a Value Drawing.

Art About Horses

Start by watching the video below of Mr. Posey reading the story "Dr. Seuss's Horse Museum".

Art Making Activity:

Create a piece of art with a horse as the subject. Your art can be realistic, or you can create a horse from your imagination which will show your unique style. For this project you can use any materials that you have available. Watch the video below for more information about making your horse-themed art, and for demonstrations on how to draw horses in different ways.

CLICK HERE to share photos of your art

Art History: More about the art pieces in "Horse Museum"

Want to know more about the horse art pieces in the story? Watch the videos below to become a horse-art expert! Look for a new video every day this week.

Horse Museum - The Art - Part 1

Horse Museum - The Art - Part 2

Horse Museum - The Art - Part 3

Horse Museum - The Art - Part 4

Stippling: Extra Art Activity

Watch the video below to learn to make art using the technique of "stippling".

CLICK HERE to share photos of your art

CLICK HERE for the Horse-Art Student Gallery

Pop Art

Completed 4th Grade Projects:

Charcoal Gesture Animal Drawings

Big Ideas for 4th Grade Art

1. We can use different art techniques for specific purposes.

2. Art lets us express a point of view.

3. We can use inference and empathy to understand art.

4. We can grow as artists by participating in a critique.

5. We can use interesting art and artistic styles to learn new ways to make art.

6. We can make art that expresses an idea.

7. There are traditional, unique, and inventive ways to make art.

8. An artist can decide to give artwork personal meaning.

9. Art can help us understand culture, history, and the world.

Astronomy and Science Fiction

Science Fiction Space Landscapes

Clay Sugar Skulls

World Culture Watercolor Paintings

Kohl Community Mural Project

We are in the process of creating our 7" mural for our float in the Broomfield Days parade this year. This piece of art was designed by Mr. Posey and is being colored and embellished by every student and adult in the school.