Grade 4

What we've been working on!...

MAY:  Biography Portraits 

Landscapes... but make them different! For this project we added to our landscape drawing toolkit. We practiced working with foreground, middleground, and background. We made sure we used a horizon line to separate the ground from the sky, and we worked with perspective to create space. We even went one step further by making our landscapes out of lines. We chose patterns and different line designs that matched the texture of our landscape. Some of us chose mountainscapes, desertscapes, snowscapes, and more.  We hope our artworks "transport" you somewhere fun today!

National Standard: (VA:Cr2.1.4a) Explore and invent art-making techniques and approaches. 

Printmaking! Printmaking is a special art form that takes creativity, focus, and careful planning. However, once the plan is set and the design prepared, copies can be made with ease. For this project, we were given the exciting opportunity to connect to our community through our artwork. Our prints are inspired by the Wizard of Oz, and will be displayed during the Saugatuck Theater Club's performances of the show. First, we created a drawing that portrayed a recognizable character, scene, or image from the movie. We had to remember that when printmaking the design gets printed in reverse (like a mirror image). This was especially important if we used words! Next, we pressed the design into a piece of foam to make our printing plate. Finally, we used a brayer and black ink to create copies of our design. The print can be re-inked, rinsed in the sink, and repeated at a later date. We hope our prints help you "perform" today!

National Standard: (VA:Pr5.1.4a) Analyze the various considerations for presenting and protecting art in various locations, indoor or outdoor settings, in temporary or permanent forms, and in physical or digital formats. 

We created nature inspired metal embossings. Embossing is the term we use when a design, drawing, or image is pressed into a material causing certain areas to become 3-dimensional. Creating an embossing requires a few materials: felt, wooden tools, and metallic sheets. Paint markers and sharpies, like the ones we used here, are optional:). For this project we focused on theme and composition. We each narrowed down the "nature" theme provided by Miss Lasto, and picked specific elements to incorporate into our cohesive design. We worked to create a circular composition that utilized the "white space". We hope our still lives help you "set up"  your day!

National Standard: (VA:Cr2.2.4a) When making works of art, utilize and care for materials, tools, and equipment in a manner that prevents danger to oneself and others 

Our fourth graders warmed up their still life drawing skills with a station drawing activity. We drew for 6 minutes, at 6 different stations. Each station contained objects that were grouped by their qualities (i.e. soft, textured, geometric, natural, etc.) On day one, the goal for the quick sketches was to capture the "basic shapes" of each object. On day two, the goal was to edit our lines and begin looking for shadows. Next, we composed our own still life by combining our personal object with additional objects from our table teammates or Miss Lasto's collection. We learned that inspiration can come from anywhere, and we have so many ways to make an artwork our own. We used the same steps we used in our station drawing to help us get started, and made sure to use a "light pencil" (no "ghost lines" here!). We learned how artists use a value scale to help create form, and even practiced by creating our own. Finally, some of us chose to add pops of color! The only two materials we used were pencils, erasers, and watercolor paint. We hope our still lives help you "set up"  your day!

National Standard: (VA:Cr1.2.4a) Collaboratively set goals and create artwork that is meaningful and has purpose to the makers. 

National Standard: (VA:Re8.1.4a) Interpret art by referring to contextual information and analyzing relevant subject matter, characteristics of form, and use of media. 

National Standard: (VA:Cn10.1.4a) Create works of art that reflect community cultural traditions. 

National Standard: (VA:Cr2.2.4a) When making works of art, utilize and care for materials, tools, and equipment in a manner that prevents danger to oneself and others.

National Standard: VA:Cr2.1.4a) Explore and invent art-making techniques and approaches.

WEEK 1 WARMUP :  Puzzle Piece Mural

We have been working collaboratively to create a mural using watercolor paint, colored pencils, and scissors. This was our art room warm up. We Traced a puzzle piece stencil, created an image to represent one of our favorite summer memories, practiced cutting, and shared  stories and ideas with each other. We hope our mural display is a wonderful “piece” of your day. 

National Standard: (VA:Cr1.2.4a) Collaboratively set goals and create artwork that is meaningful and has purpose to the makers.