Lesson on Line
Show students pictures of
The Swan by Henri Matisse
Shell No. 1 by Georgia O'keefe
Discuss the types of lines they have
Teach the children the "Larry the Line" poem by Cassie Stevens
Show students a picture of Wassily Kandinsky's Circles in a Circle; 1923
Talk about the different types of lines found in this piece. Lines that makes circles. Overlapping lines. Thick lines, think lines.
Have the students glue down the large black construction paper circle that has been pre-made. Give the students a ruler and a black crayola marker. Have them create lines within the circle.
Give the students varying sizes of circle templates. Have them trace the circles onto pieces of painted paper. Talk with them about composition. How to lay out their circles in a way that is pleasing to the eye. How many colors will they choose? Will the circles touch?
Week #2
Continue adding circles if needed.
Provide the students with their pre-cut triangles of tissue paper. Teach them how to lay the tissue paper down on their drawings and wet it so the color bleeds onto their artwork. Tell them to be very careful when painting on the water so that they don't move the tissue paper.
I think this lesson came together pretty well. The children certainly loved it. Tracing, cutting, holding a ruler firmly while tracing a line and paint brush etiquette were all skills touched on in this lesson. I think that if I did this lesson again I would have the children use sharpies instead of black Crayola markers so that they wouldn't bleed in the final step.
