My second and third graders have finally finished their landscapes and cityscapes and I thought I'd share a peek while they write up their corresponding artist statements.
This was their major cummulative project to end their unit that combined their knowledge of color theory with watercolor techniques.
After a discussion of how, like books, paintings also have a setting. As an artist, you have to provide clues so your audience will know where it takes place, the time of day and the season. As a class, we brainstormed potential features we could include in our paintings that would provide clues about the setting of our art. We used the ideas from this brainstorm to create a rough draft and then use this draft to create a painting
Second Grade Cityscapes
I love how they don't look like the typical cityscapes. The brainstorming sessions helped ensure each painting was unique and individual to the students personal experience with the city.
Third Grade Landscapes
I like how you can tell if they were sitting next to each other based on their pictures. I should rotate the seats mid project so they can get a variety of inspiration.
Once again, a case of sitting next to each other! During my demo, I suggest dots/dashes to help create the illusion of leaves. These girls took it very literally but I love the effect. 
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| I love the consideration of weather and how the blowing leaves mirror the falling rain. |
Students began their painting by doing a watercolor wash. Once it dried, they built complexity into their layers by experimenting with the amount of water used with their colors. The final day students were able to explore watercolor crayons in order to create implied textures and small details. As they finish, they are composing artist statements that will be displayed beside their paintings.
Painting's displayed above are incomplete for the most part. Check back soon for finished work and artist statements.
