Thursday, December 10, 2015
Identity Maps: Watercolor
We have recently wrapped up our summative watercolor project called "identity maps." Students expressed at least 8 aspects of their identity through naming land or water features that they included on an island or continent which they designed. To make the paper appear old, students folded their watercolor paper at least 20 times and then dyed it with tea. They then sketched the design of their island onto their final paper and began watercoloring. Students practiced control of 3 different watercolor washes and learned to paint small areas with fine detail brushes. Every student has his/her identity map on display at school, lining the 6th grade hallway. Below are photos of just a small sampling of our beautiful maps!
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
CD Upcycle Project
We just completed our "One to the World" upcycle project. One to the World (OttW) is a new initiative from Loudoun County. Teachers were asked to approach a "real world" problem through their subject area. We took a look at "upcycling" or repurposing old items to create something new and beautiful. We used old CDs (Mac software from 2000), and turned them into works of art. Students learned about the stained glass artwork of Louis Comfort Tiffany, radial symmetry, and mandalas for their inspiration. The following photos don't fully capture the beauty of this project. It was difficult to photograph the reflective nature that is maintained by the CDs after the color and paint was added. Luckily, all of the CDs from our class will be going on display at Blend Coffee Bar in Ashburn in the next couple of weeks!
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Artist Trading Cards
Trade day is almost here! Students have been making a collection of artist trading cards since the 2nd week of school (the goal was to make 4). Each card is the size of a playing card (about 2 1/2" x 3 1/2") and is supposed to be a miniature work of art including any subject matter in any medium. On the back of the cards, students included their name (they're the artist!), the medium they used (collage, colored pencil, paint, etc.), the title of their mini work of art, and the date it was completed. We invited 6th grade students in different art classes to make artist trading cards with us so that we could trade with them (Mr. Alexander & Miss Baroni accepted our invitation!). Below are pictures of decks comprised of 1 card made by each student in each block. Students chose the card that they felt was their strongest piece for the block deck. I also included a picture of my deck. I made cards along with my students so they could watch demonstrations of various art techniques.
Block 1's Deck:
Block 6's Deck:
Block 7's Deck:
Block 8's Deck:
Block 1's Deck:
Block 2's Deck:
Block 3's Deck:
Block 7's Deck:
Block 8's Deck:
Mrs. Baxter's Deck:
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Animal Zentangle Project: Drawing and Line
Our first summative project has drawn to a close in 6th grade art (Get it? drawn to a close...). Students learned about observational drawing, contour drawing, line, value, shape, and color. Students began by drawing a contour of an animal of their choice and then filling it with at least 8 abstract line patterns (a doodle process called "zentangling"). They then traced over their lines with Sharpie marker. Next, students learned how to create a watercolor wash for their background. They experimented with sprinkling salt on the wet watercolor wash to create a "color burst" effect. Finally, students added color to their animals with colored pencil. The results were beautiful! Scroll through to see a few student examples!
Student Reflections:
"I was so excited for animal zentangles, because I liked zentangling letters. One thing I learned was that I needed to work on watercoloring without accidentally coloring the inside of the animal. The thing I most liked about this unit was learning new zentangle patterns. Also, I like how we added value with colored pencils in each zentangle pattern. I hope I get to learn more watercoloring, and I can't wait to do clay projects. "
-Block 2 student
"I LOVE Art. It is fun and challenging. I like doing the "Artist Trading Cards" and am happy to be starting clay! I like my teacher Mrs. Baxter, because she is nice and helpful."
-Block 2 student
"I had a lot of fun doing my zentangle butterfly in art. I also learned a few things that went along with it. When I was doing my zentangle, I was doing contour drawing. I learned how to use a value scale in my butterfly with colored pencils. I also learned how to do a watercolor wash on watercolor paper. When the paint for the watercolor wash was still wet, we added salt and then the salt absorbed the paint and left little speckles on the paper. I thought that was very cool and can't wait to learn more this semester about art and use it towards my own art at home."
-Block 2 student
"Hi, I am a block 3 student, and this is my essay on what I have learned in art this year. Art means a lot to me, it is a way for me to express my feeling and emotions. Art is anything you can imagine. It is a way to express your creativity and thoughts. Art unleashes the power within you. You can tell anything just by drawing it out, and guess what? It all starts with a dot on a blank sheet of paper. So far, art has taught me a lot of things, such as value and shading to blend colors together. Art has been very useful in my life, and I am sure it will continue to be a huge part of my life."
-Block 3 student
"I think that the zentangle project really helps you get started on how to sketch, how we'll be graded, and on observatory drawings. It also gives us a briefing on how we have to do things in art. The zentangle project also gave us a little idea on how to use watercolor. Overall, I think that the zentangle was very fun and a nice way to start art!"
-Block 3 student
"In art, for our project we did zentangling. It taught me a lot about value and shading. value and shading are done to show the lightness and darkness of a a color. We used Prismacolors and watercolors as our medium. We also demonstrated contour drawing in our projects. Contour drawing is used to draw the outline of an object. Zentangling was an imaginative way of demonstrating art. You express yourself in art, that's what I love about it most!"
-Block 7 student
"During the animal zentangle project, I learned about value. Value is the lightness and darkness of a color. When you use value to shade, it makes objects look more 3-dimensional. This was a very fun project to do because everybody's animal looked very different."
-Block 7 student
"What did I learn during zentangle? I learned that the picture design needs to be divided into multiple parts. Also, in each section there has to be a different design. Another thing I learned was that you can make different cool shades. My most favorite part was when you could use colored pencils and blend the colors to make cools shades."
-Block 3 student
"I loved making the animal zentangle! I loved how the value made everything look different and cool. I loved making my cute little bunny, and Mrs. Baxter helped me make it even better! I liked how I could add different colors to make two different colors blend together."
-Block 6 student
"The zentangle project taught me how to use watercolors properly. The salt had a cool effect on the watercolors. I learned a lot of different types of designs. I also learned how to sketch better and more realistically. We used value for the color pencils and contour drawing for the zentangle animal. I love how you have no idea what you're going to do at first, but then you get an exact picture in your mind later on. I can't wait to finish my pinch pot!"
-Block 6 student
"I learned a lot about art this month. I learned how to blend, watercolor, and use clay properly. I really like Mrs. Baxter. She is a great artist and a great teacher!" She teaches us so much, and I respect that! The zentangles are amazing. I really like the designs and how we mixed colored pencils. I'm glad that I have art the first semester, because I get Mrs. Baxter! "
-Block 6 student
"Doing the animal tangle taught me a lot of things. It taught me how to do a contour, because the first step to making the animal tangle was to do a contour. After we finished our contour, we added value. Value is the lightness or darkness of a color. We used Prismacolors to add value. Mrs. Baxter told us to start with dark and go to light. When we finished with all that, we did a watercolor wash. When the wash was done, we added salt to our art pieces to add a cool effect. Mrs. Baxter also taught us how to blend colors! The rule is to only blend with the next color of the rainbow. When our art pieces dried, they looked magnificent! That is what I learned from my animal tangle project."
-Block 6 student
"Animal zentangles are so fun to make! In art class, we made animal zentangles, which are the shape of an animal with an inside filled with patterns and shapes. We learned so much when we did this. For example, we learned about value and how we can use value in a project. I had so much fun when we did animal zentangles!"
-Block 7 student
"What I learned from animal zentangling is that you have to be patient, which means that you need to work hard and not get upset about the tiniest things that no one can see. One other thing I learned is that you need to be careful about what you're doing, and you can't just slap something on and say you're done. You need to take you're time."
-Block 1 student
"This year in art I did an owl for my zentangle project. During this project, I learned how to use value. I also learned how to blend colored pencils without a blending stump. In this project, I also learned how to be more abstract with my art and how to use many different colors and designs. I think that most interesting thing I learned while doing this project, was learning how to do a watercolor wash and how salt absorbs the color. I really enjoyed doing this zentangle project."
-Block 6 student
"In art, we made an animal zentangle. I learned that a zentangle is a specific design or pattern that is in an enclosed shape. If you're not the best at art, what I've learned is that you can make a very complicated looking zentangle by adding to a very simple one. One of the most interesting things about this art form is that you can make very nice looking pieces of art. Also, this method can add some character in your art. zentangles are one of my favorite art forms, and I'm glad that I learned this in class."
-Block 3 student
"During the animal zentangle, I learned that compact patterns equal darker colors and spread out patterns equal lighter colors. Also, when drawing complex patterns of a rough draft, it's better to start it, but not finish on the draft because it takes up too much time. I also learned to never draw a kraken ever again, because it was too complex."
-Block 8 student
"I learned three things about animal zentangles. I learned to use your imagination, use your favorite colors, and express yourself!"
-Block 1 student
"What I learned from doing zentangles are how to do a contour drawing. It also taught me how to shade with pencil and colored pencil. How to do a watercolor wash was another main thing that I was taught. That is what I learned from doing my animal zentangle."
-Block 1 student
"I love art. I've learned so much from Mrs. Baxter, especially on the zentangle project. I learned that zentangles are patterns, simple or difficult. I also learned that zentangles can go on just about anything. Mrs. Baxter has really inspired me with her art."
-Block 2 student
"Dear Mrs. Baxter, I had a really fun time doing the animal tangle. One of my favorite parts was using water colors and hearing your great advice. This was a fun project, not just because I like art, but because I like animals, coloring, painting, and drawing. And I LOVE making patterns. I always doodle them in my notebooks. I had a really fun time doing the animal tangle project, and thank you for being a good teacher."
-Block 3 student
"While I was working on my zentangle, I learned a lot about them. I learned that zentangles are an unplanned piece of abstract art. I also learned that zentangles have a TON of different patterns. You can put "tangles" or patterns in an animal, a flower, and all different shapes and pictures. I loved working on my zentangle. I had so much fun!!!"
-Block 8 student
"I learned so much about art during the animal zentangle project. I learned how to blend colors, use watercolors like a pro, and I also learned what a zentangle is. I was also really fun. I enjoyed doing it."
-Block 6 student
"An animal zentangle is a drawing of an animal with sections that have different patterns in them. We had to draw an animal with 8 different sections. After we sketched out our animals, we went over it with sharpie and watercolored the background. We sprinkled salt over the wet paint to make a cool, splatter effect. Then, we added value with colored pencils on the patterns of the animals. I thought that my animal zentangle turned out looking great! It was an awesome project."
-Block 8 student
"When we were working on our animal tangle projects, I learned a lot. The first thing I learned was how to add value to a drawing and not just make the whole thing one shade. I also learned that art doesn't have to be perfect, I can just be random lines. During this project, I learned a lot and had a blast."
-Block 7 student
"Dear Mrs. Baxter, I loved learned about zentangling. I loved learned about zentangling because it was fun to learn how to make the cool shapes and patterns. I also love when you draw or do artwork in front of us, because I love seeing the amazing artwork you do!"
-Block 3 student
"This year, I have learned a lot about art and what it is. I have learned about contour drawing and drawings with value. I have also learned about zentangles and clay sculptues. I think art is a fun way to learn about what we all can do."
-Block 3 student
"Let me just start off by saying that I LOVED this project. Art is already my favorite subject, so I was really excited when we started this project and we got to draw our animal and create our zentangles. I was at Michael's craft store, and I saw a really nice zentangle book that had lots of cool designs. We bought it and that is where I got some of my designs for my horse. Thank you so much Mrs. Baxter!"
-Block 2 student
"I was so excited for animal zentangles, because I liked zentangling letters. One thing I learned was that I needed to work on watercoloring without accidentally coloring the inside of the animal. The thing I most liked about this unit was learning new zentangle patterns. Also, I like how we added value with colored pencils in each zentangle pattern. I hope I get to learn more watercoloring, and I can't wait to do clay projects. "
-Block 2 student
"I LOVE Art. It is fun and challenging. I like doing the "Artist Trading Cards" and am happy to be starting clay! I like my teacher Mrs. Baxter, because she is nice and helpful."
-Block 2 student
"I had a lot of fun doing my zentangle butterfly in art. I also learned a few things that went along with it. When I was doing my zentangle, I was doing contour drawing. I learned how to use a value scale in my butterfly with colored pencils. I also learned how to do a watercolor wash on watercolor paper. When the paint for the watercolor wash was still wet, we added salt and then the salt absorbed the paint and left little speckles on the paper. I thought that was very cool and can't wait to learn more this semester about art and use it towards my own art at home."
-Block 2 student
"Hi, I am a block 3 student, and this is my essay on what I have learned in art this year. Art means a lot to me, it is a way for me to express my feeling and emotions. Art is anything you can imagine. It is a way to express your creativity and thoughts. Art unleashes the power within you. You can tell anything just by drawing it out, and guess what? It all starts with a dot on a blank sheet of paper. So far, art has taught me a lot of things, such as value and shading to blend colors together. Art has been very useful in my life, and I am sure it will continue to be a huge part of my life."
-Block 3 student
"I think that the zentangle project really helps you get started on how to sketch, how we'll be graded, and on observatory drawings. It also gives us a briefing on how we have to do things in art. The zentangle project also gave us a little idea on how to use watercolor. Overall, I think that the zentangle was very fun and a nice way to start art!"
-Block 3 student
"In art, for our project we did zentangling. It taught me a lot about value and shading. value and shading are done to show the lightness and darkness of a a color. We used Prismacolors and watercolors as our medium. We also demonstrated contour drawing in our projects. Contour drawing is used to draw the outline of an object. Zentangling was an imaginative way of demonstrating art. You express yourself in art, that's what I love about it most!"
-Block 7 student
"During the animal zentangle project, I learned about value. Value is the lightness and darkness of a color. When you use value to shade, it makes objects look more 3-dimensional. This was a very fun project to do because everybody's animal looked very different."
-Block 7 student
"What did I learn during zentangle? I learned that the picture design needs to be divided into multiple parts. Also, in each section there has to be a different design. Another thing I learned was that you can make different cool shades. My most favorite part was when you could use colored pencils and blend the colors to make cools shades."
-Block 3 student
"I loved making the animal zentangle! I loved how the value made everything look different and cool. I loved making my cute little bunny, and Mrs. Baxter helped me make it even better! I liked how I could add different colors to make two different colors blend together."
-Block 6 student
"The zentangle project taught me how to use watercolors properly. The salt had a cool effect on the watercolors. I learned a lot of different types of designs. I also learned how to sketch better and more realistically. We used value for the color pencils and contour drawing for the zentangle animal. I love how you have no idea what you're going to do at first, but then you get an exact picture in your mind later on. I can't wait to finish my pinch pot!"
-Block 6 student
"I learned a lot about art this month. I learned how to blend, watercolor, and use clay properly. I really like Mrs. Baxter. She is a great artist and a great teacher!" She teaches us so much, and I respect that! The zentangles are amazing. I really like the designs and how we mixed colored pencils. I'm glad that I have art the first semester, because I get Mrs. Baxter! "
-Block 6 student
"Doing the animal tangle taught me a lot of things. It taught me how to do a contour, because the first step to making the animal tangle was to do a contour. After we finished our contour, we added value. Value is the lightness or darkness of a color. We used Prismacolors to add value. Mrs. Baxter told us to start with dark and go to light. When we finished with all that, we did a watercolor wash. When the wash was done, we added salt to our art pieces to add a cool effect. Mrs. Baxter also taught us how to blend colors! The rule is to only blend with the next color of the rainbow. When our art pieces dried, they looked magnificent! That is what I learned from my animal tangle project."
-Block 6 student
"Animal zentangles are so fun to make! In art class, we made animal zentangles, which are the shape of an animal with an inside filled with patterns and shapes. We learned so much when we did this. For example, we learned about value and how we can use value in a project. I had so much fun when we did animal zentangles!"
-Block 7 student
"What I learned from animal zentangling is that you have to be patient, which means that you need to work hard and not get upset about the tiniest things that no one can see. One other thing I learned is that you need to be careful about what you're doing, and you can't just slap something on and say you're done. You need to take you're time."
-Block 1 student
"This year in art I did an owl for my zentangle project. During this project, I learned how to use value. I also learned how to blend colored pencils without a blending stump. In this project, I also learned how to be more abstract with my art and how to use many different colors and designs. I think that most interesting thing I learned while doing this project, was learning how to do a watercolor wash and how salt absorbs the color. I really enjoyed doing this zentangle project."
-Block 6 student
"In art, we made an animal zentangle. I learned that a zentangle is a specific design or pattern that is in an enclosed shape. If you're not the best at art, what I've learned is that you can make a very complicated looking zentangle by adding to a very simple one. One of the most interesting things about this art form is that you can make very nice looking pieces of art. Also, this method can add some character in your art. zentangles are one of my favorite art forms, and I'm glad that I learned this in class."
-Block 3 student
"During the animal zentangle, I learned that compact patterns equal darker colors and spread out patterns equal lighter colors. Also, when drawing complex patterns of a rough draft, it's better to start it, but not finish on the draft because it takes up too much time. I also learned to never draw a kraken ever again, because it was too complex."
-Block 8 student
"I learned three things about animal zentangles. I learned to use your imagination, use your favorite colors, and express yourself!"
-Block 1 student
"What I learned from doing zentangles are how to do a contour drawing. It also taught me how to shade with pencil and colored pencil. How to do a watercolor wash was another main thing that I was taught. That is what I learned from doing my animal zentangle."
-Block 1 student
"I love art. I've learned so much from Mrs. Baxter, especially on the zentangle project. I learned that zentangles are patterns, simple or difficult. I also learned that zentangles can go on just about anything. Mrs. Baxter has really inspired me with her art."
-Block 2 student
"Dear Mrs. Baxter, I had a really fun time doing the animal tangle. One of my favorite parts was using water colors and hearing your great advice. This was a fun project, not just because I like art, but because I like animals, coloring, painting, and drawing. And I LOVE making patterns. I always doodle them in my notebooks. I had a really fun time doing the animal tangle project, and thank you for being a good teacher."
-Block 3 student
"While I was working on my zentangle, I learned a lot about them. I learned that zentangles are an unplanned piece of abstract art. I also learned that zentangles have a TON of different patterns. You can put "tangles" or patterns in an animal, a flower, and all different shapes and pictures. I loved working on my zentangle. I had so much fun!!!"
-Block 8 student
"I learned so much about art during the animal zentangle project. I learned how to blend colors, use watercolors like a pro, and I also learned what a zentangle is. I was also really fun. I enjoyed doing it."
-Block 6 student
"An animal zentangle is a drawing of an animal with sections that have different patterns in them. We had to draw an animal with 8 different sections. After we sketched out our animals, we went over it with sharpie and watercolored the background. We sprinkled salt over the wet paint to make a cool, splatter effect. Then, we added value with colored pencils on the patterns of the animals. I thought that my animal zentangle turned out looking great! It was an awesome project."
-Block 8 student
"When we were working on our animal tangle projects, I learned a lot. The first thing I learned was how to add value to a drawing and not just make the whole thing one shade. I also learned that art doesn't have to be perfect, I can just be random lines. During this project, I learned a lot and had a blast."
-Block 7 student
"Dear Mrs. Baxter, I loved learned about zentangling. I loved learned about zentangling because it was fun to learn how to make the cool shapes and patterns. I also love when you draw or do artwork in front of us, because I love seeing the amazing artwork you do!"
-Block 3 student
"This year, I have learned a lot about art and what it is. I have learned about contour drawing and drawings with value. I have also learned about zentangles and clay sculptues. I think art is a fun way to learn about what we all can do."
-Block 3 student
"Let me just start off by saying that I LOVED this project. Art is already my favorite subject, so I was really excited when we started this project and we got to draw our animal and create our zentangles. I was at Michael's craft store, and I saw a really nice zentangle book that had lots of cool designs. We bought it and that is where I got some of my designs for my horse. Thank you so much Mrs. Baxter!"
-Block 2 student