Artes Visuales

Foundation

What a fantastic start to Term 2 the Foundation students have had! This term, students have been learning about shapes and how to use them in a variety of ways when creating artwork.

To begin, they explored drawing different animals using a combination of lines and shapes, creating images of dogs, birds, fish, and other animals. Following this, we looked at how illustrators use simple drawings to create characters. For this lesson, students explored the work of Mo Willems and drew the character “Pigeon” from The Pigeon Doesn’t Want a Bath!  Students learned how to assemble simple 2D shapes to create a picture of the pigeon. They also discovered how a single line can change a character’s expression from happy to sad.

This week, students were introduced to collage. Using their knowledge of simple 2D shapes, they applied basic cutting and pasting skills to design their own shape monster.

Here are some of the artworks that they have made:

Grade 1/2

So far this term, the grade 1/2 students have been extending their drawing skills this term by reinforcing their knowledge of using and manipulating shapes and lines when drawing. To begin with, we explored Kawaii art, focusing primarily on how lines can be used in different ways to communicate emotion.  Together, we examined how shapes can be used to exaggerate features and how repeated lines can be used to mimic texture and create patterns. Last week, they drew a fly guy and drew him using their knowledge of these Art Elements. During this lesson, students were also encouraged to add their own personal touch to the character by exaggerating certain features. 

This week in Art, students explored using an oil-resist technique in watercolour painting. They began by creating a drawing using oil pastels, incorporating an insect into their design. Students then applied a light watercolour wash over their artwork, observing how the oil pastel resisted the paint and repelled the water from the areas it covered.

Students enjoyed experimenting with this process, discovering how the oil and water interact to create a striking visual effect in their artwork.

Grade 3/4

The focus for the Grade 3/4 students this term was to extend their knowledge of drawing and artists, beginning with exploring different ways of representing landscapes. Students learned how to mimic atmospheric perspective by making items in the distance appear less focused and somewhat grainy through the use of pointillism. They then learned the basic principles of one-point perspective by exploring how a horizon line, vanishing point, and convergent lines work together to make a 2D landscape appear three-dimensional.

Following this lesson, students explored the surrealistic world of Spanish artist Salvador Dalí by using his painting Elephants to inspire their own animal drawings. The focus was for students to use their creativity and explore ways in which images could be reflected.

This week, students explored the artwork of contemporary artist Sandra Silberzweig using chalk. Students created their own artwork inspired by her style, choosing either a series of fish or a self-portrait as their subject matter. The main features that needed to be included in the piece were brilliant, bold colours and strongly outlined shapes. They also used their knowledge of line and pattern to add extra accents to their artwork. Once they had finished, students discussed the limitations and frustrations they experienced while using this medium.

Grade 5/6

Starting strong this term, the Grade 5/6 students began by creating mixed-media geometric animals. To begin with, students were required to prepare a piece of paper using watercolour pencils, employing a harmonious colour palette. Once completed, they selected a photocopied image of an animal to recreate using a basic transfer technique. This involved covering the back of the page with 2B pencil, placing it on top of their painted sheet, and outlining the drawing to transfer a copy of the original image.

Once this process was complete, students outlined the image using a fineliner and created geometric shapes within the design. Students were encouraged to make larger shapes in the bigger areas of the drawing and smaller shapes in the more detailed sections of the original image.

This week, students have begun the mammoth task of planning and preparing the backdrops for our upcoming production. They are working in small groups to create short animated stills that will be projected onto the screen. The Grade 5/6 students have approached this task with great enthusiasm and excitement, demonstrating a growth mindset as they are continually asked to refine their work according to the design brief provided.