Art lessons from Belgium

Cubistic animals (bas-relief)

2012-03-03T10:02:00.000+01:00

The elephant by Celine grade 8.

Every year we have a big art exhibition in the public library of the town my school is in. Next Wednesday my colleague and I will build the exhibition and Thursday the exhibition will be opened officially with all the parents, children and other teachers.
The big theme is 'animals' because the youth books week has that theme and falls in the period our exhibition will be over there.
I must say the kids don't pick just their animal works, they want to show as much as possible and who can blame them.

The owl by Cloë, 8th grade

This year we wanted something to catch the eye when the visitors enter. We made big bas reliefs in cubism style with card board, aluminum foil and bistre (the brown nut-shel stuff I talked about in earlier posts).
The result were great. The pictures I took don't completely show the real result.

The kids made a cubism drawing of an animal and had to build it up out of 5 separate levels of cardboard. All the pieces were covered in aluminum foil and glued together with a glue-gun.
The bistre was painted on the aluminum and that gave an 'old-looking' result.


The caterpillar by Dorien 8th grade.

Treasure chests in Keith Haring style.

2012-02-29T16:00:00.001+01:00

By Annelou, 7th grade

Working together with other subjects is quite easy when you teach art! For several years now we work together with the subject called 'technique' here in Belgium.
They have to put together their own wooden treasure chest.
When that's finished they get to paint it in art class. We have had several different themes. This time we chose for Keith Haring style.
When the paint and the varnish are dry the chest go back to the other teachers and they built a real alarm sound in the box.
Best not to do this before they have to paint it, because you'll go crazy with all the beeps in class :D

By Julie, grade 7

Surrealistic eyes.

2012-02-28T19:59:00.000+01:00

By Hanne 7th grade

Every year we do a special project week. We chose a theme and all lessons have to be adapted to that theme.
Our 7th and 8th graders are mixed in new groups.
This year the theme was 'hearing, seeing and ...'
Every subject has to make a new lesson that suits the theme. We chose a lesson about eyes. I immediately thought about the surreal eye of the Belgian artist René Magritte.
What's also special about this week is that teachers are mixed too. I had to teach Maths and Dutch and my colleague of religion had to teach art.
We made a worksheet she could follow step by step.

The steps how to draw an eye from the website. 'How to draw eyes step by step' were translated into Dutch so the kids could do this by themselves.

To show them what surrealism is all about they got a lot of pictures with surrealistic eyes.

By René Magritte, 'The false mirror'

The kids find it hard to find an original idea, but once they have found one they go all the way! There were great results in both 7th and 8th grade!

By Kimberly, 8th grade

Portrait like Roy Lichtenstein on canvas.

2012-02-21T19:27:00.001+01:00

By Melissa, 8th grade.

This is a project of my dear colleague. I think the results are stunning!

She took pictures of all the kids in class and let them trace the big lines of the picture in pencil.
Those lines were transferred onto a flat canvas.

They students had to come up with an original sentence like Roy Lichtenstein's portraits in Pop Art.

They painted it with acrylic paint.

By Kimberly, 8th grade.

Museum in one point perspective

2012-02-21T09:23:00.000+01:00

By Mille, grade 7.

I want to thank Jaquelien of the blog 'Kids Artists' for sharing this project. I'm quite happy with the results. For most of our students this is the first time they ever get in contact with perspective drawings. If you follow the link to 'kids Artists' you get more info about the project.

Coffee cups filled with patterns.

2012-02-20T13:22:00.000+01:00

By Tamyra, 7th grade.

The internet is one big source of inspiration. Not just the famous artists, but also amateurs can be found everywhere. Pinterest, flickr, etsy, blogger and facebook. Rummaging through the net has become an addiction to many of my kind: 'the art-teacher'. This project is inspired on a beautiful piece of art I found on etsty through pinterest. It's by Heather Galler and it is very colorful!

The example by Heather Galler.

What you need:* square piece of paper
* ruler
* thick black marker
* markers

Step by step :
1) Divide your paper in 6 rectangles.
2) Trace them with a black marker.
3) Draw 6 cups and saucers.
4) Draw a line behind the cups (table). Make sure the cups aren't floating in the air.
5) Trace the cups and the line of the table with thick black marker.
6) Fill up the cups, saucers, background and table with markers and lots of funny patterns.

A collection of colorful cups and saucers.

Surrealistic snow-globes.

2012-02-05T15:09:00.000+01:00

By Zoë, 8th grade

Snow-globes are arising on many blogs, it must be the layer of snow I'm watching at when I look out the window!
I connected this project with surrealism. I explained what surrealism was, gave some examples and asked the kids to come up with the most original place to put the snow-globe, somewhere special, somewhere you wouldn't expect a snow-globe at all.
They had to trace with a black thin marker and color with colored pencils.
The background was totally their choice. Zoë (top of this post) chose to use colored pencils, while Giel (at the end of this post) chose black paper and paint.

By Giel, 8th grade.

The ATC Drop-Box

2012-02-01T14:54:00.000+01:00

This is our ATC Drop-Box. An old shoe-box got a hole and some paint and was placed in the art-room on a shelf.
We have a digital school platform called 'Smartschool'. Every subject has its own space. On the art-class forum the theme is announced, but also in class on the board ('cause just like adult people not everybody like using a computer) The kids get a 'deadline'. If they want to join in they can just drop their ATC in the drop-box.
After the deadline has passed I make envelopes with the names of the kids who participated and swap the ATCs. I always ask my envelopes back. (We have to teach them to think about the environment, so I re-use the envelopes several times!)
The drop-box is getting more and more successful.
Fast workers often ask if they can make an ATC in class and that works well too. Some kids make 3 or 4. I'm always amazed with the results.
Introducing ATCs here in Belgium has been a great success up to now!

Our themes for the drop-box were Halloween, Christmas and now it's Valentines Day off course ...
I'm guessing Easter and summer holiday will follow.

a PATCH animal

2012-01-31T10:16:00.000+01:00

This is a lovely animal project I once did many years ago when I was still a teacher in training. Our teacher started with the next story:

Once upon a time there was a poor boy who lived with his mother in a little house. His father died many years ago and it was very hard to make ends meet. His mother tried her best, and she managed to get some food on the table every day, even if it was just some bread.
The boy had to walk to the town every morning to go to school, it was a long walk every day!
At school many of his friends talked about their pets. Cats, dogs, some had rabbits, ... The boy went home and asked his mother if he could get a pet too.
His mother told him that a pet cost money and that it has to eat, so they couldn't afford it.
The boy was very sad!
To make him feel better his mother made a patch animal out of old rags and pieces of cloth she could spare.
She worked all night and in the morning the boy had a stuffed animal made out of patches. He was very happy with it.
He played a lot with his new friend.
One night he was looking at the stars with his stuffed, patched animal when he saw a falling star and made his wish: "Please let my stuffed animal come to life". He fell asleep under the moon and the stars holding his stuffed pet.
In the morning the boy woke up by something itching his nose. He opened his eyes and saw his stuffed animal alive and well, still made out of patches, but moving and making funny noises!
His wish came true! His stuffed, patched animal was alive!
So you see, some wishes can come true!

After this story he asked us to design our own patched animal and to color it with colored pencils in as many mixed colors as possible.

Ted Gordon meets Hundertwasser.

2012-01-26T23:38:00.000+01:00

By Celine, grade 8.

The project of Ted Gordon appeared on Artsonia and on Pinterest. I liked the idea, but Ted Gordon's work is often a bit 'boring' if you purely look at his use of color. Kids (and many art-teachers like myself) love to use color.
I decided to change the project a bit and to let the kids ad warm and cool colors to their portraits in the style of Ted Gordon.
Using a headlight it's quit easy to copy the same portrait twice.
When I photographed one of the results it made me think of the following work by Hundertwasser:

By Hundertwasser.

So without realizing the kids didn't use one but two great artist in their project: Ted Gordon meets Hundertwasser. (By the way, it was a surprise for me too, don't you just love art ;-))

Supplies

* One A4 sheet of paper, cut in 2 halfs

* Pencil
* micron markers in different thicknesses
* Headlight (or a window will to just as well)
* colored pencils, watercolor, water color pencils
* brush
* Water

Step by step

* Draw a portrait in the style of Ted Gordon on an half of the white sheet.
* Copy this on the other half using the headlight.
* Trace the portrait using a thick micron marker.
* Use line rhythms to fill up the the portrait
* One portrait has to be colored with warm colors in colored pencils, watercolor and water color pencils.
* The other has to be colored with cool colors in colored pencils, watercolor and water color pencils.

By Anke, grade 8.

Shrinkle graffiti-keyrings.

2012-01-22T14:36:00.001+01:00

By Cloë, 8th grade.

This is a project of my dear colleague. She loves shrinkle and lets face it, the children love it too. Even if they are in the 8th grade!

The kids learn about graffiti letters. Big letters, with bright colors. Often with perspective.

The also learn how to do macramé with yarn. Like shown on the picture below.

Supplies* yarn
* key-ring
* Shrinkle paper (A4)
* colored pencils
* oven

Step by step
* Make your name in graffiti letters on the big shrinkle sheet.
* Make a hole in the sheet where you want to attach your peace of yarn.
* Choose 2 colors of yarn that suit your letters.
* Make a bracelet using the macramé knot (shown below).
* Attach the bracelet to the key-chain.
* Bake the sheet of shrinkle in the oven.
* Attach the shrinkle to the other side of the bracelet.

TIP: if you want the bracelet to turn (like in Cloë's example) you keep the knot the same every time. If you want the bracelet to be straight (like Jessie's chain) you make the knots on changing sides. (So you start one at the left and the next on the right, ...)

By Jessie, grade 8.


How to make the macramé knot. (basic)

Complementary hearts in oil-pastels

2012-01-21T14:02:00.000+01:00


Olie-pastel hartjes van 2de jaar secundair (decoratie)

I found this idea on Pinterest. The link sent me to this site: "simply me".
Sadly it just gave me the blog, not the post where I could find more info to do this project, so it's really my way of teaching this to the kids, maybe I've done it totally different than this blogger intended it. So this is really my interpretation

Valentine's day is approaching and for once in a year my 8th graders could draw a heart. Oil pastels were totally new to them.
The had to use complementary colors, but there was no purple one in the box, so they were limited to blue-orange or red-green.

Supplies

* sheet of 21x21 cm (8x8 inch will do fine)
* toilet-paper of kitchen paper
* wallpaper paste
* brushes
* oil-pastels
* scissors
* heavy books as weights

Step by step
* Use the wall paper paste to glue the toilet-paper onto the sheet of paper. Make sure that you get some texture.
* Let it dry.
* Cut off the bits of paper sticking out of the square sheet.
* Draw a heart on the sheet of paper.
* Use complementary colors to color the background and the heart in oil-pastels
* Make sure the texture of the toilet paper come through the oil-pastels.
* Shading is done with white, grey and black oil-pastels.
* Put the drawing under some heavy weights to make it flat again. (The glue will make the corners of the sheet curl)

Paper color-wheel flowers.

2012-01-18T15:32:00.003+01:00

By Aquilla grade 7

This project was inspired on one I found through 'pinterest' on the 'small bite of mondocherry' blog. On this blog hearts folded in two became petals of flowers. Using 7 petals is actually better, so if you have a color paper that comes close to indigo you can make a complete rainbow flowers.

Supplies
* colored paper in the 6 colors of the color-wheel.
* black paper as a background.
* glue sticks
* scissors

Step by step
1) fold the 6 colors in two.
2) draw half a heart-shaped petal against the fold.
3) cut out the shape.
4) use this shape to draw the exact same size petals on the 5 other colors.
5) draw another size petal on the first color again
6) repeat step 4 and 5 until you have enough different size petals to fill your background.
7) arrange the different size flowers on your background and make sure the petals follow the colors of the color-wheel.
8) glue them with one side of the heart-shaped petal onto the background.

Cats like Rosina Wachtmeister in 3D

2012-01-08T14:57:00.000+01:00

By Kimberly 8th grade

Rosina Wachtmeister is an Austrian artist, born in 1939. Her beautiful cat art have made her famous all over the world. Many teachers have been inspired by her work to do several cool project in art classes.

These cat statues, based on her work, are made of paper mache, a bottle and cardboard.

Before we started we discussed her work in class. The moon shaped head and the special nose are very distinctive for her work.

Supplies
* bottle
* old newspaper
* wall paper paste
* paper tape
* piece of cardboard
* white acylic paint
* acrylic paint in several colors
* protection for clothes and work surface
* brushes
* water jars
* old cloths

Step by step

1) Take the glass bottle and glue strips of old newspaper on it with paper wall paste.
2) Cut out a moon shape out of the piece of cardboard.
3) Tape this shape onto the bottle using paper tape.
4) Make this shape thicker, using crumpled paper and paper tape.
5) Glue some strips of old newspaper over the shape of the head, so it sticks better. Use paper wall paste.
6) Make the tail with old newspaper and use paper tape to secure it to the bottle with paper tape. Use paper wall paste on the tail too.
7) The tail gets strings of old newspaper with paper wall paste too.
8) Use at least 4 layers of strips and wall paper paste.
9) Let the statue dry.
10) Give the cat a layer of white acrylic paint.
11) Let it dry once more.
12) Paint the cat with acrylic paint. The colors don't have to be natural.
13) Don't forget the special nose on the cat's head.

By Jessie 8th grade

Abstract with silhouettes

2011-12-28T11:43:00.001+01:00


By Maithe 7th grade

The children had to choose 2 different shapes/silhouettes that are somehow related to each other. Like for example a heart and lips or clouds and raindrops.
They cut out the shapes out of thin cardboard, so they could trace them easily.
One shape had to be traced several times and it had to overlap the other shapes. It is important that the shapes that appear aren't too small, because they have to be painted with gouache.
In the middle the other shape is traced one time. Because of the other shapes on the background this shape is automatically divided in different shapes too.

The kids had to choose what colors they wanted to use on the background and what colors they would like to use on the one shape in the middle.
Cool colors outside and warm in the middle or the other way around.
Most chose cool on the outside.

When the paint is dry they could trace the shapes with a thick black marker.

By Hanne, grade 7

A new book to add to the collection.

2011-12-27T13:46:00.000+01:00

I found a new book the the bookshop with loads of inspiration.

I guess many of my English/American followers already know it, but here in Belgium the translation has just been printed.

I'm really excited about this book. Many activities can be done by young children, but when adapted a bit, my 7th and 8th graders will love this! I'm sure!

You can find various things in here. Dotpaintings, painting monkey's with your fingers, a cool city in ink, robots in collage, bugs, spooky towns, cupcakes with 'real' toppings, flower girls in ink and collage...

Lots of things to try.

If anyone of you has this book and has tried an activity I would like to know!

I-pod silhouettes

2011-12-11T21:50:00.000+01:00

Again a project from the artsonia gallery.
A few years ago apple launched an advertising campaign for their I-pod with silhouettes on a colored background. They were obviously dancing and they wore an I-Pod.

I let the children bring pictures of their favorite artist, comic book figure or cartoon figure.
They had to make a silhouette on black paper and cut it out. Some needed a cutter and scissors, others just scissors.
They had to make sure the figure seemed to be dancing/moving and they had to wear an I-Pod (With a white permanent marker drawn on the silhouette.)
Stick it on a bright colored background and add the 'I-Title'.

This is a short project, but the kids loved it!