Best Artist in The Ocean: Giant Squid painting

 Resources to Consider

Book, I’m the Best Artist in the Ocean by: Kevin Sherry

Book, I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry

(I know I saw a version of this on a blog...I will post the link here if someone leaves it in the comments, I just can't seem to find the original post!)

Intended Grade Level(s): 1^st-2^nd

Estimated Class Period(s): 2

Materials Required: Turquoise12X18paper, pencils, thin brushes for black and white paint (wk1) color diffusing paper 12X18, liquid watercolors, water, salt, brushes, scissors, glue

Goals & Objectives: The goals of this lesson are technique and procedure based.

GLEs Accomplished In Lesson:  1^st Grade PP 1.A Apply paint in a pushing not dragging motion

PP 3.B Design wearable art: (optional: create a mustache to wear)

3.G Create an original artwork that communicates ideas about the following themes:

 Animals/wild

EP: 1.A Identify and use lines: straight, curved 1.F Identify and use value: black and white 2.A Identify and demonstrate the concept of middle or center

2^nd  Grade PP 1.B Paint lines with control of the brush, clean paint brush before changing colors, mix two colors to create a third color 3.G Create an artwork that communicates ideas about

themes: nature

EP 1.A Identify and use wavy lines

1.F Identify and use light and dark values

Procedure (Guided Lesson, Instructions, etc):

Read the book, Best Artist in the Ocean, demonstrate the project in steps. 

Project (Steps, Examples, etc):

1.    Demonstrate how to draw the giant squid on the board. I demonstrated an easy way and a hard way. Easy way : two big round eyes, pointy top, lines coming down below the eyes, close the shape up with a straight line, make ‘j’ and backwards ‘j’ lines for the tentacles. Hard way: two big round eyes, pointy top, lines coming down below eyes but instead of closing the shape, make the tentacles flow down into curled tubes, also, add a ‘Pac man’ mouth. Students chose which way they wanted, some combined both ways. I demonstrated how to draw a mustache (leaf shape) and suggested that they could add a black artist’s beret, chubby paintbrush in the giant squid’s tentacle, and students went on to add teeth, hair, a bow, glasses, eyelashes, a tiny drum set etc.

2.    After drawing I demonstrated how to paint the WHITE of the eyes first. THEN do the BLACK outline with a tiny brush. I try to make sure that they do the black spot in the eyes LAST otherwise the eyes start to look like grey pools….if the white dries for a few minutes, it minimizes the chances of ruining the eyes.

3.    When students finish, they can look at books, or color the attached sheet…I looked back through all of the little cute drawings by the giant squid and made my own handout for them. I also suggested that they look off of it and draw their own ‘squid’ things on a free sheet.

 (The third painting shows what can happen when the student uses too much black on top of really wet white paint)

Day 2

1.     Demonstrate how to paint the background. I used color diffusing paper, liquid watercolors in blue, turquoise, green and purple and some salt to make fantastically colored background papers. I had the kids put a 12X18 piece of white paper under their work so that when the diffusing paper bled through it would magically create a ‘copy’…I explained that they shouldn’t peak at the copy or else it would mess up their real painting (I had messed up one that was really white because I accidentally peaked at my under sheet). I put a little cup of salt on each table and showed the kids how to make psychedelic looking water by sprinkling the salt on a big puddle of paint and water. Once it tries, they look awesome!

2.     Finally, after painting the water, students should cut out the giant squid painting from the week before and glue it down on the paper, put all 3 papers in the drying rack.

3.     I am including a cute ‘mustache’ handout that you could use on week two since they will have scissors out already, it would be simple to cut out a mustache so that everyone in the room can be the BEST artist in the school!

4.    Assessment and Reflection: Students will design a giant squid collage based on a teacher created rubric as it aligns with district objectives and goals. Students should be able to complete the drawing and painting with little or no teacher assistance and the finished product should have good craftsman ship and details appropriate to the grade level.

Sample Photos (If Available):   

 The salt makes a really cool effect on the color diffusing paper with the liquid watercolors!

Feel free to print these and use them yourself, they are perfect for 'free time' activities on week 1 and 2.

Where the Wild Things Are

LESSON TITLE: Where the Wild Things Are
Resources to Consider similar lesson
Book by: Maurice Sendak
Trailer
Intended Grade Level(s): K-4th grade
Estimated Class Period(s): 2
Materials Required: White 12X18paper, pencils, sharpies, paint
Goals & Objectives: The goals of this lesson are technique and procedure based. The objectives include creating an artwork based on a theme: ‘wild animals’, using a variety of methods and materials, including color mixing, creating tints and shades and painting using a wash.
GLEs Accomplished In Lesson:
PP I.B Paint lines and fill in shapes with even color using tempera (thinned tempera or tempera cakes)
AP 2.A Describe the use of the following in artworks: Outlines, Organic shapes, Organic forms, Positive and negative space, Contrast/ variety of values, Complex patterns
Procedure (Guided Lesson, Instructions, etc):
Read the book, Where the Wild Things Are. Show the movie trailer.
Project (Steps, Examples, etc):
1.Demonstrate how to draw ‘Carol’ using a tracer for the head and then adding the details. I demonstrated this one to every grade so that they could pick the one they wanted to do. (For K and 1st, we ALL drew Carol…sort of a step-by-step drawing.and they could try one of the others on free time only).
2.Have head tracers for 4 of the characters (Douglas, K.W., Carol, Bull), and drawn examples for each one. Students can choose to use one of the tracers or they can try to draw their own head without using the tracer. After drawing the body and adding the details with sharpie marker, students should look at books or try to draw handout if they have any free time. (I put a handout on each table with images of the characters so that they would put details like scales, feathers and claws)

*Also make sure that they erase extra pencil lines after outlining in sharpie marker.








Day 2
1.Review the book. Ask questions like: “Who was max? Where did he go? Who did he meet?” Etc.
2.Explain what wax-resist means. Also, while students are waiting for me to pass out the paint, the crayons will be on their table to touch up and add a tail. Demonstrate how to draw a tail.
3.Show the students the watercolor paint. (For older kids introduce color mixing with colors like tan, pink and yellow-green and gray). List each color. Explain that they have to keep yellow cleaned out. I put out 2 paint sets at every table so some students might have to share.
4.Show students the water bucket. Explain that they should not tap the brushes on the container, it splatters pictures.
5.Demonstrate the painting technique of wax resist. Tell them to use YELLOW first. BLACK should be used last.
6.Demonstrate painting the entire picture and then putting it in the drying wrack. Review how we wash hands and tables. Student should look at books if they get finished with the painting.
7.If time allows, demonstrate how to make a crown for students to wear out the door.





Here is an example of the wax resist Wild Things I did with my K-1 students.



Assessment and Reflection: Students will design a ‘Where the Wild Things Are Character' based on a teacher created rubric as it aligns with district objectives and goals. Students should be able to complete the drawing and painting with little or no teacher assistance and the finished product should have good craftsman ship and details appropriate to the grade level.


Additional Photos:
Here is an electrical tape installation I did in my room during this unit. I used a drawing on a transparency with my overhead projector. Students did drawings of Max which I included on the wall around the tape drawing.




I found a lot of great resources over at the Blog: Terrible Yellow Eyes!





Wouldn't this be a fun collage:


I also created a really cool handout for students that completed their paintings early using a printable Max from the Toy-A-Day blog.