Op Art

 

 

 

 Eighth graders recently finished a short unit on Op art, which we used to study line, shape, and most importantly value. They used value to create the illusion of three dimensionality in a flat drawing. By shading in the edges of each individual shape on their drawing the students create the appearance that the columns in their drawings are round and have bright highlights going down the middle. Great work eighth graders!

Radial Name Designs

For our first project in 7th grade art we used our names to create abstract designs which displayed radial symmetry. After spending some time working on creative lettering styles, students created a version of their names using their own style of lettering. Then we learned how to rotate and translate this image so that the letters of our names connect to each other and rotate around the page. By doing this the students created images which look  a lot like a kaleidoscope. Students learned about radial symmetry and made some great drawings at the same time. Can you see the names in each of the drawings?

Graffti

Our first project in 8th grade was a graffiti project, where we studied creative ways of lettering and how to use words to create a work of art. Students looked at images of graffiti and spent time creating their own unique style and executing a tag of their name or a nickname. 

Mona Lisa

For our day one project in 7th and 8th grade art we took the Mona Lisa, by Leonardo da Vinci, and transformed her into our own versions. I borrowed this lesson from Art Projects for Kids, and I really enjoyed seeing how the students took an image and turned it into their own. Each student had a unique spin on the original, and it was a great way for everybody to get into the groove of things in the new art classes.