Sub Lesson: Tracing Shapes and Drawing Patterns

This is my number one sub lesson that I can leave in the "sub tub" for my emergency lesson or for my "I'm feeling lazy lesson". 

The directions are simple: Pick an object from the bucket and trace it at least 5 times on your paper. 

 (I have some simple plastic shapes: circles, triangles, squares... and I also have a bucket of more complex shapes like cookie cutters, cd's, and other random objects for the older kids.)

Once the student traces their object, they draw different patterns and designs in each shape with a pencil. Once they have filled the shapes, they color with crayons. 

Then, they design the background...or incorporate it into the design early on. 

This usually lasts the whole 60 minute class period, but I always leave some "extra time" activities just in case. 

Jim Dine Pop Art Hearts!

Well, I've been sick all week but I have managed to squeeze out a deepspacesparkle.com inspired project about Jim Dine the pop artist. I've been doing this with Kinders and 1st grade and I am so impressed at their abstract expressionism! I wish I had more projects that allowed for this kind of freedom within the bounds of the project.

Step One: Trace a heart with a pencil on white drawing paper. I cut the paper to 12"x12" squares. And I precut about 20 hearts of different sizes and spread them out on their tables.

If they don't get the heart perfect, no worries. It looks more hand-drawn that way which is always better.

Step Two:  Outline your heart or hearts and start adding your own designs, colors or patterns. Be creative! I also showed several images of Jim Dine's heart before beginning the project for inspiration.

We used oil pastels because they are painting with liquid watercolors.

They could color in as much as they wanted....leaving a little white paper peeking through is good for the next step though.

Step Three: Paint all the white space left with liquid watercolors.