A real favorite of mine... Top 10 when it comes to results. My students have always done an amazing job with this lesson. After a BIG look and discussion about the beautiful designs, patterns and colors of Laurel Burch's Fantastic Felines... we get to it!
I teach 4 sections of each grade level. To stay organized and add variety to our show, I have two classes use warm color papers, the other two classes, cool colored paper. Students get to choose, from 4-5 colors. First, students are taught how to draw the sitting cat and laying cat with just chalk on the board. They choose the one they want to paint...
and then we get started...
It seems scary to paint direct, with no pencil drawing first, but I prefer to. The only thing students draw with pencil is the head. I have them trace a 6" circle in the top corner of the paper first. It establishes scale. We start with outlining the head with black tempera, then draw the front legs. Tall cats - I stress all the way down to the bottom of the paper. Laying cat - under the head towards the bottom.
Then paint the cat's back, stretching all the way over to the side of the paper and down. Then the back leg, big letter C with a foot that is a flat littler c.
The face details - large human like eyes, long nose and simple smile. Then PATTERNS! We stop for a minute and look at her cats again and look at the patterns she used. I demonstrate painting the patterns on the whole cat and then let them go!
Coloring, we discuss her use of warm and cool colors but I give them freedom to be creative with their color choices. I only stress good craftsmanship, careful, purposeful coloring.
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