4th Grade - Positive & Negative Plaster Cloth Sculptures

This is a fun sculpture for focusing on positive & negative space. We looked at a few sculptures that illustrated negative space. Henry Moore was one of the artist we looked at closely.

Then we worked on creating negative space with 4 pipe cleaners. 

I cut up a pile of plaster cloth into strips and gave them cups of warm water. They dipped and wrapped the pipe cleaners. Once wrapped, the wrapped pipe cleaners can get heavy, changing the shape. We used toilet paper rolls to hold the shape while they dried. Students had a piece of paper with their name on it, underneath was a piece of styrofoam just for support.

Day 2, we painted them with acrylic paint. We used semigloss latex in colors. It worked perfectly! 

5th Grade - Positive & Negative Shape Collages

A simple flip shape lesson! A great way to learn positive and negative shape & space. Students love this, it can be a simple one day lesson, or take it a couple steps higher. For this lesson, we started working on a black 10x16 - I took 2 inches off each side of the 12x18. Then let students fill the paper with 3+ 4x4 squares, cutting shapes on each side to flip out. Once they were done, we cut SMALL shapes along the black edge to flip out onto a colored background. For a final step, we brainstormed more ideas for creating negative shapes. They could add anything extra! Three extras were encouraged. 😀

6th Grade Positive & Negative Shapes!

This is a lesson many teachers have taught for a few decades. My mother taught this lesson to me when I was young, it was fun to make a basic illusion with positive and negative cut shapes! This version in black and white can be eye catching, simple. And then adding a pop of color is fun too!

We start with the smallest 4x4 black square, cut a shape on each side, then glue the "scrap" to a 8x8 white paper. Plug in the puzzle pieces... Put a little glue on the back, flip out, lining up the edges perfectly with the scrap. 

Repeat... cut 2 shapes on each side of the 8x8 white. Glue the 8x8 onto a black 12x12. You see where I am going???

Finally, last step! Cut 3 shapes from each side of the black 12x12.  Glue to the 16x16 white final sheet! Finish gluing the flip shapes... DONE! 

Add a pop of color by creating some interesting positive and negative shapes... Matisse style or make something up! Have fun! 

5th Grade - Jasper Johns Camouflage NUMBERS!

Camouflage can be in any colors!  And not just for hunters!  This is a great lesson to teach CONTRAST and lack of contrast. We were inspired by Jasper John’s and his camouflage numbers.

I did give the students numbers to trace.  They were very thankful.  If they wanted to draw their own, they could.

We are working on a big color mixing unit with my Studio classes.  I set up several colors at tables and they were able to travel to the colors they desired.  We talked about color schemes, they needed to have one, choose 2-5 colors and try to stick to tones of those colors when mixing. They did a pretty good job! These are our finished works of art!