6th Grade - Winter Birch Tree Landscapes

Week 1:  We discussed the element of art - space, and how to create space/perspective in a two-dimensional drawing.  This week we started by taking the white chalk and drawing in the horizon line.  From there they filled in the bottom of the paper and blended the chalk using paper toweling.  This area is the snow.  Then for the sky I allowed them to pick up 4 colors that they could blend together to create the idea of a sunset for their sky.

Week 2:  Today we used black paint and painted the trunks of our trees.  We discussed foreground, middle ground, and background and then determined what size we shoudl be painting our trees in order to show space and distance in our pictures.  After painting the trunks, we went back and using a small brush added branches and sticks.

Week 3:  This week we will be using corrugated cardboard pieces to paint on the white parts of the birch tree.  The key is to dip the cardboard into the white paint, place it on the edge of the tree and "flick" inwards.  You should do this up and down the trunk of the tree flicking inwards from both edges of the trunk.  Last, but not least we will add light shadows around the base of our trees using a very light blue chalk blended with more white chalk.