About the CLass:
This Introduction to Art class is geared towards 4 year olds but can be adjusted to challenge both younger and older children. The instructions for each project will only remain online for 2 days after the post date. After the 2 days are up you will still be able to see pictures of the projects. This class introduces children to four of the seven elements of art: color, line, shape and texture. These 4 elements are some of the building blocks of art. Artists combine and manipulate the elements to create their own unique artwork. This class is designed to last 4 weeks and focuses each week on one of those 4 elements. I recommend that you go at your child’s own pace and enthusiasm level. Some children could make art all day and others get bored of it easily. Pick the projects that your child would find most fascinating. I have included BONUS projects in the PDF that will not be part of the online class. I hope the projects I have chosen are a good balance between teaching art skills and allowing freedom of expression. As you prepare to teach your child about art, remember that the most important thing is to have FUN! To minimize mess I recommend that you set some rules with your child before you begin. Most importantly, there are no mistakes in art. Give your child artistic freedom and allow him/her to experiment with art materials. If your child is really enjoying a project, encourage him/her to make two or three of the same one – and compare the different outcomes. Life can get so busy, so I encourage you to calendar in blocks of time each week for making art. I recommend that you work on art projects a little bit everyday during the class instead of trying to do too much in one day. To see the material's list for the class click here. You can also click on the links on my right sidebar to read more information about all the individual art materials on the list. Be flexible, encouraging and have FUN!
Week 1: COLOR
This week we will be learning all about COLOR! Understanding color and color mixing is an important skill used by architects, photographers, painters, interior decorators, printmakers, graphic designers and much more. Being familiar with the colors and how they mix is an invaluable tool, and the concepts are surprisingly simple to grasp. I like to approach a discussion on color mixing by introducing it as “magic.” I tell the children that I am “Dani the Great Color Magician” and I show them my magic wand (paint brush). I put a big glob of paint, such as yellow, on a piece of white paper. Next, I dip my brush into a different primary color, such as blue, and I say something like, “Abra Cadabra, Abra Cadee! I mix yellow paint with blue paint, and what do I see?” I repeat the same exercise using the other two combinations of primary colors (red, yellow and blue). Allow the child to mix the primary colors with their own “magic wand.” This is a fun way to introduce the theme for the week and prepare for the upcoming projects.
This week’s goals:
1. Teach your child that all colors can be created through mixing the three primary colors: red, yellow and blue.
2. Allow the child to experiment with mixing primary colors to create the secondary colors: green, orange and purple.
3. Introduce the child to the color wheel and point out how the secondary colors are placed between the primary colors that create them.
4. Teach the difference between cool colors and warm colors, and show how all the cool colors are on one side of the color wheel and all the warm colors are on the other side.
5. Introduce the child to the artwork of Andy Warhol and all of the bold colors that he uses in his work.
6. Compare and contrast two pieces of art.
This week’s projects:
Get started with the “I am an Artist” Poster. I recommend having it enlarged.
Read Mouse Paint by Ellen Walsh, and then do the “Fun with color mixing project”
The color wheel worksheet
Warm and cool color panels worksheet
Warm or cool abstract painting with petroleum jelly
Art History: Andy Warhol
Compare and Contrast two paintings and make a landscape painting
There are additional BONUS projects for this week available on the class PDF
You may also want to visit pbskids.org to play a fun color mixing game with Curious George.
*The poster printable and the instructions for the color mixing and string pull projects were only
available online for 48 hours. To find out more about my class PDF click here.
Introduction to Art Class: (Day 1)
(Day 1) project 1:
(Day 1) project 2:
Fun with Color Mixing