Assignments for Value

Famous Paintings coloring page

This month I have thought about a few art projects that correlate with the element of value.


First
The coloring page linked above goes with my first idea. 


Choose a coloring and print it out.  Get enough copies to take to the class.  (the school could copy for you)
Then let the students choose a color. They only get one color to color with.  The cool thing is they are going to use the concept of value to make this picture interesting.  Color lightly, then dark, add some black this could turn out very cool.

You may want to start out with a simple shape like Andy Warhol's Mickey Mouse

or 

Suprematist Composition by Kazimir Malevich

I think that you may be surprised at how wonderful this could turn out.  The student will really enjoy this project. This is also a project that could look great for the Art Show that we plan on having in the spring.

Second

A lesson in Pointillism. 

I would go to the link above and read the lesson posted there if you are interested in this.  I really liked this and thought that it would be a great lesson.  If you would like to just do your project in one color to emphasize the art element of value, that would be great.  Just assign  a simpler picture.

Georges Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte

 a close up

Third

In high school my art teacher Mr. Carter taught me about value. 

   

He gave each student a piece of paper.  We were to make a border around our paper about 1/2 inch in from the edge.  Then we had to scribble.  It needs to be an open scribble, meaning that it should have some good space between lines for coloring in. We were told to color each spot in inside the scribbles.  The rule is that they can not have two spaces of the same value touching.  When we did this in high school, we just used our pencils to do different colors of gray.


Fourth

Crosshatching and hatching

  The last idea I came up with today was to use crosshatching and hatching to show how you can get different values from shading in this way.

Many examples of this can be found.  I would recommend using this with an older age group as they will have more control with their fine motor skills than that of a 5 or 6 year old student.  

To find a lesson plan on how to use crosshatching in value you can go here and there is an excellent lesson plan to follow.

Lastly

If you find that you are in need of more ideas for this month I know that the book I have had put in the Little Red School House (How to Teach Art to Children) has many more ideas.  I can think of one in particular that looks like it would be a blast.  So go ahead, take a looksy!  

When you find that marvelous project, let me know what it is!  I would love to post it on here so that we can show it to other Art Moms so that they themselves aren't scrounging around feeling stressed about what it is they need to do.