5th Grade: Oh that Bowl of Fruit!

This Unit involved several parts. The first step was drawing bowls of fruit & vegetables from direct observation. Students learned how to get proportions correct by looking more at their objects then at their paper. Once completed students used watercolor to mix paint colors to get as accurately as possible the various colors of their Still Life. The bowl, pedestal or plate that each table had remained free of paint, students instead using the Design Principle Pattern filled in the space. Construction crayons were used for coloring in their patterns. On a separate piece of paper students created Tessellations to fill up the page (one shape fitting inside itself) then proceeded to use Value concepts to paint in each tessellation with their one color and tint and shade: black and white. Students had the use of their own paint palettes and were instructed not to use the same value next to one another.
Vocabulary Learned: Still Life, proportions, sizing, direct observations, Design Elements & Principles, Value, Tint & Shade, blending, Tessellation, Monochromatic color, value scales, Pattern, Multi Media, color matching, highlighting.
Materials Used: 12"x18" Paper, acrylic paint, watercolor paint, paint brushes, pencil, scissors, glue, construction crayons, fake fruits and vegetables, pedestals, plates, bowls, serving trays, colored sharpies, paint palettes.