Cubist Cardboard Expressive Portraits

Students began this unit by identifying the facial cues that help express emotion. We viewed a variety if portraits showing different emotions and then played emotional pictionary with the help from some expressive face worksheets. Next, we learned about cubism through the work of Pablo Picasso. After students became familiar with the different cubist attributes, we had to  choose one of 6 emotions (anger, disgust, fear, surprise, joy, and sadness) and create a portrait to express that emotion. While applying color, students learned how different colors could help better express their moods. See if you can guess their expression.

Pablo Picasso

Student Artwork

Ink Blot Comics

Students spent the first day of this unit viewing the work from artist Stefan Bucher who creates ink blots and then uses their shape as inspiration for his monster drawings. Each student used different tools to create an ink blot without knowing what they would be used for.

Stefan Bucher

The next class we began by examining a variety of comic strips and discussed how  we can turn one of our ink blots into a character. After our character was created, we sketched out the frames and illustrated our stories. We even joined forces with literacy to write more developed versions of our comic strip.

Second Grade Monster Pinch Pots

Students began this unit by examining street artist Phetus who creates bright and dynamic murals of monsters.  We discussed how street artists differ from many graffiti artists because they take the proper legal action and get approved permits for their work to be displayed on public buildings and spaces.

                                                                               Phetus


We spent one day exploring clay and using a variety of tools and textures to make impressions in the class.  To start these sculptures, we created a pinch pot building on the skills we learned from kindergarten.  Then we used the score and slip method to attach different parts to make a monster and finished by adding different textures by pressing a variety of objects into the clay. Students were excited to paint their clay once it came out of the kiln.

Student Art