Art at Hosmer: Animals with Tails

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Animals with Tails

1st grade has been thinking about how parts make up a whole. We brainstormed different animals that have different shaped tails, inspired by a variety of different colored and shaped tails.

After brainstorming, students selected one animal and drew it, breaking it down into shapes. We considered composition, so there would be space for the animal's body and tail, and how different animals are taller or wider. After drawing the animal, students thought carefully about where the tail would be and glued down the tail.

The following class, students mixed colors and painted their animal's body, thinking about the texture of the animal they chose, such as smooth, furry, scaly, or bumpy. They thought about how their animal might look if it were running or flying.

The last class, students painted the background for their animal, which included the animal's habitat or environment.

Students were encouraged to mix new colors and think about how to show the sky, water and desert. We also thought about interesting details to add to the background, such as a banana in a tree or a cactus in the desert.