Collaging and Finishing Our Illustrations

After kindergarteners, 1st and 2nd graders envisioned their ideas for their book illustrations, they drew their idea on a larger sheet of construction paper.  There were several tools I introduced to the students in order to help the them scale up their original drawings.   In some cases they looked for basic shapes, and in others they divided their sketch into four parts, and used a grid as their guide. 

"O" is for Octopus

Next, students began looking for large shapes in their drawing, that they could cut out of paste paper and collage onto their illustration.  The students accessed the paste paper themselves, choosing the color and texture that helped them express their idea.  

"U" is for Umbrella

T is for Truck

This is an illustration for the verb "flying".

 Next, over the last two class sessions, students used black markers, oil pastels and colored pencils at several different stations in the art room, and added to their collage in order to complete their illustrations and fully express their ideas.  Students learned about the word "mixed media" to describe the use of multiple materials in one piece.

"F" is for foot!

"V" is for vampire!

Collaging Sketchbook Covers

5th through 8th graders received sketchbooks at the beginning of the year that are theirs to use in art class. These sketchbooks are theirs to keep, and I encourage all of my students to take their books home and draw, write, collage and collect anything in them that they would like to. 
The students are responsible for bringing them back to class each week, and they get points for doing so towards their grade. 
It is my hope that this group of older students will become accustomed to working in their sketchbooks independently, and it will be a positive habit that they continue as adults.

The art room at Coonley is loosely organized into "studios", which are specific spaces in the art room where you can find the supplies needed to create that particular art form. I wanted the students to explore the collage studio, and learn what materials were available to them. 


We first discussed the word collage as a group, and I shared the meaning of the word in French, which is "to glue or to paste". We then looked at examples of collages by the artist Romare Bearden. Then students came up with a working definition of collage, and we briefly discussed why artists might choose to work in collage as their favorite medium. I taught everyone how to glue using brush-on Elmer's glue so that no glue drips would end up on the table.

Students gathered materials to use in a cover collage, and stored them in their sketchbook.

Next, the 5th-8th grades worked for two-three class periods on first collecting material that they wanted to use as their sketchbook cover, followed by collaging it onto their book so that their sketchbook was more unique and personal to who they are as an individual. 

Many students feel more comfortable drawing than collaging. This student, Jerry, chose to mediate that by creating a drawing of a familiar subject and then cutting it up and pasting it together again.

I will gather some more pictures of the collaged sketchbook covers soon.   The students only complaint that I heard was that we need more magazines that are  hip and filled with Justin Biber!

Exploring the Collage Studio

Students in kindergarten through eighth grade just finished their introduction to collage.  The art room at Coonley is loosely organized into "studios", which are specific spaces in the art room where you can find the supplies needed to create that particular art form. After using some drawing materials to create our pinwheels, I wanted the students to explore the collage studio.  


We first discussed the word collage as a group, and Ms. Chisholm shared the meaning of the word in French, which is "to glue or to paste". We then looked at examples of collages in story books and art by the artist Romare Bearden. Then students came up with a working definition of collage.  Ms. Chisholm taught everyone how to glue using both glue sticks and brush-on Elmer's glue so that no glue drips would end up on the table! Now we are ready to get to work!

The art room is comprised of "eight" work tables, each named after both a color and an artist. 
As their first inroad to collage exploration, students in K-4th grades worked in small groups to collage onto some table folders.  These folders will be used throughout the year as a way to further organize our artwork and works in progress, within each class' drawer.

How it worked is that students were challenged to go into both the collage studio and the drawing studio for seven minutes, and find all the things they could that were their table color.  It was a great time of controlled chaos and discovery, and the students enjoyed being able to open drawers and bins and find art supplies on their own.  

After seven minutes, each table member returned to their assigned seat and together, each group glued and pasted random pieces of their table color that they had found.  This included looking through magazines to find things that were their table color, as well as adhering assorted papers and tissue paper, and more. 
  

We spent two class periods working on these. Before the second work period began, we discussed the idea of good craftsmanship, which can be demonstrated by making sure all of your corners are glued down flat!

Here are some more images of the completed collages table folders. Even though there are no big ideas behind the imagery that was chosen, everyone got a feel for the collage studio and what items it contains.