Light Source for 1st Grade

First Graders are starting a new session in the Art Room this week. Like the other grades, we will be focusing on Light Source, shading, tints (Value).

Instead of bamboo, cupcakes or trees (in previous posts), this group will be looking at cans of food to see how the light hits the cylinder. Like in my other "light source" lessons (previously posted) students will use a small drawing of a light, positioned next to their drawing paper, to remind themselves where the light is coming from. (I forgot to include that in the photos below -- oops!)

We'll start with a directed lesson on lines.

Then, using oil pastels, kids will color the oval top of the can with a light color. They'll choose any color to fill in the whole cylinder.

Next they will color the side the light hits with white, right over the blue. The dark side will get a stripe of black.

The "magic" happens when they use their original color, in this case, blue, and color over the whole cylinder, blending the white, blue and black together.

The final step, if we have time, will be to add the shadow on the ground.  Following this lesson, students will be using this skill in a still life mixed-media collage for the next session.