Saturday, February 18, 2012

Batik Elephant


Batik is a traditional art form from Java using a wax resist method of dying textiles. We adapted this technique to create a painting on paper of an Indian elephant.


First our students drew the elephant as a black and white line drawing, then developed their own border around the edge and created patterns and motifs to decorate the elephant.

We then added colored wax to the entire surface of the paper.

The colored drawing is then gently crinkled up, flattened out and watercolor is brushed on top. The paint is absorbed into the cracks to create random, subtle lines of color and texture to the picture.



The kids loved every part of this process and have a better understanding of how to think several steps ahead when making artwork in several layers. They can also look at finished artwork done by others and confidently describe how they think it was done. 

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Platypus!

 Drawing animals is always a hit, especially strange ones that look like 
composites of several other creatures. 
In this project, we learned how to leave white on the paper for negative space 
which creates the illusion of depth. 

First we drew the image in black permanent marker, making sure to draw the objects closest to us first, followed by the background elements such as a lake bed and plants.

 We added color with watercolor pencils which can be blended or left alone to create a combination of heavy texture or a softer diffused look to emphasize the watery environment.  


Developing a light source that shines through the water diagonally creates a dynamic composition that's active.
 Motion is suggested by the white areas and bubbles near the flippers.

Wavy grasses help to indicate that our platypus is under water.