Seventh Grade Artist Trading Cards

Before making our trading cards students were given PowerPoint presentations on creativity & originality, also one on high quality examples of trading cards.
I gave students some activities to draw out their creativity that are based on techniques used in writing classes. I emphasized story, message, and emotions. Additionally, students were given several mini lessons regarding materials, and techniques for creating engaging trading cards including Styrofoam & marker prints, sand paper & crayon transfers, crayon and black tempera etchings,tape resist, glue resist, rubbings, water soluble marker washing, and line drawing.

Second Grade Etching

This beautiful crayon etching of "Red Birds" was done by second grader Garrett Jones.

Etching

Grades second - fourth spent December working on crayon etchings. The methods and materials are "simple." Draw a design and color it thickly, with crayons,onto heavy white paper.
When all the paper is covered in waxy crayon, paint over the picture with a thin coat of black paint mixed with some liquid dish soap. When the paint is dry carefully scrap it off using a push pin. The scratch marks should bring texture and interest to the image.
Second and third graders were encouraged to draw a picture that told a story. The fourth graders' assignment was more challenging. They drew a perspective landscape.
This was their first experience using perspective and the results were very nice.
I hung the pictures in the window to illuminate the images.

Sunflowers

2nd O'Keefe like Watercolor
3rd Sunflower in Vase Collage with weaving
DK -K - 1st grades Sunflower using o, x, and -, to create the image
4th Van Gogh type Sunflowers in Vase tempera

The beginning of the year is a transitional time so it's good to focus on projects that don't demand too much in terms of preparation and supplies. The theme for the beginning of this year was Sunflowers. For inspiration we looked at works from Van Gogh, O'Keeffe, and Klimt.

Because listening to directions is a really important skill in art, the assignments I gave really focused on procedures. I explained that in the future they would have an opportunity to express themselves and their creativity in unique ways, but for now I want them to learn a new technique and follow the directions.

Anyway, the Sprouting Artists did a great job of following directions and demonstrating their personality.