Op Art

My fifth graders finally finished their first project! I was amazed that they were still working on it, since they started before I left for my maternity leave. Apparently, they had several classes canceled due to assemblies and field trips, etc. Next year we will use smaller paper so it doesn't take as long!

LEARNING TARGETS:
~Students will understand Op Art
~Students will understand the introduced terms
~Students will create a work of art with value and depth

TERMS:
Op Art: Optical Illusion Art. Art that tricks the eye.
Vanishing Point: The spot where everything disappears.
Value: The lightness or darkness of a color.



We started by dissecting the term Optical Illusion Art and looking at examples of Optical Illusions. The terms were introduced, and then there was a demonstration. They were asked to trace three circles anywhere on the page. I then asked them to make a dot near the center of the paper and use a ruler to make lines coming out from the dot. They had to make an even number of triangles for the project to work. They were shown how to add curved lines in each triangle to create the illusion. After working on that, I showed them that they should color the smaller stripes with a black Sharpie.


Once the lines were colored, I showed them how to do the circles. I asked them to do half a circle at a time. Their lines should start and end at the middle of the outside of the circle, and curve towards the outside of the circle, creating an "eye" on the circle. They then do the same thing, crossing the first and color it in a checkerboard pattern.


Once all the black is colored, we reviewed Value and I showed them how to create not just darks and lights, but many middle values. I stressed that the middle values are what really will make their drawings "pop." Both the triangles and circles should have dark values on the outside of the shape and get lighter as they move to the center. They took forever, but turned out amazing!