Kindergarten Muddy Pigs

This is one of my favorite projects to do with Kindergarten. I usually do this project to introduce/review basic shapes, and how to make shapes to create an animal.

I use 9" x 12" white construction paper.  We usually read a story and/or discuss information about pigs.
We draw in pencil and outline with medium Sharpie Markers. YES, I said Sharpie Markers with KINDERGARTENS.
I feel with great explanation and expectations, I usually do NOT have a problem with misuse of the Sharpies. Sometimes we use Black Crayola Markers to outline.

They use crayons to color in and then to finish the projects they use brown tissue paper to add more "mud" to their pigs. They can crumble the tissue paper or keep the tissue flat.

I love all the personalities and how all the environment have a little different interpretation.

1st grade Van Gogh Starry Night Winter Scenes

This project is fabulous! I have seen many projects inspired by Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night. I did want the students to have to "re-do" a masterpiece. SOO I talked to the students about what being "inspired or influenced" by an artist means. So we based the bottom of the composition, usually the town in Van Gogh's work into a winter scene.

We used Construction paper crayons on Black paper. Can I just say how much I LOVE USING CONSTRUCTION PAPER CRAYONS AND SO DO THE STUDENTS! 

We used 11" by 17" black paper.

With pencil : Drew 3 hills.. a snowman ( on the side where the big brown "tree", "building", "vines" etc is ) 

I showed them 3 different kind of pine or evergreen trees.. They has to add 3 trees. We talked about how trees in the distance would be smaller, et. 

They then added 1-2 "oak" trees without leaves because it is winter.

We talked about how Van Gogh uses bold, brushstrokes or dashes. They filled each object with dashes to add texture and Van Goghs style.

Once the Land portion was completed.. 

We added the sky. A crescent moon, 6 or more stars. They added "halos" of dashes and they added wind, swirls, or tails with orange, yellow, and white.

Last but not least they used purples, greens, and blues to complete the sky.

Check them out:

Love the trees!

1st grade-look at those detailed dashes in the sky

Love that snowman

Fabulous!