Hearts and flowers: learning to enlarge images - art project

Arts & Activities, Feb, 2003 by Judy Kalil

Every year during February, our kindergarten classes begin sketching small, 9" x 12" compositions utilizing the heart shape. We discuss hearts as flowers, hearts as leaves, hearts as balloons, hearts as people, hearts as houses, hearts as clouds, hearts as animals, hearts as designs, and so on.

Ideas are presented on the board, and old valentines are shown as visuals. Imaginations go wild and unique combinations of hearts in all sizes start to unfold.

Students are encouraged to enhance their drawings with brightly colored markers, understanding that they will be enlarging the small sketch onto a large, 18" x 24" sheet of art paper. It will be re-created almost exactly with the same color choices as presented on their preliminary sketch. Colors must be chosen wisely.

Learning to enlarge from a small drawing to a large blank sheet of paper presents a challenge at this age (they are seemingly too young to enlarge utilizing the grid method), but the children are encouraged to use a very light shade of crayon or marker to begin their enlargements. They are told that they can always draw over a previous attempt. The teacher assists with the first few lines and helps the students get the idea of "bigger."

Eventually, the design is redrawn larger, and tempera paint is added to match the colors on the preliminary drawing. The small sketches are attached close-by, so the teacher can assist in bringing the correct paint colors to the table.

After all of the paint has been applied and the backgrounds are completed, the fun begins. The highlight of this project is the addition of details, using pastels. Light colors on top of dark, and dark colors on top of light, are encouraged. Patterns and shapes, eyes and mouths--all are added with pastels on top of the dried paint. Details are essential!

Hearts and flowers dance off the students papers and create a happy display when hung together with the preliminary sketches. This is a good lesson in utilizing the whole sheet of paper and learning to enlarge, as many young students still want to draw very small.

MATERIALS

* Drawing paper (one sheet of 9" x 12" and 18" x 24" per student)

* Crayons

* Markers

* Tempera paint

* Pastels

Judy Kalil teaches art at St. Johns Country Day School in Orange Park, Fla.