| Grade 6:
Students work on a variety of projects in different media including: self
portrait drawing, wire sculpture, relief sculpture, etc. Where possible, the
art teacher tries to incorporate complementary math skills.
An example of a pattern design project is an Optical Art project based upon
the work of the artist Victor Vasarely.
Project Materials: Colored paper, glue, scissors, rulers, optical glasses, &
templates for tracing shapes
Students work with 2" x 2" pre-cut colored squares to make their designs
on a base paper that is 12" x 12" in size. Additional shapes are cut by the
student to make his or her pattern.
Key Concepts Discussed in Optical Art Unit:
- Types of Symmetry: Vertical, Horizontal, Diagonal, Radial/Rotational
- Color Wheel:
Primary Colors- red, yellow, blue
Secondary Colors- orange, purple, green
Complementary Colors- Red & Green, Purple & Yellow, Orange & Blue
- Contrasting Colors: Light (bright) next to dark colors
- Pattern- The organized repetition of shapes by size, color, overlap,
and location.
- Overlap- The layering of shapes of the same or different sizes so that
the different colors of each shape show.
- Unity: A pattern has unity when colors are repeated in at least two to
three regions of a design. For example a color used in the center of
the design is repeated in the outer border of the design.
Reflection/Grading: Students are given a form with criteria to grade
themselves. They answer questions that show what they learned from doing
this project and reflect on their work. The teacher also grades each student
using the same criteria.
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