Trick of the Eye

A summer activity using the cool colours of the water as a starting point.

After 'walking a line across our paper, we filled in the areas which the lines made with Ocaldo colours and a limited palette.

Then using oil pastels in similar colours to our paint colours, we enhanced the painted areas with pattern and line all over the piece.

After cutting this piece into strips of random thickness, we chose a background and re-arranged the strips using glue sticks. 

There was no order to applying these strips.

The result was a layered work of art reflecting the patterns and colours of summer.

This activity was originally a Book Week activity based on the book Cat and Fish by Joan Grant and illustrated by Neil Curtis.

I was exploring new ways to present our usual Summer theme and decided to develop the children's love of pattern and line work by introducing them to the book.

We brainstormed many line and pattern ideas on A4 paper folded into eight, and chose one or two from our sheets to add to a visual resource before we began.  This proved invaluable as the activity progressed as the children re-visited the resource sheet often to use their patterns on their work or manipulate the patterns of others.

Each child chose a photocopied outline of a fish shape - previously drawn by some of the children and duplicated - and used a wide variety of black and white pens to enhance the inside of their chosen shape.  Gel pens, fineliners, Prockeys and Artline pens were used. Emphasis was on repetition of line, blocks of pattern, and changing the line thickness to suit the work.

I had planned to complete this work in two weeks but forgot how much my children love the care and concentration this activity affords them. Many were exasperated that I stopped them after three weeks and spent several lunch times on their work!

When the line work was complete, we cut out the shapes, leaving a fine border of white and mounted the fish on a black background, which in most cases was further enhanced with more pattern and line.

The childen found this a most satisfying activity and were justifiably proud of their results.

Copyright 2009 Zart Art & Zart Education