Cat Sweater Color Patterns

 Kindergarten Art Lesson

2 Class Periods

45 minutes per class

Cat Sweater Color Patterns, Kindergarten Art Lesson

My kindergarten art students started out this school year with these "PUR-fect" feline projects.  After designing a beautiful color pattern sweater, we create a cat to model it.  You can check out this lesson on my TPT Crazy Busy Art Room Store.  Cat Sweater Color Patterns. Thank you in advance for taking the time to look or make a purchase.  Check out a few more examples of student art below.

Student Examples:

Rainbow Rooster

 Kindergarten 

3 Class Periods

50 minutes per class

Rainbow Rooster, Kindergarten Art Lesson

Day 1:

On the first day of this lesson we begin class with a bit of color review.  Students have already had multiple lessons on primary colors, secondary colors and have discussed warm and cool colors.  I show this short YouTube clip to help with our review.  The Color Wheel

Next, students are given a 12 x 12 inch square of white paper.  Make sure students write their name on the back before painting. Using sponges we paint a yellow horizon line on our paper.  We paint the top half of our paper yellow.  I remind students to "dab" versus "swipe" with the sponge.  

Once most of the class is finished, I tell them to paint the bottom half yellow and demonstrate how to immediately dab blue on top of the yellow they just painted.  Students get quite excited to see the yellow and blue paint mix to create green.

Finally, we take red and paint a few rows on our horizon line.  This will create what may look like bushes or flowers in the background.  Students may see the paint turn purple orange and brown in this area depending on how they dab the paint.

Day 2:

I start his class with a story about chickens.  We examine the pictures and look at the body parts that we will be creating on this day with our paper.

Students are given a piece of newspaper that has been cut to 6 x 6 inches .  Students are told to cut the bottom corners off of the square.  They are then shown how to draw a curved line on the top of the newspaper.  Students are instructed to cut on the line and then glue the body of our chicken to the center of their compositions.

     

Students were given 2 squares of paper (white 1 x 1 inch and orange 2 x 2 inches).  They were shown how to cut a circle for the eye and a triangle piece for the beak.  After the pieces were glued on, students took a sharpie marker to pop out the details in the eye and beak.

Next, students are given a red piece of paper roughly 1 x 1 inches. Students are instructed to cut the paper in half.  On one half they are shown how to draw a tear drop shape to create the wattle on the rooster.  This is cut and glued underneath the rooster's beak.  On the second piece of paper, students are shown how to create a zigzag line to create the comb for the rooster's head.  This is then cut, measured to fit the head and glued into place.

 

Time to make the legs.  Each student is provided with a piece of orange paper that is  1/2 inch by 4 inches. Students are shown how to cut the piece of paper into 2 skinny strips.  We measure and then cut the legs to fit on our paper.  Save the orange scraps to make the toes!  Each scrap is cut into smaller sections to create the toes.  All the pieces are glued in place.  Using a sharpie marker, details are added to the legs and toes.

Add details using a sharpie marker.  Don't forget those talons!

Day 3:

On the third day students are introduced to neutral colors.  We only use black, white and gray for this step, but you could also incorporate brown if you wish.  I give each student a wing pattern that they trace on a 3x3 inch square of black, white and gray paper.  After tracing, students cut out the wings.  They are shown how to glue them on the edge and fold them so they pop off the paper.

Next, we discuss the colors of the rainbow (ROYGBIV).  I have 2 1/2 x4 inch construction paper cut in the colors of the rainbow.  Each students grabs one piece.  I then demonstrate how to draw a skinny rainbow on each piece.  Students then glue the mini skinny rainbow to the tail.  I encourage them to glue them in the order, but in the end it is their masterpiece, so I don't get too upset if they do it in a random order as long as they use all the colors.  

Overall, just have fun with this cute project.  When I first started this project we create a chicken and I called it Whimsical Chicken.  You can check out the link here.  Whimsical Chicken.   As you can see the project as morphed quite a bit.  That is what makes teaching so much fun!  

Examples of Students Art:

Clay Cat

 Kindergarten

2 Class Periods 

50 minutes per class

Clay Cat, Kindergarten Art Lesson

Day 1:

For a number of years I have been doing the clay owl lesson with my kindergarten students.  I love this lesson, but am at the same time getting a bit tired of it.  One day during one of my many searches for lesson ideas, I stumbled across a very cute cat drawing and wondered to myself if it would be possible to turn that drawing into a clay sculpture.  

I was so nervous testing this idea out with my first group of kindergarten students.  By the end of class, my heart was soaring.  These projects turned out adorable and the students were more than capable of following directions.  BIG WIN for this HAPPY ART TEACHER!

1. Start with a clay ball slightly smaller than your fist.

2. Next, have students flatten the clay so it is "pancake thick."  I have them just squish the clay with the palm of their hand.

3. Have students roll the bottom part of the slab.  This will be the tail for the cat.

4. Pinch the top of the clay to create two bumps.  One part will be the head, the second bump will be the body

5. On the bump that you consider to be the head, pinch out two ears.

6. Using a stick or a needle took, incise the line where the tail and the body meet.

7. Draw a line to show the back leg of the cat.

8. Draw a line to show where the head and the body connect.

9. Take your thumb and smoosh a spot in the front of the tail.

10. Add lines to create the front paw.

11. Draw a face for your cat.  I have students use an old marker cap to create the eyes.

12. Once, cats are complete, I have students stand the cat upright and bend the body to give it a slight curve.  The cat should be able to stand all by itself.  Have students write their name on the back.  Allow several days to air dry before placing in kiln.

Day 2:

Students are very excited to get their cat sculptures back by the time they come to art class.  After giving a basic description of the firing process, I remind students how fragile their pieces are right now.

Using tempera cakes, I demonstrate to students how to paint their cats.  As a finishing step, we use liquid black and white tempera paint to go over the eyes and incised lines.

After the sculptures dry, I spray them with an acrylic sealer to keep the paint from rubbing off and give the pieces a nice gloss shine.

Student Examples: