The Six Elements Of Art

In Neutrons and Electrons art this week we started our study of the 6 elements of art (shape, color, line, value, texture and form) with a discussion about how we would use each element to paint a leaf and how they help us show different aspects of what kind of leaf we mean to represent.  Each element adds something the others can’t.  We compared art elements to science (chemical elements), music (pitch, rhythm, volume creating), literature (characters, setting, plot) and even soup (vegetable, grain, liquid, meat).  We will learn new art vocabulary and practice seeing those things, talking about them and using them in our own work.
The first element we focused on in our project was color.  First we reviewed what primary, secondary and tertiary colors are and then painted watercolor paintings given only primaries to start with.  The Electrons were supposed to focus only on color without thinking about shape, line and content etc..  So the instruction was that we may see nothing we have a name for (hearts, flowers, trees).  This was a strictly intuitive color study paying close attention to how the colors look next to each other and how they mix into secondaries and tertiaries on our paper as they meet.  As we were working we did notice that it was kind of freeing not having to think about what subject to paint.  Neutrons were free to paint anything they chose starting with the 3 primaries.
The craft project was weaving on a cardboard loom using wool.  The Electrons prepared their own looms while the Neutrons started the weaving on prepared looms.
It’s a very busy room – kids and grown-ups alike.  Thanks everyone.