Third Grade: Art Mix-Up Day

This year, third grade started something new: Art Mix-Up Day. The purpose of art mix-up day is to teach children some of the art techniques and tools that they will be using in 3rd grade. We wanted to give students a foundation that we can build on later in the year and that will enable them to become more independent.

During the first art mix-up day, Steve and Nancy taught techniques for using colored pencils; Diane and Ilana taught six different watercolor techniques;

 and Malika and Katherine introduced torn-paper collage.

This week, Steve and Nancy introduced clay - specifically, how to make a slab and a coil, and how to use scoring to join the pieces together. 

Malika and Katherine led a second session on collage, this time introducing colored tissue paper (on a white background) and scissors.  With new materials to expand their repertoire, students continued experimenting with composition, layering, 2D and 3D, and color contrast, while also discovering ways to take advantage of the tissue paper "bleeding."  

Diane, supported by Rachel and BNS/BCS alum Elsa, taught brush painting.  

Students learned the word "precision" as they learned techniques for making thick and thin lines and how to vary the hue (or "value") of the black ink.  This should prepare them well for their apprenticeship next month with Mr. Choey, the Chinese brush painting teacher from the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens who will be coming to work with the 3rd grade.

Thank you, Anna and Katherine for providing this text. Thank you, Third Grade team for providing this awesome experience and for documenting it so we can share it!