Not just a fall tree.

Autumn. Trees burst with color in the northern states. Autumn leaves dust the ground. Painting the fall landscape is nothing new. Teachers have been doing it in classrooms for decades. The approach, however, can make the difference between whether the fall landscape is simply painting for fun, or a real learning experience.

Experimentation and Discovery

Students learn best when they are allowed to make discoveries on their own, so this second-grade lesson began with experimentation. Students were given 12 x 15" (30.5 x 38 cm) pieces of manila paper along with red, yellow, and blue tempera paint, brushes, and cups of water.

Using a wash technique, students wet their papers first, then dabbed primary colors of paint onto the paper, allowing the colors to bleed into each other. "Ohhs" and "ahhs" could be heard as yellow and red turned to orange, blue. and yellow to green, and red and blue to purple. This led to a review of the primary and secondary colors.

Once the overall color was laid down, students went back over their papers with paint-loaded brushes, to create a "windy" effect.

Before students left the room, I instructed them to study real trees for our next class. This meant looking at the tree's lines and shapes and feeling the trunk to determine its texture. Students could even make sketches of the trees and bring them to class.

Being and Painting Trees

The next class period, we reviewed the basic elements found in the tree. Using photographs, we looked at and discussed the lines, shapes, forms, and textures we saw in tree trunks and their branches. Then I gave students the opportunity to stand up and become trees themselves. Arms outstretched or bent in the air swayed gently as an imaginary breeze blew across the room.

Then I placed palettes of brown, black, and white tempera paint on the tables and returned the painted background papers. To paint the tree trunk and its branches, we used the pure thickness and color of the paint. As I demonstrated one way to outline a tree, I explained that we would be painting a close-up picture of the tree and. therefore, would not see the ground. Students followed along on their own papers. I reminded students that trees are rough, bumpy, and not perfectly straight, so their lines should reflect those found in real trees. I explained the dry-brush technique and encouraged them to try this in their own pictures to show the texture of the bark. We filled in the outlines of our trees with the brown tempera. I told students that it was okay if some of the background colors showed through the trunk and branches.

We discussed how to give the trees form by adding light and shadow. If the sun was going to be to the left of the picture, white was painted more towards the left side of the tree, with a few highlights added throughout, especially on top of the branches and twigs. We made shadows with black tempera, primarily on the right side and on the bottom of the twigs and branches. I cautioned students not to add too much white or black paint; we still needed to see the brown of the tree.

A Collage of Leaves

Because I wanted to include a variety of processes in this lesson, we texture-rubbed 4 1/2 x 6" (11.5 x 15 cm) pieces of yellow, orange, magenta, and purple construction paper using peeled crayons in leafy colors (green, purple, and red). We achieved the texture by placing the paper on the soles of our shoes, then rubbing with the crayons. Once we rubbed the papers, they were torn into smaller pieces for the leaves. I demonstrated how to dab white glue on the twigs and place the leaves on top of the glue. I cautioned students not to put too many leaves on the tops of their trees, as we still wanted to see the twigs and the branches. A few leaves could also be added falling through the air.

A Riot of Color 

After three forty-five minute class periods, our fall trees were complete. The resulting pictures produced a riot of color. Displayed in the school's main hallway, we created our own autumn forest in the deep south. Not only were these masterpieces visual delights, they showed off the skills and knowledge achieved by the student artists who created them.

NATIONAL STANDARD

Students use different media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas, experiences, and stories.

Kathy A. Miller-Hewes is an art teacher at Ridgeview Global Studies Academy in Davenport, [e-mail]