1. 4 th Grade - Art Elements

2. Today’s Challenge: Think like an artist!

4. Artists think about the art elements.

5. When you draw, think about SHAPE. What shape is that thing I’m trying to draw? Can I break a complex object into simpler shapes? Are these geometric shapes, or natural shapes?

6. When you paint, think about COLOR. Make your own colors. Use the color wheel to understand how colors are related.

7. THE COLOR WHEEL

8. When you paint or color, think about FORM. Use highlights and shadows to create the illusion of 3-dimensionality. Use directional brush strokes or coloring strokes that follow the form of an object.

10. When you paint or color, think about TEXTURE. Texture describes how things feel when you touch them – smooth, prickly, crusty, rough, bubbly, …… Use the direction of your brush strokes or coloring strokes to create a variety of textures in your artwork.

11. Artists think about VALUE – their way of saying “light and dark.” Change your colors by adding white or black to make them lighter or darker. Differences in light and dark (VALUE) create contrast and make your paintings more exciting to look at.