09 May - Basic Perspective - 3rd grade

Students will learn the basics of perspective by creating a mixed media collage with a distinct background, foreground and middle ground.

supplies:

colored construction paper including black

oil pastels

white drawing paper

scissors

glue

markers

black sharpie

1. introduce topic and show students selected artworks. Ask students if they can tell which objects are closer to the viewer, and which are further away. Discuss how relative size of objects and their placement contribute to creating perspective. Introduce and explain terms background, foreground and middle ground. Tell students they will be creating a collage with a distinct background, foreground and middle ground.

2. students will create back with pastels on black or white construction paper. Some suggestions are starry sky, cloudy sky, fireworks, sunset, blue sky

3. students will create middle ground by cutting and gluing construction paper shapes. Remind students that relative size of middle ground objects should be larger than background details. Collage objects should also have some overlapping to convey depth. Suggested middle ground is a cityscape. Students can add detail to the middle ground with markers.

4. students will create foreground object(s) using white paper and oil pastel or markers. This object should be proportionately larger than the objects in the middle ground, but should not cover too much of the other layers. Suggested foreground objects include a flag, ballons, a ball, an animal, a face, a monster, a figure, a bird.