February - Narrative Painting - 2nd grade

Materials:

white paper

black sharpies

chalk

Process:

1. With the kids seated on the rug, you can tell the kids that we will be telling stories today. Tell them that there are many different ways to tell a story. You could just tell it to someone. Ask the kids if they can think of other ways to tell a story. Write a book, comic strip, movie, song, ballet, play, opera. Even a picture can tell a story. You can ask them about the difference between reading a story in a book, watching a story as a movie or looking at a story in a picture. A book has a lot more details than a picture and a movie has more details than a book. With a book a lot of the "details" are left to your imagination. A movie doesn't leave much at all to the imagination. A picture leaves a lot to the imagination. It can show just one moment of a story. A lot of the information is left out and left to our imaginations.

A picture that tells a story is called a narrative. Before cameras were invented, pictures were drawn of an event.

2. If you'd like you can talk to the students about some paintings. Here are a few of the reproductions that we have in the art room:

Georges Seurat

Bathing Place at Asnieres

You can ask them what they think is going on here. Is the boy in the hat calling to someone? What is the dog looking at? What time of the day is it? Are there any clues to help you with this? (shadows) Are there any clues to help you figure out where this is? (french flag on boat)

This painting shows workmen - probably from the factories in the background - taking their leisure. They probably just finished work. You can guide the kids to this "answer" or if they come up with other stories. Different people can read different things.

David

Oath of Horatii

This depicts a scene from a Roman legend about a dispute between two warring cities; Rome and Alba Longa, when three brothers from a Roman family, the Horatii, agree to end the war by fighting three brothers from an Alba Longa family, the Curiatii. The three brothers, all of which appear willing to sacrifice their lives for the good of Rome, are shown saluting their father who holds their swords out for them. Their wives and sister are on the right. They are sad of course especially because one of the sisters is married to a Curiatii and one of the wives is a sister to a Curiatti. No win situation. Again, you can just show the painting to the kids and see what they come up with.

There is also a painting by Frederic Remington depicting an American Indian taking aim on a covered wagon and a Degas of ballet dancers on stage.

3. Have kids select an event or story to illustrate. You can have each kids think of their own event - which might be hard for them. Or you can give them a narrative like "you are traveling in a time machine and end up with dinosaurs (or in the future) what do you see, what happens there?" Have them think about what elements, things and people will be included. What is in the foreground, background? What do you want to zoom in on?

4. I put sharpies in the materials box because I think when kids draw with sharpie the drawings turn out bolder. For some reason I feel like the inability to erase is liberating for them. Pencil drawings are usually erased and changed and end up smaller. Of course, if you'd like you can use pencils. Tell the kids to just use the sharpies to draw lines not to color in.

5. When they are finished with the drawing. You can pass out the chalk and collect the sharpies. Please make sure the kids don't draw over the chalk with the sharpie. You can show then how they can blend the chalk with their finger. A few tips for working with chalk.

Have the kids hold up ONE finger. Tell them that this is their tool. Do not use more than one finger to blend.

To clear their paper of chalk dust, have them hold their paper vertically and tap the paper onto the edge of the desk. it’s better than on their clothes.

Set a damp paper towel on each of the tables. The kids who can’t stand the dry, dusty feeling of chalk dust can wipe their fingers when they feel the need. Just make sure it’s not too wet.

6. If time allows I love to put some of the pictures up on the white board and have the kids talk about them.