Line and Design

Here is a lesson I posted over at the yahoo group nearly 2 years ago. (Can't believe it's been that long!!) I re-did this with my daughter this winter, so I am updating and adding her new pictures. This lesson is probably one of the one we have referred to the most over the years. My children love to make patterns and designs. E, especially has utilized this skill over and over, making frames for his pictures, designs on paper airplanes...you name it! It is a really useful beginning lesson, since you can incorporate the skills in many other lessons. I need to do an extension of it now, talking about line in composition, but that is for another day...These pictures at the top are from E. He was 5 when he made the first one and close to 6yo when he was making these paper airplanes.

MATERIALS1/4 sheets of paper (smaller canvas is less daunting)markers--Limit the palette to encourage focus on design, not color...

PROCEDURE:

*Discuss the different types of lines--vertical, horizontal, wavy, dotted, etc.

*Discuss Repetition and its importance to making a "design" rather than just random lines

*If age appropriate, discuss patterns with the lines (dot, dash, dot...straight, straight, wavy...etc.)
*Each artist should create his own Design Card (you too, Mom!)

Suggested "Rules":

*If you make a line, you must repeat it at least once

*Use as many different colors as you like, but use each at least twice

*No "coloring" on this project (don't solidly fill an area with color, add another line or design element if there is room)

*Help with gentle prompts as necessary... "That's a nice line. Now let's repeat it with another color. Can you add another type of line? (diagonal/curved/dashed/etc) Can you put any dots or lines betwen those two lines? That's a neat pattern, can you continue it?"

These 2 belong to my daughter. The first is from when she was 3 years old. The next one is from this winter at 5 yo. I was absolutely blown away by her radial design, totally her own idea! She actually completed that one after I had finished the lesson and left the table. She must have made 15 pictures that day!

EXTENSIONS:*Look at illustrations in books which make use of lines to make design*Go to a fabric store and look for lines which form designOther Sources of Line/Design discussions...Ukranian Easter Eggs, Wallpaper books, Wrapping paper, pottery/dishes, traditional patterns from India, Egypt, Native America, etc often use repetition and motifs...*Encourage the use of Line and Design in a current or new project. My son loves making paper airplanes (whether they fly or not!). He used lines to decorate them. *Design Quilt Blocks for the Collaborative Quilt Lesson...see "extensions" in that lesson for details...