4th Grade Henry Moore Unit-Part 2: Mixed Media Abstract Figures

I was a little apprehensive when beginning this lesson because of just how much higher order thinking it required. Not that my students aren't stellar, because they are, but I thought it might be too difficult a project for them to handle. But boy am I glad I gave it a try because the results were fantastic. After completing the Clay Henry Moore project, I showed the students a few examples of Moore's figure sketches and then the students took turns posing and sketching one another. They really got a big kick out of posing and drawing one another! After doing a few preliminary sketches and after I showed them how to break the body down into basic ovals or rectangular shapes, they then took their sketches and chose the one they liked the best to abstract. I demonstrated how to take the sketch and break it down into even more basic shapes and then add other features to make it look less like a figure and more interesting as shapes that create positive and negative space. Before drawing their finished abstract figure, I had them create a backing of collaged tissue paper and then watercolor.  Lastly, the students painted their final drawing larger using black temperature over the watercolor and collage background.