Tiger symmetry prints in 2nd grade

Asian art is a subject we explore each year in second grade - this year we started with one of the world's most beautiful and amazing creatures - the tiger! Several types of tigers live in Asia and many artists from this region show the beauty of the animal in their art. Here are some of the examples we viewed, and an illustration of the symmetrical nature of the tiger's face.

          

The symmetry lends itself well to a special type of monoprint, or single print, called symmetry printing - the artist paints on half the paper, and folds the other half over and rubs the top to transfer the paint, creating a mirror image.  Because the tempera dries quickly on the construction paper, we used a quick rhythm of painting just a few strokes and then printing - “paint a little, print a little.” The students followed me in a guided drawing of half the tiger face, as seen above, and then we began painting with orange, white and black. I love the way each tiger has a unique face and expression!

     

Blue Willow in 2nd grade

"Two birds flying high,
A chinese vessel, sailing by.
A bridge with three men, sometimes four,
A willow tree, hanging o'er.
A Chinese temple, there it stands,
Built upon the river sands.
An apple tree, with apples on,
A crooked fence to end my song."

This is the poem that describes the Blue Willow pottery design, a china pattern collected around the world that originated in Asia centuries ago and gained popularity in 18th century England. Many designers have created their version of Blue Willow, inspired by the original Chinese blue and white porcelain that was imported into Europe.

Photo from replacements.com

As part of our Asian art unit, my second graders illustrated the poem on paper plates using blue sharpies, then explored the monochromatic possibilities by mixing tints of blue. We looked at a variety of examples to help us with our designs, and students were encouraged to put their own spin on it. Breaking down the parts and examining them has been fascinating for me and I see a new Blue Willow collection in my kitchen very soon...

I have been posting photos of these plates in progress on Instagram (@smartestartists) and it turns out that several other art teachers are either currently involved in this lesson or are planning it for the near future -  so there has been lots of great feedback. It is great to see how each one is different, yet still fits the classic design. Thanks to Use Your Coloured Pencils for sharing the paper plate idea! http://useyourcolouredpencils.blogspot.com/2010/04/chinese-willow-pattern-plates.html