“Non-objective” or “non-representational” art lessons can be super tricky to teach to young students. It can be hard for younger students (and even some grown ups) to see that art doesn’t always have to be representational and that creating abstract art takes skill, deliberate thought, and time! This is a method for introducing “non-objective” abstract art to my younger students that I really love and have been successful with! To get students started, I use a method I learned from “Drawing with Children” by Mona Brooks.
Continue reading if you’d like to see my step-by-step process!
The materials you will need include: 9 x 12 heavy white sulphite paper, a container of slightly thinned black tempera paint, mini paper plate palette (one for each student), larger paper plate palette (for a small group), a thin round brush, at least one medium size brush (round or flat), and a placemat.
STEP 1: Here is where I start with adapted steps from Mona Brook’s “Abstract Design Warm Up.” I tell students to position their paper in any direction they want and use their small brush and black paint to make three straight lines anywhere on the paper. The lines do have to start on one edge (any edge) and end on another (again, any other edge). The lines can intersect but they don’t have to!
STEP 2: I then tell students to paint three “dots” anywhere and any size. In “Drawing with Children,” a dot can be any roundish shape filled in completely. Circles, ovals, and any round organic shape can be used.
STEP 3: Next, students will paint any type of curving line. This can include wavy, loopy, or spiraling lines. Their line must start on one of their dots and can end anywhere. It can also be as long or short as they’d like.
STEP 4: Finally, students can make one hollow roundish shape of any size and anywhere they want. However, It must be touching one of their other marks. In this example, I chose to have mine touch one of my dots. But a student can choose to have it touch one of their lines or even have one of their lines intersect the shape.
STEP 5: Once all of the painting steps have been completed, students can begin mixing tints and shades, using the black paint and a blob of white on the larger paint palette. I have them work to fill in blank areas of the painting first. I tell them that it does not matter if all areas “match” with the exact same grays.
STEP 6: Once the larger areas are filled in, students can continue creating tints and shades to add embellishments and patterns to different areas. I also like to give students the opportunity to do this with drawing materials (black and white china markers and oil pastels) once the painting is dry.
