Art Tissue + India

Over the summer I saw a Facebook post from Pacon looking for bloggers to test out some products. I answered and was delighted to receive Spectra® Bleeding Art Tissue, Art1st® Multi-Media Paper, and a Classroom Keepers® Activity Tray. I found the paper they sent to be pretty sturdy and it held up well to the water used with the bleeding tissue paper. When we ran out of the multi-media paper and had to switch to the sulphite drawing paper in the cabinet, it tended to curl up a lot more with the tissue process. While I put the Activity Tray together super easily, I keep changing my mind about what to use it for so in the words of Forest Gump, "That's all I have to say about that" (for now).

Spectra® Bleeding Art Tissue creates really cool color effects.

Starting points for India projects

Each grade learned about India and created an art project inspired by the culture in the first 9 weeks. I had used the Spectra® Bleeding Art Tissue to test out an idea for 4th-6th grade, drawing an elephant with crayon and applying the art tissue over the top, creating a resist. Most of the students who chose to try a similar idea wanted to be much more detailed with their patterns, so they planned in pencil, and traced with sharpie instead. Elephants were a popular choice, but not the only option for students. I had several starting points and students could branch out and connect ideas to come up with their own direction. As long as they could explain how their art related to something they learned about India, it was good with me! 

I did not assign the students to learn about a particular element or principle, but check out how this student took the idea of a peacock, the national bird of India, and created patterns!

This 6th grade student told me she "messed up" because the shapes from the tissue on the right were not as clear as on the left. I thought it was beautiful and do not think she messed up at all!

"Painting" with the tissue over a drawing of an Indian animal was by far the most popular choice. I had the students use a brush to apply water to their paper, set the tissue on one piece at a time, and use the brush to press it onto the paper.

Sometimes the color seeps in irregularly but I like the effect.

The tissue can be applied in a patchwork kind of design with squares and mixed up colors, or it can be applied strategically, matching colors to the field you are coloring in, such as blue tissue on water. Since most students wanted mixed up colors, I took a stack of assorted art tissue to the paper cutter, chopped it into 1.5 inch strips, then chopped the strips the other direction to create a bunch of mostly equally sized squares. Most students removed the tissue when dry as the color seeped into the paper, but you can also use watered down glue or mod podge to keep the tissue on the paper, adding texture and intensifying the color. 

Many students also used the tissue over a drawing of their hand with mehndi designs or as a background. 

The students and I especially loved the Spectra® Bleeding Art Tissue and I already ordered some more so the primary kids can try it out. I know they'll enjoy it just as much. I haven't checked other places, but it's pretty affordable from Sax, which is where I order all of my school supplies.

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Paper Weaving: Beyond the Checkerboard Part 1

 Paper is a great medium to use when introducing weaving. It's a good way to practice over, under, over, under and the in-process projects don't take up much space. The product, however, can sometimes end up a little plain. Paper weaving had never been a big hit with my students before we started using choice based art and showing some different options for pushing the projects beyond the checkerboard. The artwork in this post was created by 2nd and 3rd grade students.

I will be writing a few posts about ways my students have enjoyed expanding their paper weaving projects. The method in this post is cutting skinnier strips of paper which are stacked when weaving the weft. This is so simple and so fun! I precut 1 inch thick strips that students use for the weft. If the students want to stack, they simply take a regular strip and cut it down the middle to yield two skinnier strips. The edges aren't perfectly straight but we don't mind- I actually love the look of it not being perfect. I figure if something is going to be handmade, it might as well look handmade!

Some students want the strips to be even skinnier to make more patterns so they just cut them smaller.

 A few students have even tried creating new patterns. Instead of just using an AB pattern, they might try ABB, like the student below. Over, under, under, over, under, under.

I think that having really nice construction paper, in addition to the new techniques, has helped make paper weaving so popular. I only order Pacon Tru-Ray construction paper and lately my favorite "packs" to order are warm colors, cool colors, and brights. This gives you a lot more variety than traditional assortments.

My Favorite Construction Paper

I remember when I first ordered Tru-Ray sulphite construction paper- what a huge difference over the cheaper stuff that fades after a week in the hallway! I've ordered Pacon ever since but this was the first year I noticed the warm and cool variety packs. I think this is how I'll order construction paper from now on. I always order black separately since it seems to get used faster but I really like how these have a wider spectrum of color than ordering the same number of sheets in a regular variety pack. My students were especially pumped about the variety of pinks.