Tints and Shades

 Kindergardeners learnt the technique of mixing Tints and Shades.

We spent the first class discussing what tints and shades are and looking for them in some familiar paintings. (Andrew Wyeth, Pablo Picasso, Ton Schulten) They were asked to draw leaf shapes making sure to divide them into little shapes by drawing the veins. 

Then after a demonstration of how to carefully add a small quantity of their color to white (tint) and a tiny amount of black to their color (shade) they began mixing and painting in their leaves with their tints and shades.

This was a very challenging technique lesson and the K’s did a fabulous job with their mixing.

In the next class they were introduced to the idea of complementary colors – how some colors can ‘pop out’ if they are placed near or on top of another color – and how you can also camoflage colors by using similar variations and tones. Choosing from a variety of circular shapes and cardbard strips they chose colors and printed patterns by lightly dipping the oblects in paint and stamping on top of their leaf paintings. The results are simply stunning!!

After completing a class project Kindergarteners are allowed to read a book or to choose  from a series of works on the white shelves – a new project was an introduction to weaving on a fixed loom with paper strips. Ask your child to describe how they did their weaving!