How Do I Love Thee: Modeling & Dimensional Thinking

Modeling Color Theory: Tints & Shades

Source: http://www.artsconnected.org/toolkit/watch_value_tint.cfm

Using the website above the students will view an animation that demonstrates tinted and shaded colors. 

After the students view the video, have the student come to the Smartboard and complete the activites on the site. The students will look and point out the tinted and shaded colors in these works of arts. 

Modeling in art education is a very important aspect. Students usually have a grasp on representing subjects on a two dimensional surface, but when planning to create three dimensional figures students struggle. This is an important concept to grasp, especially for those continuing education in product design, construction and architecture. The ability to see the object in your mind as a physically thing you can touch and hold does not always make sense to children. The notion of building a three dimensional object is easier them, they can take parts and make a whole, the visualization of that whole prior to the construction is the tough part. . One way we use modeling in the art room is by having preliminary sketches prior to construction/creation of a project. This allows the students to imagine the finished product before the creating begins. I think this allows the students to put more thought into the project rather than just slapping paint down. Of course, this process is only needed for certain art mediums. Modeling is also present in using graphics or illustrations to "model" a technique or medium. Above you will see a website that I used with my 3rd grade students. First I showed the students the video that actually shows what happens to colors when white and black are added, making tints and shades so students have a visual. For reinforcement the students then come to the board to point out the tints and shaded seen in famous works of art. This allows the students to use the information learned in the model and apply it to analyzing colors in real works of art.

Anytime the students are able to come to the Smartboard, they pay more attention. They love it! I think this websites is full of great resources for art teachers and especially love the reinforcement activities after the demonstrations of the vocabulary. The students grasped the notion of tints and shades quite quickly, as a closer I had the students line up in three different lines, one tints, one shades and another pure hues.