FIFTH GRADE . . . What makes a pattern?

This week, 5th grade students drew a design with leaves in their sketchpads. When we were sharing the drawings in class, I was very surprised by how many interpretations of my assignment were presented! To create a design, we can focus on the lines, the shapes, or the color. Ultimately it comes down to how these elements are arranged on the page and if there is a noticeable pattern created through the repetition.

Here are three wonderful examples of very different leaf designs. With Maria's colorful drawing, she studied the different shapes of the leaves and created a beautiful pattern using color and shape in a symmetrical design. Max chose to work with just pencil and drew very large leaves that seem to overlap in a very random way, as if he discovered them in nature just this way. There is a pattern to his leaves, even though the arrangement is not planned. Each vein on the leaves creates a very intricate and detailed pattern. Olivia brought an entirely different perspective to class! Using actual leaves, she created a pattern on the page with the direction of the bright green leaves and the contrasting colors of the berries. I was very pleased with all of these responses to a very open-ended assignment. How you do your drawings each week shows me just how far you have all come as a Lower School art student and a creative thinker.

Click on the work Comments below and let your friends know how you like their leaf designs. Which one really appeals to you as an overall design? Does the use of color help define the pattern, or does using only black and white make us notice a different kind of pattern all together? What do you think?

Sketch by Maria

Sketch by Max

Collage by Oliva