FIFTH GRADE . . . Presenting our sketches

Each week, 5th graders come into art class with drawings that they complete at home. Some of the assignments might ask for them to use their observational skills and draw objects from life, in pencil only and as realistic as possible. Other drawings can highlight their design skills and call for working in color and patterns. Drawing from our imagination is another option, as is drawing an animated sketch and trying our hands at cartoon style illustrations.

Last week, 5th grade artists celebrated the colors of the season by creating a pattern with leaves. As students came up to present their drawings to the class, they also presented an artist statement, giving us more information about their art and getting us more engaged in the presentation. Classmates then had the opportunity to offer a critique to the artist. We are all learning how to talk about art, use art vocabulary, and we are learning how to appreciate the artwork of others.

Here are four very different interpretations of this week's assignment. Please contribute to our conversation by adding your own comments at the bottom of this post. Our featured artists for this blog post would love to hear from you!

Grace created a pattern on the page by alternating different colors and shapes of leaves and forming a beautiful star-like design. Some thought it looked like a snowflake design too!

Ashley drew a full page scene. Her landscape shows a pattern in the repetition of the tall trees and with the fluttering leaves falling to the ground. A pattern within a pattern is also visible in the veins inside each leaf!

Michael has us focusing on a perfectly drawn leaf. The blending of light to dark green for his coloring is so well done. We can almost imagine the color changing as the season passes. His patterns are exhibited in the colors of the leaf, in the natural beauty of the veins, and in the small corner leaves on the page.

Tyge has a wonderful sketchy style when he draws and it works perfectly in a sketch like this one! We can sense that this is not just a forced arrangement of leaves, but a glimpse at a real pile of leaves. One gust of wind and the leaves could easily fall into another arrangement. His sketchy lines give us that sense of transience and movement.


What do you think about these sketches? How well have these artists represented this colorful and changing season? Please add your comments below!