Early Childhood

The Essential Question
How can we make a design using various types of lines?

Objective
Students will paint a watercolor composition while experimenting with line variety.

Materials
12 x 18" (30 x 46 cm) white paper, watercolor paints, paintbrushes, water and water cups, paper towels, pencils, scrap paper, examples of artworks with strong line variety

Procedures
1. Discuss and show students various types of lines—thick, thin, zigzag, curved, horizontal, vertical, parallel, perpendicular, intersecting, etc. Show examples of artworks with various types of lines.
2. On scrap paper, students practice drawing the various lines discussed before moving to painting.
3. Students use watercolors to paint a variety of lines on white paper. Remind them to explore various types of lines and encourage them to fill the entire paper.

Assessment
Did students experiment with line variety? Can they describe the different kinds of lines they created?

Wendy Libby is an art teacher at Fruit Street School in Bangor, Maine.