Middle School

Artwork by Ahvaya B., grade six.

The Essential Question
How can students create a unique piece of line art using colors and patterns?

Objective
Students will overlap lines and shapes in a design composition to create a pattern with only two colors.

Materials
white paper, colored pencils (two colors per student), fine-tipped black markers or pencils, rulers

Procedures
1. Students draw uneven parallel lines horizontally and vertically on a sheet of paper using a fine-tipped black marker. Rulers are helpful for this step. Circles or other geometric shapes may also be incorporated in the design.
2. Next, students fill every other space in their composition with the same colored pencil. Students will see a pattern start to form as they fill in their design and switch to their other colored pencil.
3. If time permits, students may want to try making more than one piece of art, using color opposites or warm and cool colors to create different patterns.

Assessment
Students display their finished art on a wall and critique each otherʼs work. Critiques should be positive and accentuate how creating alternating patterns can be used in real work design such as textiles, fabrics, or stained-glass windows.

Debra Cline is a digital art instructor at Manatee School for the Arts in Bradenton, Florida.