How to Practice Cactus...

Think about a globe...

There are lines that flow from the top North Pole to the 

bottom South Pole. 

When your perspective is at the equator, you see a straight vertical line down the center of the globe. 

Each line to the right of the straight line curves right and each line on the left curves left. 

They curve more and more until they reach the end of the earth. 

See the small cactus below?

It does the same thing. 

Each line to the right of the straight line curves right and each line on the left curves left. 

They curve more and more until they reach the end of the cactus. 

These are called 

CONTOUR LINES. 

You can draw these on shapes to make them forms. 

Let's try...

Remember what Mrs. Morgan says,

"Draw light til' you know it's right,

then go darker or use marker."

Get this poster for your classroom here on my TPT store...

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Lost-Sock-Art-Teacher

I love "Practice Cactus" because it is an easy and beautiful way to teach kids how to use natural contour line to transform a 2D shape into a 3D form! There's so much you can do with these mysterious plants after the kids are able to get skills built by practice. 

Prickly Pear Cactus (below)

Carnegiea Gigantea (below)

Echinocactus (below)

Color Burst Cactus

We made it to the FINISH LINE!!!

Hall of fame, 2nd grade...

Monday's Art Class (below)

A closer look...

Andre, Evan, Aislinn, Dylan & Maisy, 

2nd grade, Mrs. Johnson's class 

(Above)

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Mrs. Blanchard's 2nd grade Thursday class (below)

Christian R. & Kate

Mrs. Whites 2nd grade class

Dona, Michael, Michael O., & Isaac 

Mrs. Warne's 2nd grade class

(Below)

Kayla, Kimberly, anonymous & Gisele, Zobia

Bluhm's 1st grade class

(Below)

Sophia, Anna Blaire, kattie, Roman & Trevor

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Mrs. Jamison's 2nd grade class

(Below)

Caleb, Michelle, Ryleigh, Angelina, Abby, Michael, Kayleigh & Rachel M.

Below; Mrs. Smee's 1st grade class

Emily, Reggie, JoJo & Logan. 

Begin by drawing a group of cacti very large on paper. Outline the pencil with a black permanent marker. 

 

elementary on left with secondary level on right

http://tabithaannthelostsock.blogspot.com/2014/09/how-to-practice-cactus.html

 I chose color with a lighter value for my cactus

so that it would not cover all my details....

I chose colors with a darker value for my background

so that it would emphasize my foreground. 

Use the washable Crayola markers to add close spots all over the background. Students are encouraged to use lighter colors on top of black cactus lines and darker in open areas with no lines. This will ensure the cacti to not fade away or become "lost" in the background. 

See darker cooler colors around and lighter warmer colors in middle. 

Wash with water brush. Start at top left and work to bottom right. Mimic like reading a book with your brush swirling in a circular motion...

Onto the drying rack...

Use a medium or dark color that was used in the background to emphasize the cactus and visually separate it from the background. You are done!

Art Print example used for showing contour line drawing using a background color design...