Lava Lamp

 

4 THINGS TO NOTICE:

-Form of lamp is symmetrical

-The cap and base are shiny/metal:

showing highlights with value in correct direction.

-Blobs are 3D-ROUND with lighter area at bottom and darker area on top.

-Sometimes, Glass has a white highlight

Watch it in Action

How does this happen?

It's Science...

GROOVY SCIENCE 

Convection and convection currents describe the process where heated, less dense fluids (like air or water, rise, while cooler, denser fluids sink.creating a continuous cycle of circulation that transfers heat. This natural phenomenon drives significant Earth processes, such as weather patterns like wind and storms, ocean circulation, and the movement of tectonic plates through mantle convection.

How Convection Currents Work

1. Heating and Expansion: When a part of a fluid is heated, its particles move faster and spread apart, becoming less dense.
2. Rising: This warmer, less dense fluid rises to the surface.
3. Cooling and Sinking: As the fluid rises, it cools, becoming denser again.
4. Cycle: The cooler, denser fluid then sinks, creating a continuous cycle of rising and falling fluid known as a convection current.

Various Forms of Lamp

Create a shape for your lamp. 

It should be symmetrical, have a top cap, bottom base, and glass bottle middle. 

What color combo do you want to use? 

The light comes from the bottom of the lamp base, so consider this when color blending and using value. 

UNIQUE DESIGN IDEAS

Challenge your creativity by transforming your wax blobs into shapes, objects, or letters. 

CRITERIA:

-LAMP FORM (25 points)

Symmetrical and filling up space

Show entire lamp (not cut off).

*hint- you can make a stencil from other paper, 

folding in the middle to make it symmetrical. 

-VALUE ON CAP/BASE (25 points)

Make metal top and bottom appear shiny with contour line. 

D, M, and L areas.

3D MELTED WAX BLOBS (25 points)

-Round, color blended, same light source on all (bottom of lamp).

At least 3. 

CREATIVE BACKGROUND (25 points)

-Ideas- color blending, radiating lines, blobs in background, 

outer space, still life.

*the more space you fill with lamp, the less BG you will have to do. 

YOUR CHOICE OF MEDIUMS-

marker, colored pencil, crayon, watercolor, oil pastel. 

Colored or white paper.

-SHINE ON GLASS (optional)

-Glass has a white highlight from surrounding lights, 

unless the lights around lamp are off.