Art Autumn Leaf Outline

Art Lesson Plan for Fall Leaf Art Projects: Use Autumn Leaves to ...

Autumn leaves from different trees offer a variety of shapes for children to observe and experiment with using. Try the following elementary art projects to give children experience with talking about and working with different kinds of lines, outlines, and shapes (including positive and negative images).

Objectives Students will use descriptive words to talk about different kinds of lines and shapes. Students will create art using different leaf outlines and shapes. Students will use art materials to explore positive and negative images. Preparation

Collect leaves on nature walks or other outings and press them dry and flat before using.

Project #1: Trace Leaf Edges Collect leaves with different kinds of edges. Have children place each leaf on a large, unlined white index card and trace around its edges with a black pen, copying precisely each bend and curve. Talk about how you can use words to describe how lines move through space. Note that lines can be categorized as vertical, horizontal, and diagonal. Examine the leaf outlines and have children brainstorm words to describe the line that makes up each outline, such as smooth, zigzag, pointed, jagged, scalloped, curvy, and so on. Have children write labels on the cards describing the lines and then categorize and group the cards by their edges. Make dividers and file the cards in a class reference box of leaf edges. Have children use the different kinds of leaf-edge lines as inspiration and fill a blank page with line designs. Project #2: Outline Leaf Shapes Collect leaves of different shapes. Ask children to trace and cut out card stock versions of each leaf. Discuss how a line creates the outline of a shape. Have children experiment with making abstract designs by tracing their card stock leaf templates on paper with markers, pencils, or crayons. They might overlap their tracings or keep them from touching. They might trace with a solid line or experiment with using dotted or dashed lines.