Pattern and Texture Journals

Last year, 2nd-5th graders made texture and pattern journals to take home, sketch in, and bring back to school to use for inspiration for corresponding art units.  Students were instructed to draw their patterns and textures from observation, not memory or imagination.

Emphasis on "drawing from observation" and labeling each sketch with important information.

 

Journal covers

We started by doing a few practice sketches in the art studio at the end of class before the students took them home for the week.  After drawing a close up of the pattern or texture they saw around them, students were instructed to label the sketch with the object they had observed the pattern on, and the place where the object was found.  

3rd grade: patterns found at home

2nd grade: patterns found in the art studio

4th grade: patterns and textures found in images of animals in a book from home

These journals provided lots of inspiration for art units throughout the year.  (In keeping with this recent trend of catching up on posts from last school year, I will be following up on this post later on with how the students used their journals for art units.)  Students were encouraged to take them home again or keep adding to them in the classroom whenever inspiration struck.

3rd grade: observations from home

The more specific the labels, the better!

5th grade: patterns and textures from the classroom

We have not had journals in the past (since there are about 900 students at Briargrove) but it was quite successful!  Anyone who lost or wanted to purchase a new journal could trade me one brand new pencil (which we all agreed was a fair cost!)  A section like this in any art journal would be useful to an artist of any age!