Cardboard Animals inspired by Clare Youngs

Clare Youngs is a working contemporary illustrator and artist. Her work is colorful and full of personality. In this lesson, students will create a cardboard animal sculpture, assemble and paint the animal using a warm or cool color scheme, and utilize rhythm, pattern, and shapes to paint the animal. 

Fine Arts Goals/Objectives:

Students will be able to plan a 3D sculpture 2 dimensionally 

Students will be able to take a 2D sketch and create a 3D sculpture 

Students will be able to select a color scheme based on the look of their animal

Students will be able to create patterns with tempera paint 

Nat’l Core Arts Standards:

VA:Cr1.2.2a - Make art or design with various materials and tools to explore personal interests, questions, and curiosity.

VA:Cr2.2.2a - Demonstrate safe procedures for using and cleaning art tools, equipment, and studio spaces.

VA:Pr6.1.2a - Analyze how art exhibited inside and outside of schools (such as in museums, galleries, virtual spaces, and other venues) contributes to communities.

VA:Re8.1.2a - Interpret art by identifying the mood suggested by a work of art and describing relevant subject matter and characteristics of form.

Vocabulary Acquisition:

  • Sculpture 

  • Assemblage 

  • Pattern 

  • Movement 

  • Rhythm

  • Tint 

  • Shade

Artmaking Materials Needed:

DAY ONE 

Thin Cardboard

Hot Glue 

Sketching Paper 

Pencils 

Scissors

Simple shape templates – need a few triangles, some circles, some squares/rectangles, some ovals 

Trays for student work 

White Paint 


DAY TWO

Tempera Paint 

Palettes (13) 

Brushes 

Water Cups 

Assembled Sculptures 

Contemporary/Historical/Multicultural/Popular/Literature Art exemplars:

Clare Young


To be COMPLETELY honest with you, this project surprised me!! Although the kids had minimal trouble cutting the cardboard (make sure you use the thin cereal box kind, not corrugated!), they totally nailed the rest. They really really loved choosing their favorite animal, and they were all so creative with it!! Most kids chose a different animal than their peers, which was really great. Some did the same, and they all took it in a little bit of a different direction!! They really really enjoyed the painting portion of this project, as expected, but they also did a really great job using pattern and shapes to paint rather than just solid colors! I would also say that my Kinders surprised me, and did a FANTASTIC job with this whole project!! Definitely will be doing this one again!

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Concentric Circles: Abstract Watercolor Painting

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Ceramic Frogs: Hand-building Techniques with Elementary Students