Computer Color Theory

This is actually not so much an art project, but a way of incorporating technology into your lessons. I had been doing a color theory unit with my grade 2's and that week for our computer time, I decided we would play around in KidPix* and teach the students about more color theory.

(*If you don't have KidPix, Paint also works)

Whether you are in KidPix or Paint, all students should be following along with you. I was lucky and had my computer screen projected on a big screen for all the students to follow along. Adjust your lesson plan according to the technology you have available to you. The students were following along and everyone should have a tool for making solid rectangles selected.

We began with making a red square. I then asked the students what the complimentary color of red was? (Green) We then drew a green square in the middle of the red square.



I told the students that complimentary colors like each other so much, that they tend to vibrate when they are next to each other. I told the students to test out my theory by staring at their square....are their eyes going funny? We then made the inverse of the red/green square right below it.



Does the green/red square do something different to your eyes than the red/green square?

We then continued and made all the other complimentary squares - yellow/purple and blue/orange.



From there, we saved these into the students folders, but you could print them off and put them in the students portfolios.

Next we moved on to talking about MONOCHROMATIC. I told the students that monochromatic means a drawing or a painting is done in all the same color - just different lightness and darkness of that color.

I then very quickly drew a picture in paint using monochromatic colors to demonstrate.



I then gave the students some free time to draw their own monochromatic painting. It didn't have to be an actual picture, it could be just abstract shapes. My only stipulation was that they choose ONE color and then use all different shades of that color to make the painting.




The students liked having free time to play around in KidPix or Paint. They came up with beautiful monochromatic abstract drawings. We saved them to the students folders, but you could also print them off and put them in their art portfolios.

These are just simple ideas, but a great way to teach your elementary students about color theory as well as incorporating technology.