How does one type of art compare to another? Using crayons and paint, students create side-by-side impressions of one of nature’s prettiest works of art: fall leaves.
What You Need:
- White construction paper (one piece per student)
- Markers in fall colors (reds, yellows, oranges, etc.)
- Crayons in fall colors (reds, yellows, oranges, etc.)
- Paint in fall colors (reds, yellows, oranges, etc.)
What You Do:
- Take your students outside on a nature walk to collect leaves of various shapes, colors, and sizes.
- Have the children fold a piece of white construction paper in half and then write across the top: “Rubbing vs. Printing.”
- On the “rubbing” side, have the children place a leaf under the paper, then rub a crayon over the paper (and the leaf below it) to create an impression of the leaf.
- On the “printing” side, using the same leaf, your students can now create a print. First, they paint one side of the leaf with fall colors, press the painted side of the leaf gently onto the paper, and then lift the leaf slowly.
- Have your students leave space down the center of the page as they continue the rubbings and printings until the paper is full.
- Have the students glue their leaves down the center of the page.