This lesson took 2 – 3 (40 minute) art classes to complete.
DAY 1:
On a piece of black construction paper (cut to 6”x18”) Trace 6 bulbs using a bulb tracer with pencil. (I created these bulb tracers ahead of time from thin cardboard sheets found from the back of printmaking foam board packages-great way to recycle and it’s free!)
*BTW- I like to use Sax brand “Black Colored Art Paper” because of how saturated in color it is, and doesn’t have spotting or inconsistencies within the paper. Not trying to get any freebies with the company Sax, or saying other paper isn’t going to work for this! Just wanted to share my opinion!
Then outline each bulb first, using oil pastel, then fill in -pressing hard- so the color is more vibrant. Leave the rectangular base (bulb socket) black. Students can test out colors to see if they like the way it looks along the top where there isn’t a bulb -before coloring in their final bulbs.
For any tidbits of oil pastel that gather up and leave a chunk on their paper, I just tell students to shake their papers to get rid of them, so it’s less likely to get smeared into other bulbs or on other students artwork when stacked together for the following week.
Then add a small white curved line near the top to make it look like it’s shiny and reflecting light, a “cursive L shape” for the filament near the base, and 4 white straight lines in the bulbs base using a white oil pastel.
Finish the remaining 5 bulbs the same way, using whatever colors you want (they can be all the same color or a mix with some the same color, or all different colors).
Day 2:
Finish coloring in the 6 traced bulbs with oil pastel if needed.
Then draw a wavy line in the middle of a piece of 12×18” black construction paper using pencil. Then trace over that line with colored oil pastel (it can be 1 color / or a line of a combination of colors)
Trace 6 bulbs along wire line where you want them with pencil using the bulb tracer again.
For each bulb tracing on the wire line, using a white CHALK pastel, draw a thick white line along your pencil line, on each of the bulb tracings. I tell my students to draw with their white chalk up and down overlapping the previous line to create a nice layer of chalk dust as they do this step. Do this with all 6 bulbs.
Then, smudge with your finger going outward (going away from the bulb and smudging in one direction) to create a glow effect!
Then using the same color CHALK PASTEL as each of your OIL PASTEL bulbs—go over the same white line with colored CHALK pastel thickly. Smudge outward again with your finger. Do all 6 bulbs with the chalk on the black paper.
(To avoid blending colors, use a different finger for each color when smudging).
DAY 3:
Finish using the colored chalk pastels on the traced bulbs along the wire if needed. Cut out each colored OIL PASTEL bulb from the 6”x18” strip of black paper.
Each time you cut one out, glue the back of it using a glue stick, and glue down in place over the traced bulb with chalk smudges (glue down matching each bulbs color with chalk pastel smudges). I ask students glue them down immediately after cutting one out, just in case their bulbs won’t get mixed up with other student’s bulbs on the tables!
And there you have it!! So easy and so Fun!!
Thank you https://www.artwithmrsnguyen.com/ for this fun lesson! My 5th graders always love them, and so do I!