Art Classes: Level I

Art Lesson Level I-Art Lesson 11: The Sheep From Wales

Draw a sheep and use Welsh woolen fabrics to create a background

The lesson is suitable for students in grade 1 through adult.

Lesson Description:

Wales is a fascinating land of castles, public markets that are full of surprises, and the home of many famous authors like Roald Dahl. But if you drive through the countryside, it’s possible that the sheep will be the thing that catches your eye. Sheep seem to be everywhere! Every sheep had a big bright red, blue, or purple spot or combination of spots that farmers used to tag their flock. Each flock had its own color code, so if a sheep jumps the fence to join another flock, it will quickly be discovered.

Sheep of course, make wool, so it’s no wonder that Wales is known for its fine woolen fabrics.

In this lesson, we’ve combined the drawing of a sheep with a plaid pattern inspired by Welsh wool fabric. Students will combine curvilinear lines with rectilinear lines, not only, but the plaid fabric is also an invitation to try out some color combinations. The media for coloring the picture is oil pastels and watercolor - a combination that will introduce students to oil resist.

This lesson includes both POWERPOINT and VIDEO versions of the lesson plus 2 downloadable printouts: a warmup and a drawing of the sheep.

List of Supplies for Each Student:

A copy of the warm-up (it comes with the lesson)
A fine tipped permanent black marker (#ad)
Oil pastels (#ad)
Set of brushes (#ad)
A set of watercolor paint (#ad) with a lid/palette for color mixing
A sheet of 11" x 15" watercolor paper (#ad)
Masking tape (#ad)
Drawing board (#ad) (Make your own by cutting an 18" x 24" piece of 1/4" masonite)
A ruler
A pencil

Suggestions for Cross-Curricular Connections:

Literature by Welsh authors and others:

Go to the Roald Dahl website and find games, information about his books, and some interesting apps.
Read James and the Giant Peach (#ad) or one of Dahl’s other books.
Read Jenny Sullivan’s The Great Cake Bake (#ad)
Read Jumping the Waves: Sglod's Favourite Poems (#ad) or other books by Ruth Morgan.
Watch the movie, James and the Giant Peach (#ad)
Mary Had a Little Lab (#ad) combines science (of a sort), problem solving, and lots of fun as Mary's new invention creates sheep.