Art Classes: Level I

Level I-Lesson 9: The Plate from Nepal

Learn to Draw Motifs and Use a Complementary Color Scheme to Decorate a Paper Plate

The lesson is suitable for students in grade 2 through adult.

(For students grades 2-5: VIDEO VERSION OF THE PLATE FROM NEPAL: MARKERS)

 (For students grades 6-adult: VIDEO VERSION OF THE PLATE FROM NEPAL: ACRYLIC PAINT)

Art Lesson Description:

On a recent trip to Bath, England, we dined at the Yak Yeti Yak, a family-owned Nepalese restaurant that serves good-sized portions of delicious, subtly-spiced food. One of the highlights of the meal was that the bill was served on a gorgeous, hand-painted paper plate—the workmanship of a Nepalese orphan. We were so impressed with the artwork that we asked if we could purchase one of these bill-serving beauties, and our water was happy to oblige.

The bird image—even though it looks complicated—is easy to draw and the lesson offers students several opportunities for creative work.

Students are invited to use a repeated motif to give it a fanciful tail.
An introduction to complementary colors helps students select an exciting palette.
The plate shape will encourage students to invent a variety of motifs to decorate the background.

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

List of Supplies for Each Student Using Format #1:

1 heavy duty 10” paper dinner plate
1 fine tipped permanent black marker (#ad)
1 print-out of the warm-up (it comes with the lesson)
A set of washable colored markers (#ad)

List of Supplies for Each Student Using Format #2:

1 heavy duty 10” paper dinner plate
1 fine tipped permanent black marker
1 print-out of the warm-up (it comes with the lesson)
Several colors of tempera paints or acrylic paints
1 paint palette
1 set of brushes
1 jar of water for rinsing the brush

Suggestions for Cross-Curricular Connections:

Geography: Nepal is home of 8 of the highest mountains in the world, including Mt Everest!
Web sites telling about Mt. Everest:

Children’s facts about Mt. Everest.
More facts about Mt. Everest.

Literature: Stories about climbing Mt. Everest:

Four stories of people who climbed Mt. Everest.
Read about the oldest person to climb Mt. Everest (80 years old!).
Children's book: The Top of the World: Climbing Mt. Everest (#ad) by Steve Jenkins takes us to Mount Everest - exploring its history, geography, climate, and culture - and on the ultimate adventure of climbing the mountain. Travel along, learn what to pack, and discover the hardships one may suffer on the way to the top. Informative text. Exquisitely detailed cut paper illustrations.
Everest: Reaching for the Sky (#ad) by Joy Masoff.
Into Thin Air, (#ad) by Jon Krakauer. Adults will enjoy reading the suspenseful true tale about climbing Mt. Everest.