Art Teacher Talk

Get Disco Fever with Disco Ball Art

Engaging Middle and High School Art Students with Disco Ball Painting

Teaching acrylic painting to beginners can be a daunting task, especially when faced with numerous factors involved in ensuring a successful painting class. From setting up to cleaning up and managing art supplies, art classroom procedures alone can feel overwhelming. If you’re wondering how to distribute supplies, what brand of paint to use, or how to maintain a chaos-free environment, you’re not alone.

Essential Questions for Teaching Painting:

• How do I distribute supplies?
• What supplies should I use?
• Which brand of paint is best?
• What kind of brushes are suitable?
• How do I handle storage?
• When should cleanup begin?
• How can I instill care for and maintenance of art materials?
• How do I maintain a clean, chaos-free environment?

These questions, among others, need thoughtful consideration. As someone who recently had the privilege of teaching Foundations Art 1 (Visual Arts Beginning), the challenge was heightened with 36 students in a space designed for 28. Creating a chaos-free painting environment became imperative.

After years of teaching watercolor, the decision was made to venture into acrylics. Inspired by the captivating disco ball paintings of artist Sari Shryack (@not_sorry_art) on Instagram, the idea for the Disco Ball Painting project emerged.

The Dilemma:

As a teacher of Painting 1 & 2 using a traditional method, incorporating disco ball painting raised questions:

• Do I simplify color theory for Art 1?
• Should students use warm and cool versions of each primary hue?
• Do I provide good quality paint and brushes or opt for cheaper alternatives?
• Is this project too challenging for beginners?

Despite the internal debate, the decision was made to embrace the challenge and scaffold the teaching process for confidence and skill building.

Inspiration and Permission:

A crucial step was seeking inspiration and permission from Sari Shryack to use her work as a reference for the project. Her gracious approval paved the way for a successful and engaging art project.

The Process:

The three-week unit, initially planned for two and a half weeks, began with a series of mixing exercises to familiarize students with secondary and tertiary color mixes. A new method of distributing supplies was introduced, tied to final grades, resulting in a clean and organized workspace.

The Disco Ball Painting project was revealed after a week of mixing exercises, building excitement among students. A presentation and video tutorial, created by the teacher, guided the students through the painting process. The project, despite its two-day delay due to unforeseen circumstances, concluded with all students successfully completing their disco ball paintings.

The Payoff:

The engagement and focus exhibited by the students were evident throughout the seven class periods dedicated to painting the disco balls. Every student completed the project on time, demonstrating impressive skills and maintaining a tidy workspace.

Conclusion:

The Disco Ball Acrylic Painting Project, bundled with a Color Mixing Beginner Painting Exercise, proved to be a hit among students of all skill levels. With endless possibilities for color combinations and various finished sizes, it’s an engaging and successful addition to any painting curriculum. If you’re looking for a fun and rewarding project for your art class, consider incorporating the Disco Ball Painting lesson – a staple in painting curricula for years to come. Be among the first to know about upcoming projects and lessons by staying connected.

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Each one comes complete with classroom resources. Take all six!

Choose from these FREE workshop topics:

• Colored Pencil Basics
• Colored Pencil Skin Tones
• How to Draw the Human Eye
• Art Task Cards – Drawing on a Grid
• How to Draw Ice Cream
• Acrylic Painting Basics

Have a wonderful and safe year and Happy Teaching!

Tiff 🙂

**Check out our Pinterest MrsTFox Resources for more project ideas.

**Check out my Facebook Page MrsTFox Resources Art Curriculum.

**Check out the Fabulous work of Sari Shryack.

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