After several weeks of studying color theory, students in Grades 1-8 felt confident that they understood the basic color wheel. That is, until the color changing light bulb was introduced!
This light bulb changes the way colors appear on artwork, clothing, and anything else under its reach. Students started by watching the colors change on the color wheels that they’d used during previous lessons. Next, they watched various works of art change before their eyes. Then, students explored what it would be like to color and draw under the light. We are accustomed to picking our colors by sight, so having markers and crayons change color before they hit the paper was a confusing yet delightful experience. Several students figured out how to use this aspect to their advantage, creating pictures that transformed as the color of the bulb changed. Eventually, students realized they could use their sense of smell to identify marker colors if they stuck to using scented markers.
Shaking up the basics—like our understanding and perception of colors—is a great way to experiment with art, whether that means creating new pieces of artwork or just viewing existing art with a new perspective!
