Chalk pastel is so messy but so worth it! Last week we learned about Edgar Degas. We read Degas and the Little Dancer. Then we drew our ballerinas on colored paper with a light colored chalk pastel. Degas used diagonals a lot in his compositions. So, we created a diagonal floor line. Students were free to choose their own colors for their ballerinas, floor, and background. They really came up with some beautiful color combinations. Our focus was on layering colors in chalk pastel and emphasizing lights and darks. The final touch to this project was adding a gestural outline with black tempera paint.
I expected there might be some grumbling from the boys about drawing ballerinas. But, not one of them complained. In fact they had some of the best results. : ) These were done by students ages 5-11.
