 
Marcia Lavery's 6th grade students made these fanciful paper mache fish as props for a
school play. Students drew a fish shape on a piece of cardboard and cut it
out. Then taped newspapers to the cardboard on both sides to puff it
out. No newspapers were added to puff out the fins. At
this point, they inserted the dowel rod underneath the newspaper and taped
it really well with masking tape. Then, added paper mache,
putting extra layers around the dowel rod. They painted with tempera
paint when dry. Some students used paint markers to add
embellishments. Gloss varnish finished them off. You could
substitute acrylic paints. These fish are quite large - but you can make
them any size. This lesson can be done with upper elementary and middle
school.
Relief Sculpture Paper Mache from L. Peterson:
With recycled cardboard, I had the kids draw fish
outlines, a bit bigger than the size of their forearms. Real or
imaginary were ok. One side of the cardboard stays flat, while they
build up the other side with wadded newspaper, leaving the fin and tail
areas clean and flat. They resemble meatloaf with fins at this stage.
Just enough tape to hold the newspaper in place and then they started
papier mache covering, 5 layers at least for strength. Any lumps
smoothed down with the wet, glued paper and they had to wrap over the edge
of the cardboard body about an inch so there were no holes or gaps.
When they had a smooth, dry half fish, we cut cardboard fins to stick out
(the ones behind the gills) and built eyes, gills and any other body
decorations. Cover with enough papier mache to strengthen them and
let dry the final time. Because the original cardboard cut out was
the shape of a fish, not a single student "lost" their design
while building. We painted the bodies with tempera paint, first
adding a graded color change across the whole body and then adding
specific and patterned details on top. Self adhesive hangers went on
back when done, though the cardboard base is strong enough to have a hole
nailed through and fish line or wire strung through the hole. Some
students did a double layer body outline for extra strength and some used
flat wood craft sticks glued on behind delicate fins so they wouldn't
bend. Note: Wire could be taped to fins to give some
movement. Wrapping fins in aluminum foil would prevent any unwanted
warping and would help bend fins and tails into a desirable pose.
 
Michael Gerrish's Room became a fanciful aquarium filled with huge paper
mache fish. "Nemo" was easy to find. See the size compared
to the student hand. Newspaper were used to from the fish body and
cardboard for fins and tail. Eyes were built up with carryout beverage
containers. The yellow fish used brown grocery bags. The bag was stuffed
the the opening stapled over. Cardboard tails and fins added along with
eyes formed from the beverage containers -and layer of paper mache added. Fish
can be painted with temper or acrylic. Tissue paper collaged also makes a
nice finish. These lessons can be done with upper elementary and middle
school.
 
Heidi Bess Kincaid did these fun paper maché
fish with her 7th grade students. This was a great tie in with
science. Forms were started with a balloon with cardboard tail and fins
added and more paper maché. Thick pipe cleaners shape the mouths and
glitter embellishments were added. Click green
and blue fish to see details. The science teacher takes part in what
is called the "Jason Project" (www.jasonproject.org)
and they were studying water environments last year. They also participate
in a quilt square exchange each year also.
 
Marianne Galyk's students added their name to these patterned fish
done in pen and ink (or Sharpie markers). 5th graders designed a fish,
adding their first name in block letters to the design. They then filled
ever part of the fish (except their name) with a variety of patterns. Make
these any size from 9" x 12" to 18" x 24". For
extra fun, make two (mirror) image, glue together and stuff. See more on Marianne's
Artsonia site. This project
is good for grades three thru six. Kathleen Arola is using it with 2nd and
3rd graders. See one very creative
approach. You can see that Kathleen's students were up for the challenge
- finished 2nd grade work. Adapt Kathleen's
Rubric to your needs.
 |
Submitted
by Jill Day - Stuffed Patterned Fish
Jill had her 4th grade students make
patterned fish on white butcher paper. They used permanent markers to decorate
both sides. The two sides were sewn and stuffed with newspapers -
then seam was stitched closed. These were hanging in her room for
quite some time when it occurred to her that what they needed was
some color. Outside they went and each received a light dusting of
spray paint. Just what they needed! See group
hanging in her room. |
| Alternate
idea - Fish Pillows. Draw with permanent markers (or fabric
markers) on muslin fabric. Mist with liquid dyes (in spray
bottles). Sew and stuff with poly-fill batting - stitch seam
closed. |
 
Marianne Galyk did these trophy fish with fourth graders. Two fish
were make (mirror images) colored with markers and glued together -
stuffed then seam glued. These fish had to communicate something about the
student - a different kind of portrait - and have a surreal element.
Marianne got this idea They were given the challenge to create a
rare trophy fish that was based on another animal or object, but still
retained fish-like characteristics (gills, fins, an eye, etc.). They were
colored with markers and stuffed with paper after having been glued around
the edges. from Arts & Activities or School Arts.
 
Larry Prescott's Students made texture creatures - a lesson on visual
texture. Fish are one of their animal choices. From Larry: This one was done with 5th
grade kids. The concept of texture was reinforced through classroom
discussion and examples of both tactile and visual texture in the
room. Discussion was steered toward the variety of textures in the
room and how we feel more comfortable in a room with at least some
contrast in texture. We imagined settings with just one texture and
speculated on how we would feel in such an environment. We looked at
examples of 2D art and discussed, using "tactile"
adjectives, how certain areas of the work would actually feel if we
could reach into the picture plan. I used the cover story of Arts
and Activities, December 2002, "Texture Adds Interest to your
Art" to show great examples of visual texture in print. (This
article would be great for 3D work) Discussion culminated with
Dürer's "Rhinoceros." I told students Dürer had never
seen a Rhinoceros, but he relied upon a description to draw the
beast. We talked about what kind of description words may have been
heard by Dürer. It was now time to have students create their own
"mythical beast" using 5-6 different areas of texture. I
began to also add the idea of value, but found that it was better to just
concentrate on the idea of texture with 5th graders. We used oak tag
board with fine point markers for the project.
The patterned colored creatures were an outgrowth of this project. I
taught this lesson to all 300 plus 5th grade students at our school. I
varied the project for the second half of the students. The above
introduction was the same, but I emphasized pattern. The kids then
used Crayola markers to embellish with color. Students cut their
creature out and we taped all 155 creatures to the hallway wall. The
display of color and creations were wonderful. Aboriginal art would be a
nice addition to this lesson as would the art of Norval Morriseau.
From Carol O'Neil: I did an imaginary
fish lesson with the third grade. I was trying to tie in the fish
theme, texture and have fun. They were required to do a pen and ink
drawing: Fill the page with a fish, with at least one eye, tail,
fins and scales then add whatever they could invent. This is a
lesson I got from Emphasis Art years ago. Students really enjoyed it.
 
Denise Pannell's fifth grade students
made soft-cut relief prints. Emphasis was on observation -
positive and negative shape - pattern. A good size to work with is
6" by 9" or 5" x 7" . This unit integrated
science. Sometime, It might be fun to do these Agam style. This
would require that students make four prints from their plates.
Students would frame their best print the trade two other prints
with two different classmates. A long paper would be folded
|_|_|_|_|_|_|_| .The prints would be cut into one inch strips (after
numbering strips on back) and glued onto the paper frame....with the
student's own print on the bottom. Another popular approach is to
print four different color combinations and glue all four prints on
a larger board Warhol style. One other idea is to cut some prints
apart and glue back together again like a puzzle - combining two or
more prints to give the appearance of a multi color print. Fish from
one print - seaweed from another and the background for another
print. Student would save their best print for framing and cut up
the prints that were less successful. Link
to Fish Prints below.
See Denise Pannell's
Silk Painting Fish Lesson - done with fifth graders.
 
Cathy Gaul's third graders made these
color fish paintings using watercolor mixed with gloss medium.
Students outline with black glue (or outline with Sharpies as these)
- allow that to dry - then paint with a limited color palette.
Cathy uses the 8 color pans of watercolor - have the students fill
the little square or oval colors with clean water and let them sit
for about 5 minutes to really soften up. This is great if the pans
are partly used already. They get small paper cups with about a
teaspoon of Mod Podge or gloss medium, and then get a big brush full
of a color and mix it in. Then they use this paint. It goes on milky
and dries shiny and vibrant, almost like a gel. Looks like a
stained glass fish when dry. Draw the fish (or anything) in pencil,
paint it with the mixed watercolor, let it dry and outline with
black Sharpies. The fish were cut out and
glued to fadeless paper and given a decorative paper border.
 |
Tracy
Albert's seconds grader made ceramic fish. A slab of
clay was rolled around a rolled up newspaper form. Slab was pinched
to form back fin (dorsal) and tails and fins added. Ball of clay
formed eyes. Students glazed these after firing. Underglazes could
also be used. Another option is to use watercolors and gloss medium.
See Model Magic alternative below. Follow basic procedure for the
air dry fish. You can remove newspaper before firing (any remaining newspaper
will burn out in kiln). Students love calling these "taco
fish" because they stuff it like a taco. They do leave
the paper in - it all burns out safely. |
 
Tracy
Albert's (left) first graders love the book The
Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister. Swimmy
by Leo Lioni is another great book to use with elementary
student. Her first gradeers made their own rainbow fish using crayon
resist technique with watercolors. They embellished with glitter.
Lin Altman's (right) Rainbow
fish lesson used bold markers and metallic papers. Whatever the
medium. Rainbow fish is a hit with kindergarten thru second grade.
 
Tracy
Albert (left). Metallic oil pastels and Construction Paper Crayons make a spectacular fish on
black paper. First grade. These can be done with Elmer's glue
outline on the black paper.
Tracy
Albert (right) Tissue paper and fanciful patterns done with
markers - 4th grade
Japanese Fish Kites. Fish are stuffed with newspapers to hold shape
and have a 4" wide strip of construction paper inserted in the
mouth. I insert a 4" wide strip of construction paper in the
mouth.....about 18" long. Tracy did this step - she rolls it up
and it self adjusts to the opening then she stapled it in for the
students and punched 2 holes for the string.
 |
Juliennè
Dodd did a project similar with second graders that was
based on fish. They drew fish on black construction paper with
a black crayon, traced our fish's outline with galactic glue
(the sparkly glitter glue) and added seaweed and other under
water items in the glue and let it dry over night. The next
day they colored the fish with chalk pastels and spray fixed
the fish with hair spray (cheaper then fixative same result).
The students had a blast creating a fish of their own design. See
Lesson Plan |
|
Rebecca
Engleman's second graders loved looking at Paul Klee's
Goldfish painting. The students made their own goldfish images
using crayon resist. Color heavy with crayon - then paint over
with black watercolor or thinned black tempera. Another fun
Goldfish lesson is crayon or oil pastel etchings. Color heavy
with crayon - then paint over with India ink thinned slightly
(so crayon will show through) and scratch off ink to reveal
the fish and other images in composition. |
 |
Gina Grant's first graders had been
doing a lot on it in their classroom and had gone to the
aquarium. I talked to them about the colours of sea water (so
many of them still said 'blue'). Luckily I had photos and
magazine shots
that seemed to show differently as well as some art posters
showing water
by artists. I would put out several colours of paint on their
tables, warm and cold blues, different types of greens,
purples (whatever I had that would be appropriate) and
got them to smear the paint onto the paper. |
Oh, they
loved this part after they got over the shock of being allowed
to be messy. Often they would sit frozen until I had
come up and did one for them and then wipe my hand on my
art smock. After they put their work into the drying
racks, they let me know about different types of fish and sea life
that they knew about and would then draw these using different
types of pastels. If there was enough time they would cut
these out as well as they could. Next lesson they tear
their paper up into long strips, the tear giving the
paper nice bits of white 'wavey' bits and then glue onto
another piece of paper and put in their creature. This was put
onto another sheet of paper, preferably blue, so they
could then break out of
the confines of the picture, using torn tissue paper to
simulate sea week for example, maybe adding more fish
drawn directly onto their work. Sometimes I would have
brightly coloured strips of paper that they could bend
into reeds, and also they could use rubbing plates to create
rocks. I would encourage them to overlap some of these
elements to create depth. Students decorated the mat border
with other sea creatures.
|
Gina Grant's
Charcoal Shells. I have a large jar of shells. I
have brainstorming sessions whereby individuals describe
in words the shell (round, rough, smooth, patterns,
etc.) and then they use some newspaper to get used to
using the charcoal before they create their own observational
drawing of a particular shell. I show them how to use one
finger for rubbing along the line rather than across the
line so they don't 'rub out' their lines. Usually I have
one bright spark who will say something like "That
makes it look real" so then we can go on about 3
dimensionality for a bit.
|
 |
Susan form Long Island - Fish Using Air Dry Clay,
Model
Magic or Sculpey (polymer clay) Grade level: Grades 2 thru 8
Materials: Crayola White Model Magic (or Air dry clay),
newspaper, masking tape, variety of
"texturing" items such as paper clips, (paper clips
impressions look great for scales), wooden stylus- the kind you use
for Scratch Art, modeling tools, pictures of fish. Optional if
you want a stand on which to display each fish: 2x4 wood cut
into 6" long pieces, wooden dowels in varying lengths.
Begin with a wad of newspaper about the size of your fist. Use lots
of masking tape to secure the oval shape. Cut up the Model
Magic and give each student a piece that is large enough to fit
around the armature after it has been flattened.
Instruct the students to flatten their piece of clay like a pancake
(rolling pins could be used). Place the wad of newspaper in the
middle and roll the Model Magic all around the newspaper wad,
careful to seam on the bottom of the "fish" and leave one
end of the oval shape open, for the mouth. Next, discuss the
parts of the fish (for the little ones) and demonstrate ways to pull the Model
Magic from the smooth oval shape to form fins, tail, gills, etc. (If
student do not finish fish in one class period - wrap tightly in
plastic to prevent drying.)
Give a little additional clay for the eyes, or if they need more for
fins, etc. Some kids rolled a coil and added it around the open end
to emphasize the mouth. I showed them how to add a small ball
of Model magic on each side of the fish's head for the bulgy eyes.
I emphasized form and texture and got some really innovative fish!
This takes 3- 40 min. sessions; one for the armature, 2nd for the
Model Magic and 3rd for the painting. Painting : Options are
watercolors, tempera or acrylic paint. Acrylic has a nice
sheen when dry and the temperas are bright, too. Water colors
work, but not as bright. Art of a cart teachers who don't want to
use paint can opt to use markers to color.
Optional stands: Drill a hole on the bottom of the finished
fish. Insert a dowel. Drill a hole in a 2x4 piece of
wood-about 6" in length for the stand and insert the other end
of the dowel. I varied the height and the fish made a gorgeous display on the counter in the front office and in our
display case. ~ Susan on Long Island
Wire Fish Sculpture (upper elementary thru
middle school)
See Alexander Calder's Goldfish Bowl
http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/calder/realsp/4f.htm
See video - watch it move:
http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/calder/realsp/d4.shtm
Students could make simple contour fish - or
make them more complicated. See wire sculpture lessons on Incredible
Art Department.
See Alexander Calder Goldfish Bowl wire
sculpture, Steel fish and Flying
Fish mobile.
http://www.writedesignonline.com/history-culture/mobiles/overview.htm
Painted and Cut Paper Collage - Henri Matisse
See Henri Matisse Chinese Fish (Gouache
painted paper cut-outs). There are other Matisse cut-outs pertaining
to the sea. See Matisse lesson plans on Incredible Art Department.
Scroll down to Matisse images: http://www.writedesignonline.com/history-culture/mobiles/overview.htm
Lesson Plans for Fish:
Ceramic
Fish - lesson for middle school
X-ray
Relief Print Fish and other animals - Aboriginal Art
See Denise Pannell's
Silk Painting Fish Lesson - done with fifth graders.
Fish Prints Links:
There are some fish prints - tying in scientific
illustration/natural history
http://www.ic-maps.co.uk/PrintsAnimals.htm
Here is the source that has some African America Fish prints -
printed by Earl Washington.
http://antiques-internet.com/colorado/nangelofinearts/dynapage/PP31.htm
Don't let students go hunting here - there are some inappropriate images.
Pangnirtung Community prints:
http://www.snowgoose.on.ca/Pang%20Prints/Pang%20prints.htm
I don't know anything about the Pangnirtung Community
The chalk stencil prints are interesting too. Chalk stencil printing
is a
good lesson for high school -- and easy for younger kids, too.
Same Inuit/Eskimo prints:
http://www.inuit.com/InuitGraphics/pangnirtung/png1.htm
Fish Woodcut:
http://www.cegur.com/woodcut/Fish.html
Fish woodcut - O Ward Hunt:
http://www.swanseaheritage.net/article/full.asp?ARTICLE_ID=915
http://www.swanseaheritage.net/article/gat.asp?ARTICLE_ID=915
The engravings from the Renaissance are interesting too:
http://www.spamula.net/blog/archives/000265.html
Dover has a big book of animal engravings
And Medieval:
http://www.godecookery.com/clipart/fish/clfish.htm
MC Escher (there are more by Escher)
http://www.mcescher.com/Gallery/recogn-bmp/LW433.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/soho/museum/3828/fish.html
Here are some very realistic multicolor wooducts: Wolfgang Tambour
http://members.surfeu.at/wtambour/pages/page01.html
Big Eye block print:
http://www.catchofthedayoregon.com/block_pic/block_pic/block_2.html
Goat Fish:
http://www.catchofthedayoregon.com/block_pic/block_pic/block_3.html
from Catch of the Day - these are good for middlers.
http://www.catchofthedayoregon.com/pages/paper.html
Those fanciful prints from the 17th century are neat too
(lithographs I
believe). Louis Renard (1678 - 1746)
From a post by Ellen Sears:
"During the Age of Enlightenment a new interest in scientific
inquiry based on direct observation and reason. Renard's work is
clouded by embellishment, exaggeration, and outright
falsification.... the brief descriptive remarks are nothing more
than falsifications."
Example:
We are asked to believe that the spiny lobster lives in the
mountains, hates snakes, climbs trees, likes to eat fruit and lays
red-spotted blue eggs as large as those of a pigeon." Or the
walking fish - "I kept it alive for three days in my house; it
followed me everywhere with great familiarity, much lie a little
dog."
http://posters.seindal.dk/artist_Renard_Louis_byrank.1.html
http://www.artexpression.com/byartist/Louis_Renard.htm
cheap - calendar
http://www.pomegranatecommunications.com/pomegranate/j421.html
Drawn from the Deep - some cool images
The Fish in Science, Art, and the Imagination
http://www.acnatsci.org/library/collections/fishes/
You might also show Paul Klee's Goldfish and Fish Magic
(prints available online).
[ELEMENTARY
LESSONS] [MIDDLE
SCHOOL LESSONS] |
|
