Layered Marker Bread/Fish Drawing

We are doing this story this month. I was looking for something new and fresh as an art activity. I pondered the string art above -- really like it, but finally settled on this layered sharpie art drawing. I was inspired by the many images I saw  of the iconic loaves and fishes as I searched the web and this site: https://artprojectsforkids.org. I get many ideas from her site by the way!
[Moderator: it appears the image Jaymie saw, called "Layered Marker Leaf Drawing" at Art Projects for Kids, is no longer on the site, but found the photo in an Art Pinterest here https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/513762269975633805/]

Anyway, we will see how it goes, but basically here's what we will do  (I plan to demonstrate these steps on a flip chart as they work):

Supplies:
4X6 photo paper
Sharpie markers (different colors and metallic)
Extra-fine tipped black sharpie markers (for contour lines)
Black card stock (for mounting finished design)
Glue sticks

Optional: Label with memory verse can be put on card stock frame.

(sorry for the crooked photo!)

Directions:
Draw simple symbols from the story (5 oval shapes for loaves and 2 simple fish). We'll talk about good art design utilizing overlapping shapes and having some even go off the page. We're going to use photo paper (4 X 6) and sharpies (highlighters also work) to color in the shapes and add highlights. Next we'll outline the shapes and continue the lines between shapes with a fine-tipped sharpie,  With older kids we might even talk about how that resembles contour lines that can be seen on maps -- and represent the hillside where the people were gathered. Then we'll use colored markers and make dots inside the contour lines. This will represent the crowds. 5000 is a hard number for kids to visualize... hopefully they'll begin to get the idea as they fill the page with all those dots. 

Finished design will be mounted on black card stock.

It's different... We'll see how it goes....

Jaymie

See Jaymie's follow up notes below https://www.rotation.org/topic...0#549059653907580380

When I first glanced at Jaymie's picture above, I thought it was a MOSAIC.

Then the "dots" made me think of those strip candies buttons we used to eat as kids.  They can be "glued" using baker's glue (purchased or made). See my "fish and loaves" mosaic note and pic below.

So of course, this got me thinking about how to make a candy mosaic, and I had a flash memory of an experiment I did last year for another lesson:  creating a Starburst candy mosaic. When you microwave them for a few seconds, they become one big starburst mosaic.  When it's soft, you can press Skittles into it.

{{I also tried to make a stained glass piece out of  "Jolly Ranchers" but the ranchers were too thick. So I've been thinking about how I could pour liquid candy that hardens (without burning kids) into a story form the kids designed in cornstarch with drawing sticks. When the candy hardens, you lift it out of the cornstarch.}}

A bread mosaic with edible glue.

I've since thought that the mosaic could ALSO be made out of different types and colors of bread. They could be "glued" using edible glue made out of water and MERINGUE powder (a baker's trick).

BTW...there's a very famous and ancient 5th Century mosaic celebrating the Feeding of the 5000. It is found at the "Church of the Multiplication" which is located at the Sea of Galilee. It's one of the earliest known Christian mosaics in the Holy Land.

Update: above Layered Marker Bread/Fish Drawing

Our first session with 3-5 graders went really well. They enjoyed this technique -- they loved the vibrancy of the sharpies on the photo paper. Using the small size was also key to being able to finish in our timeframe. We talked about this being a "symbolic" illustration. They really liked making the contour lines and got right away that it represented the hillside where Jesus taught. They didn't have time to finish all the dots for the crowd. But most of them said they could finish at home. 

For the younger kids this Sunday we will make the contour lines with much wider spaces. I think they'll be able to do the rest.

Jaymie