100 Color Challenge

In order to get more comfortable with color mixing for our new water color project I had students attempt a challenge. Using what we know about color mixing (primary, secondary, complimentary) create 100 different colors on one paper. After making a grid of 100 squares the experimenting began.

I was surprised as we worked how many of them stayed engaged. Some were saying it was their FAVORITE project of the entire semester! wow!

Once done they become little art works of color exploration and experimentation. lovely!

Low Relief Tiles

Students created low relief tiles that involved foreground, middle ground, and back ground while in some way incorporating overlapping. 

Slabs were first rolled out to a 1/2" thickness and then cut to a 6"x6" square. Students then transferred a sketch they made two classes earlier onto the clay surface. 

Over night I let the tiles sit in between two drywall boards to help them reach a leather hard state quickly. 

For the next couple work days students started in their background removing clay. Once the background was cleared they moved onto middle ground and the finally the foreground. 

Final details were added on the last days.

For glazing we used watercolor underglaze amaco paints and coated with a layer of clear transparent glaze. 

Islamic Tiles

These Islamic Tiles were so amazing to see all together in the end! 

On 3"x3" slabs students used symmetrical designs to detail their tiles. Each one of the lines draw is then carved away with a linoleum carving tool to ensure straight crisp lines.

 Once bisque fired students pooled glazes thick in the shapes made from the carved lines. After the final glaze firing we filled the carved areas with grout in order to make the tiles appear like faux mosaics.