Fourth Grade Cities

Fourth graders observed the painting "Parade on Hammond Street" by American artist Alan Crite. We discussed what gives the painting its 3-dimensional effect and came up with a list.

1. Placement of figures in the composition: Higher/Lower

ex. The parade leader is lower on the canvas (closer) and the parade observers are higher on the canvas (further)

2. Size of figures: Larger/Smaller

ex. The parade leader is bigger than the parade observers

3. Detail: More/Less

ex. The parade observers on the street are more detailed than the parade observers in the windows

4. Overlapping

ex. The parade observers are closer than the building because they overlap it.

I also introduced the idea of a horizon line and the terms foreground, middle ground, and background.

After discussing the painting, fourth graders designed their own cities, using all four of the elements we discussed.  They all came up with their own original ideas, while also demonstrating their knowledge of how to create depth in their drawings. Here are their results!  Just click on the images to see larger versions.