Pastel Sunflowers

The 6th grade just completed their first project in Art.   A friend of mine scored bundles of sunflowers very inexpensively at a local farmer's market.  They were so sunny and fresh I decided to give the kids a go at drawing from direct observation.  

The students were instructed to look closely at the parts of the flowers.  They began by sketching their drawings in pencil on black 12"x18" construction paper.  They then drew over the pencil lines with glue.  They were instructed to keep the glue tips right on the paper to prevent dripping.  After letting the glue drawings dry flat in the currently unused wrestling room (drying racks are at an angle and wouldn't work), the students then used dry pastels to add color to the drawings.  It was incredible to see the blending of colors the kids saw in the flowers.  

The end product is a hallway full of the most precious blossoms, and just in time for Open House!