Australian Native Animals

Indigenous Australian art is rich in tradition, texture and earth colors. Often depicting stories from the Dreamtime, the art style incorporates the use of many media and techniques including dot and x-ray painting, rock and bark painting, sculpture and fibre arts to name just a few.
This week we've explored just a small part of this rich culture, looking at examples of paintings of native Australian animals by indigenous artists using the dot and x-ray techniques.

Emu

After discussing color, texture and pattern, we used white color sticks on colored paper to first draw our animals in outline. We then thought about where we thought the internal organs of the animal might be, and drew them in with lots of pattern. It is important that our lines are drawn very firmly.
From there we considered the background patterns of our pictures, using flowing lines to divide the background into interesting shapes.

We then added more color in linear pattern or  solid blocks of color. I didn't restrict the student's use of color at all, but did talk to them about the effectiveness of a limited color palette.

Finally, students used the ends of paint brushes dipped in white acrylic to carefully apply dots of white along the major lines of their backgrounds and, if they chose, around their animals.

Turtle - April K (Year 5)

My Hand - Abby K (Year 4)

Turtle - Jakobe C (Prep)

Bronte B (Year 3)

Platypus - Sascha B (Prep)