Lots of Logs Painting

I was inspired by a print at “Geninne’s Art Blog” and turned it into a study using neutral colors. In third grade, students can start to learn about colors that are not on the basic color wheel, like the neutral colors brown, black, white and gray. I like to associate them with nature, so this log painting helps to make that connection.
1. Give the students a square piece of paper. They are to draw a square frame near the edge, and lots of circles that fit inside. The goal is to have lots of different sizes, and all of the spaces used up. Tip: the younger the student, the larger the paper should be.
2. Using brown, gray and black and white crayons, they may draw rings inside their logs. Some of the rings could be filled in with gray, if they wish. When finished, all of the space between the logs needs to be colored in heavily with a dark brown or black.
3. To keep things simple, give the students just strong brown watercolor paint and water. They should use the darkest brown first to paint some rings, let them dry for a few minutes, and then paint the rest carefully with diluted brown. If they rush it the edges will just run together, so patience is required.
CA Visual Art Standard: Creative Expression, Grade Three
2.2 Mix and apply...paints to create tints, shades, and neutral colors.