As we move toward the end of the school year, the Art 1 students apply their skills in acrylic painting by painting colorful birds. This assignment is part of our larger acrylic painting unit, designed to strengthen students’ understanding of color theory and painting techniques.
For this project, students were limited to using only the primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) plus black and white. By mixing complex hues themselves, they gained a deeper understanding of how color relationships work, from creating subtle neutrals to mixing vibrant secondaries and tertiaries. The restriction encouraged experimentation and problem-solving, while also reinforcing the importance of value and contrast in painting.
The choice of birds as a subject offered both structure and creative freedom. Birds provide a wide variety of shapes, patterns, and natural color palettes for students to interpret, while the small 5x7 format kept the focus on careful color mixing and brushwork. Each student’s painting reflects their growing confidence in handling acrylics and their ability to make deliberate artistic decisions.
