6th Grade Project: Op Art - Circles, Lines, and Curves (Part One)

In this unit the 6th graders were introduced to works of Victor Vasarely and Bridget Riley as they began their study of Op Art.  The students enjoyed how the illusions played with their eyes.  There were images that appeared to be moving, while other images just hurt our eyes a bit.  Overall the students were excited about the idea of creating their own Op Art.

We began in our sketchbooks with the Vasarely circle, after which we practiced the line work of Bridget Riley.  Students worked in black and white, then they would also use a color and its complement so that they could see how each pairing worked together.

After practicing in their sketchbooks, students would then move into their final project.  They would choose where to place the circles, what style of line to use, and finally what color(s) to complete their Op Art with.

As they began, their work quickly took on very unique qualities.

Please look at Part Two of this post to see their finished works.