Learning Objective

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to create an abstract artwork using the Brush Ninja animated gif maker.

Materials

• Computers or tablets with internet access for each student (or pairs of students)
• Brush Ninja website
• Paper and coloring materials (optional)

Procedure

Introduction

• Begin by asking the students if they know what abstract art is.
• Show examples of abstract artworks on a screen or print them out and display them in the classroom.
• Discuss what makes these artworks different from realistic or representational art.

Explanation of Brush Ninja

• Introduce Brush Ninja as an online tool that allows users to create animated gifs.
• Demonstrate how to access the Brush Ninja website and briefly explain its features.
• Explain that in this lesson, they will be using Brush Ninja to create their own abstract animations.

Exploration and Creation

• Instruct each student/pair of students to open the Brush Ninja website on their device.
• Encourage them to explore different brushes, colors, and animation options available in the tool.
• Remind students that abstract art does not need to represent anything specific but should focus on shapes, lines, and colors.

Artwork Creation

• Give students time to create their own abstract artwork using Brush Ninja.
• Circulate around the classroom to provide assistance and guidance as needed.
• Encourage experimentation with different brush strokes, color combinations, and animation techniques.

Sharing and Discussion

• Have students share their completed animated gifs with the class or in small groups.
• Ask each student/group to explain their artistic choices and discuss what emotions or ideas their artwork conveys.

Assessment

• Observe student engagement during exploration and creation phase.
• Assess understanding of abstract art concepts through class discussion and individual explanations during sharing time.
• Evaluate completed animated gifs for creativity, use of colors, shapes, and lines.

Extension

For students who finish early or want to explore further:

• Encourage them to experiment with creating more complex animations using additional frames.
• Ask them to create a series of related abstract artworks that tell a story or show a progression.
• Provide paper and coloring materials for students to recreate their favorite Brush Ninja animation on paper.

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How to animate with Brush Ninja

This video teaches the basics of using Brush Ninja

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