Raidal Symmetry Painting

I LOVE working at an elementary school!  It's the best job in the world!  Not only are my kids super sweet, but I get to go with them to all their specials classes ("specials" is how our districts terms classes like art, band, P.E., etc.).  I always have so much fun learning new notes in band, learning new songs in music, and learning new crafts in art!

Plus, our art teacher this year is amazing!  She recognizes me as another art lover.  So, when the sixth graders began a project on radial symmetry, she gave me the necessary supplies to make my own!  It was a really neat project, and can be easily duplicated at home.

Materials needed:
Ruler
12x12 inch paper (fancy painting paper works best, but any paper will get the job done)
A pencil
Various acrylic paints
Paint brush


Step 1: Design your painting

The teacher handed out sheets of paper with pie slices, 1/8 of a picture.  At home, I drew a couple ideas down--including a Wheel of Time one I'd like to do sometime soon.



I wound up doing the more abstract one, because I wanted it to be simple.

Step 2: Cut out the slice



Step 3: Color the back



This will let you easily trace the pattern onto the paper.

Step 4: Set up your paper

With your 12x12 inch paper, mark the six inch distance on all four sides.  With a ruler, connect the marks up and down, and left to right.  Then connect right-top corner to left-bottom corner, and left-top corner to right-bottom corner.  This will give you nice, even eight-slice pie.

Step 5: Trace

With your cut out paper, place it inside one of the outlined slices.



Trace over the lines, which will trace the graphite on the back onto the paper on the bottom.  Repeat in all eight slices.  I also traced the curve at the bottom to finish off the circle.



Step 6: Decide on your colors

For the kids' assignment, they had specific color guidelines to follow.  Naturally, as adults, we aren't hampered by that same constraint.  One of the perks of being a grown-up.  :P

Their requirements were to use two or three colors only, and they had to be all: primary colors, secondary colors, analogous colors, or complimentary colors.  They were allowed to alternate the colors, or the arrangement of colors in each slice, as long as it kept its radial symmetry.

I followed these guidelines a bit.  I chose three colors (analogous colors), but only used two in each slice.  I used red and purple in the even slices, and purple and blue in the odd.

Step 7: Paint

I put my blue and red paint on a plate and started my project.  I didn't have any purple at the time, so I just did those two colors first.



I used a thin brush, so I could make my lines as nice and neat as possible.





I did try mixing the red and blue together to get purple, but the color turned out really ugly.  I had to run out to the store to get actual violet paint.





And you're done!

One thing I realized is that I suck at painting.  It turned out really streaky.  I have very little experience with that medium, and I hope to get better at it soon!  But it was a fun project.  And I would love to try it again.  If I do a WoT related one, I'd use all the colors of the Ajahs (including Black).  *LOL*


~Buttons