Hidden Safari Animal

For this Art Methods Class, our assignment was to create a free-hand drawing of a Safari animal with a blue (cool) color and hide the picture with red, orange, and yellow (warm colors). To see the picture you have to wear special glasses that reveal the blue outline of the drawing. The following picture is my hidden Safari animal.

Our first task was to make our own glasses that would help us see the hidden animal in the picture. We took a 4”x12” piece of construction paper and cut an oblong hole across the paper to look through. Then, we taped a piece of red cellophane on the back of the construction paper, creating our special glasses.

For the animal drawing, we chose an animal (ex. elephant, lion, monkey, zebra) of our choice from variety of visuals. Then we used upside-down contour drawing to help us sketch an animal from one of the visuals using a blue colored pencil. When finished with the drawing, we used red, orange, and yellow color patterns to conceal the animal drawing. With each layer of color added, we took our glasses to ensure that the animal was not hidden too much. Once we were satisfied, that the animal was hidden from the naked eye but visible with the red cellophane glasses, we framed the picture for display.

This activity could also be used for a 4^th grade social studies lesson when students learn about the 50 States. The students would draw or trace the outline of every state using a blue colored pencil. Then they would use warm colors to camouflage the image. When finished, the camouflaged illustrations would be hung on the wall. Beside each picture, there would be a note card with three clues of the state that is hidden and student would have to guess which one it is.