Oaxacan Animals - Continued

We used acrylic paint for our animals today in art class.  I like to introduce students to different types of paint, but acrylic is about as far as I go.  I don't have the budget or the patience for oil paints at the elementary level.  Acrylic was great for these animals because the paint dried fast and it dried with a nice shine.  While our animals were made with the 'additive' sculpture method, I went ahead and introduced them to 'subtractive' sculpture by showing them photos of the sculptors making these wood animals starting with a tree stump and carved the animal out of a block of wood.  I think it really helped them to understand why these sculptures are so important and why they are considered one of the most cherished art forms in the Latin American culture.

Here are a few finished animals:

 The infamous duck with his tongue hangin' out 

 The tiger was painted realistically, but the artist added details when the paint dried.

 This tiger did not have the "folk art" details added, but the artist did such a good job, that I accepted her work just as it was.

This lion isn't finished yet, but I wanted to showcase the beautiful detail that the artist is adding to the body, mane, and legs.

I would also like to add that it is VERY difficult for even 4th graders to be able to control their paintbrushes to color a small sculpture in a smooth, even color and to add small details with paint!  Each student got about 6 oz. of Model Magic and the animals measure about 3"x 4".  So, that said, these are fabulous - if I do say so myself :)