Hidden Safari

For this art project, we started by learning about safaris and the kinds of animals you might see, like elephants, giraffes, lions, and rhinos. We also talked about warm and cool colors. Warm colors are red, orange, and yellow, and cool colors are green, blue, and purple. One of the main skills we worked on was how to draw upside down. Drawing this way helps you focus more on the shapes and outlines instead of worrying about every little detail of the object. Before starting our final piece, we also made red glasses, which would later help us see the hidden image in our artwork by blocking out the warm colors. For my project, I chose to draw a monkey. I drew it upside down using a cool color, which helped keep it hidden later on. After finishing the drawing, I used warm-colored crayons to add patterns over the entire page. I used the different warm colors and different patterns to hide the monkey. When looking at the artwork normally, you mostly see the bright patterns. However, when you use the red glasses, the warm colors fade away and the monkey becomes visible. To finish the project, I glued my artwork onto a colored background and wrote three clues on an index card to help others guess which animal I drew.

An extension activity for this project could be having students create a second hidden image using a different animal or object. They could try using more detailed patterns or different types of lines to make it more challenging to see. Another idea is to have students write a short paragraph or story about their animal and where it would be on a safari. Students could also switch projects with a partner and try to guess each other’s hidden images using the red glasses. This would give them more practice with the concept while also making it more fun and interactive.