This project was a great investigation into making new colors. It incorporated math, some creative writing, and of course some fundamental art techniques.
The project started with some just simple experimentation with mixing colors. Students used water colors to create their colors, and they used pipettes to control and keep track of the amount of each color they were using. Given just the primary colors, red, yellow, and blue, students were faced with the task of creating at least ten new colors, and keeping track of exactly how much of each color they used.
After some experimentation, students were asked to choose at least 6 of the colors they created to include in a recipe book. We made books out of 1 piece of paper as seen below, but many types of book making could be used for this assignment.
For each color in the book, students needed to include accurate mathematical ratios for how they made each color. This was a nice reinforcement of some of their math skills. They also needed to come up with a name for each color. Some memorable ones I recall include fish dreams, old paint, dog slobber, birthday cake, and too many more to name. Then the last thing they needed to include for each color was to make some suggestions of what each color could be used for. Students could name objects, food, animals, or even moods that they felt their color represented.
After students included their six or more colors, they were asked to design a cover. This meant they needed to come up with an appropriate title and design that fit the concept of the book.
