Over the last few snowy/icy weeks, my 3rd-5th grade groups painted these amazing giraffes.  Students drew from photographs of giraffes.  I am trying to wean this group from directed drawing.  There is a lot of groaning when they hear they have to draw on their own, but they almost always surprise themselves.  We drew these giraffes with chalk pastel on dark blue paper.  I gave them a limited palette of colors and encouraged them to mix their own colors, particularly a variety of greens.

Giraffes are such graceful, peaceful creatures, and I think these artists captured that.