Mrs. DeLeeuw’s class started the project as they designed their own monsters giving them lots of eyes, long arms and even wings. Those drawings were then turned over to the high school students to work their magic.
For the high school students, it was good practice in sharpening their skills using Adobe Illustrator and the tools to create different shapes, sizes and configurations. It was also a chance to explore their own creativity.
“Get in the head of a kindergartener,” Reese Warner, digital art student teacher, told her students. “Try to think about what they would be thinking when they designed these drawings.”
“I’ve never really done anything like this before with younger students, but I think it’s really fun,” said TKHS student Isla Mazurkiewicz.
“It’s great practice for us and it’s a lot of fun,” said Quin Casteel.
“I love it,” said Mars Ring. “I like that we get to do it for the kindergarten kids and I hope they like it.”
When the drawings were finished, they were sent back to the kindergarten classroom along with a personalized note read aloud for each child.
“I had such a great time re-creating your monster. I love the color choices. I love red and blue together. Your monster is so cute….I truly love your monster and I just know you’re a great artist,” wrote Ring.
Avery Bushman designed the monster living inside a gumball machine. “Thank you so much for creating such a tough and awesome looking monster…It reminded me of gumballs. I had so much fun designing your monster,” she wrote.
“I put your monster in a dance studio because I loved how you made it have wings and ballerina shoes,” said Emma Jones.
Sophia Skula created a farm background complete with a red barn, tractor and cow. “I love that your monster looked like Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc. but also was a bit different from what he looked like. I put your monster on a farm because he looked like a farmer with his ripped jeans,” she wrote.
Emily Coe included a Ferris wheel and a Route 66 sign in her digital art landscape. “For the landscape I did a fairground. I thought the monster looked like a kid who would like to be at a fun festival.”
The kindergarten students beamed with pride as they took turns showing the class their original drawing and the new design sent from the high school and they were in complete awe as the notes were read aloud.
The messages were not only sharing how each high school student came up with their design, but also encouraging younger students to continue being creative.
“I had so much fun bringing your monster to life and creating a world for it to live in. I made a cave with a castle and crystals inspired by your monster. You have such a creative imagination and your monster inspired me to make something of my own. Never stop creating and coming up with new ideas,” wrote Emma Weeber.
“This was indescribably the most gorgeous illustration I’ve ever laid eyes on,” wrote Brezlynn Andrus.
That kind of encouragement and recognition from the high school students is rare, priceless and something kindergarten students will remember.