Outcomes- To learn which colors are complimentary to each other on the color wheel and to have a visual understanding of why each is ‘complimentary’.

Materials:  crayons and/or oil pastels in primary and secondary colors (red, yellow, blue, orange, purple, green) and construction paper in the same.

Steps:

1. Look at the color wheel and talk about the colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel.  These are complimentary colors-green/red, orange/blue, yellow/purple.  Note that there is a primary and secondary color in each pair. 
2. Using a white board or a large sheet of white paper, hold a red piece (or green) piece of paper in front and ask the students to stare at for 20-30 seconds.  Then have them blink and pull the paper away.  They should see an after image in the complimentary color, no matter what paper you use.  (Just a little cool trick to get started.)
3. Have a tray of each color of crayon/oil pastel separated, and the opposite color of paper with it (red-green and so on). Have the children choose a pair of compliments to start work with.
4. On the construction paper the children may only draw with the compliment of that color, but they may use many different shades and tones-for instance foam green and dark green will both work great on read.  Burnt orange and light orange would both work great on the blue.
5. Have the children draw pictures and designs on the papers, filling them up with lines, but leaving a lot of the original paper color. 
6. When finished, Discuss, Display and Enjoy!  Talk to the children about their pictures.  Are their eyes tired?   Are some pictures harder to look at then others.  Do they look 3-D or like they will pop off the page?

Other lesson plans by me:

An Art Lesson Plan for Kindergarten Through Second Grade Animal Pinch Pots.

A Drawing Lesson Plan for Shading Kindergarten Through Sixth Grade.

Art Project for Third to Fourth Grade Impressionist Landscapes.

Lesson Plans for Kindergarten Art Clay Incense Burners.