Thiebaud Cakes

This art lesson inspired by Wayne Thiebaud focused on using foreshortening to transform flat circles into 3D cake cylinders. By "squashing" a circle into an ellipse, students created the illusion that the cake's top is receding into space. Sixth grade students then added value to their cake with shades. Learning to shade in portions of the cake after deciding where the imaginary light source is added dimension to their drawing and used the concept of space to set the scene for the viewer.