As school is s l o w l y coming to an end, I've done my annual clean up. Not only in my classrooms, but also on my thumb drive, which is my entire life as far as school is concerned. As I cleaned, I realized that a lot of what I do in my Art Studio classes can very easily be used (and in some cases, already has been) by elementary and middle school art teachers. (Art Studio is kind our basic art class. We do a little bit of everything on a relatively simple level.) Since the majority of the art teaching blogs I read and follow are in that elementary and middle school category, I figured I'd share a post of all the Art Studio projects we've done this year. Maybe one of you will be able to adopt and/or adapt and use it in a way that works for you!
Let's begin...
Lesson 1: Wire Sculpture
Focus: Line
Inspiration: Alexander Calder
Materials: 14 gauge aluminum wire (each student will receive 6 feet)
Wire cutters
Different tipped plyers
Masking tape and/or safety glasses
This assignment is great because the set up of it makes the kids feel like "real" artists, and they work extra hard. I get a permanent set up of the forms under a spotlight, and each kid sets up with a drawing board and picks the spot where they can see the set up best. Then we spend about two days on just drawing shapes alone. I explain that if your shapes are off, the whole picture will be off. Then, after completing a value chart in their sketch books and learning the different grades of pencils, we begin shading in our forms. I spend a lot of time reminding them that the darkest dark is usually next to the lightest light and how to show the forms using value, not lines. We practice using our kneaded erasers to show gradual change in values as opposed to hard lines.
I'm always impressed with the results of this project, and it usually lasts about two weeks. Sure there's a lot of complaining toward the end, but it's a great project to teach patience and perseverance.
Lesson 6: Collaborative Portrait
Focus: Value
Inspiration: Chuck Close
Materials: 1 foot x 1 foot pieces of drawing paper - one per child
Range of drawing pencils from 2H-6B and Ebony.
One black and white image of a person edited in Photoshop to be black and white, high contrast and divided up into 25 (or however many students you have) equal parts.
Now that the students know value and what the pencil gradings mean, and after a rather trying project like rendering forms, I like to move onto a a simple project that yields really great results. Each student is assigned one piece of the portrait. I number and assign them ahead of time so that in case a piece gets thrown out or lost I can reprint it with ease. I also try to assign the numbers so that 1 and 2 don't sit next to each other. That ruins the surprise! This project takes anywhere from a few days to a week. You really need to stress comparing values. I often have the students hold their drawings and printouts far away from each other so they can observe from a distance and see where they need to make more changes. It's always fun to put them together! Unfortunately, you have to throw it out after it's been displayed- so take lots and lots of photos!
Lesson 7: Magazine Animals
Focus: Texture
Inspiration: Romare Bearden
Materials: Scissors
Glue
8x10 backing paper
Lots and lots of magazines
This project takes about two weeks, and the kids lurve it.
Lesson 8: Oil Pastel Studies
Focus: Color
Inspiration: Vincent Van Gogh
Materials: Oil Pastels
5x6 sheets of drawing paper
8x10 sheets of black construction paper
Color prints of Van Gogh's most famous works
For this project we look at Robin Antar and the concept of hyperrealism- creating something so real looking that it's hard to tell the difference between it and the real thing. To do that, you need to focus on detail and color and all the tiny things that sometimes get lost in a work of art.
Each student chooses a food- they can work alone or in groups. Then, they begin constructing that food using all recycled materials- cut up water bottles or milk containers- plastic bags or cardboard pieces. They tape/glue together their structures and then use the Paris Craft plaster strips to coat them and make them solid. This part takes about a week.
Once the structures are finished and drying, I have the students complete a color wheel using only red, yellow and blue so that they understand mixology and how to achieve the non-natural colors they'll need for their foods. Then the students spend another week-two weeks painting their food forms with great attention to detail.
My students love this project. Every year its' their favorite. And some of their food choices are hilarious!
Lesson 10: Recycled Architecture
Focus: Form
Inspiration: Frank Gehry
Materials: Recycled objects (plastic water bottles, cardboard boxes, etc.)
Hot glue and glue gun
Scissors
Xacto knives and blades
Let's begin...
Lesson 1: Wire Sculpture
Focus: Line
Inspiration: Alexander Calder
Materials: 14 gauge aluminum wire (each student will receive 6 feet)
Wire cutters
Different tipped plyers
Masking tape and/or safety glasses
("Gary"...from Spongebob!)
(Cute take on an Angler Fish)
("Infinite" dancer)
I love starting with wire sculpture because it's the toughest project we do. I know, that sounds completely mean but it's great for a few reasons:
1. It sets the standard for the class. Lots of kids sign up for Art Studio because they think it's an "easy A," which I explain it most definitely is...if you're willing to work hard.
2. It gives me a good gauge of which students can think outside of the box, and whether they think in 2-D or 3-D. Technically all of the sculptures are 3-D, but I refer to the flat ones (like the Angler Fish) as 2-D.
3. They're so proud of themselves when they finish, and that high level of confidence is how I like to start the semester.
After an introductory power point of Alexander Calder and his life and works, I explain that each student will receive exactly 6 feet of wire. (The dancer used more wire, and different gauges, obviously...but she could handle it.) They can not cut the wire, and they must use all of it in their design. They can not waste the wire by balling it up in any way. They must make a decision about how it will be displayed (free-standing/hanging) and they must sketch at least 5 ideas before beginning. On their final sketch, they have to take a colored marker and with one continuous line, trace through their sketch. That is the map for how they will create their piece. Once they begin working with the wire, they must use masking tape to cover the ends of the wire (sharp edges!) and/or wear safety glasses. Also, I try to have them spread apart while working as the wire can get a little crazy as they're shaping it.
This project takes about a full week to complete on average.
Lesson 2: Line Labyrinth
Focus: Line
Focus: Line
Inspiration: Mazes and Labyrinths throughout history
Materials: Scissors
Glue
3x4 rectangle patterns/templates
16x20 oak tag or rail road board
Lots and lots of magazines
In the power point for this project, I discuss all the different types of labyrinths they might be familiar with- there's one in Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Shining (might be too mature for the little ones!) and Pan's Labyrinth (same!). We go through the history of labyrinths- what they meant in mythology and in history. We talk about the different types of line: straight, zig zag, looped, implied, etc. Then, I give each student one of the 3x4 templates and they search through tons and tons of magazines for different types of line. They must collect 20 in all, but in the end we'll only be using 12. Once they've got 20 examples, they must spend some time creating the best labyrinth they can. Their path should be very clear to the viewer, and I give my kids bonus points if they can incorporate a theme into their labyrinth (like, all skateboarding photos, or sports themes, or all one color, etc.)
This project is a really great way to relax after the tougher wire sculpture project, and it's fun because the kids get to chat a bit while they work. Also, it's a great way to gauge motor skills of your students- tracing, cutting, gluing. (Yes, I even need to assess this at the high school level.) It's a great way to make line a fun, interesting topic.
This project can take anywhere from a week to a week and a half.
Lesson 3: Op Art
Focus: Line & Shape
Focus: Line & Shape
Inspiraton: Bridget Riley & M.C. Escher
Materials: 8 1/2 x 11 computer paper
11 x 14 colored construction paper
Glue
Pencils
Black and/or colored markers
Just a head's up: Math kids love this project! We look at a power point that explores the idea of infinity (see: M.C. Escher) and the concept of optical illusions. Here are a few that they love to try:
via.
(Can you see both the old and the young ladies?)
via.
(Which did you see first- the woman, or the man playing the sax?)
After we get all hyped on illusions, we talk about using line to create our own illusions. We talk about the concept of convex and concave, converging lines, receding lines, patterns and proportion. Students then sketch several line patterns and designs and then chose their best two to overlap, thus creating their op art illusion. We spend a lot of time making sure we mark every other box (much like a checker board) with a pencil "x" before we begin filling them in with marker. Also I stress going s l o w l y and paying attention, because if you make one tiny mistake, the whole thing is wrong.
This project only takes a few days- at most a whole week- and they all turn out pretty interesting!
Lesson 4: Shapes In Faces
Focus: Shape
Focus: Shape
Inspiration: Andy Warhol
Materials: 8.5 x 11 drawing paper
Tracing Paper
Photographs of each student, edited in Photoshop to be black and white with very high contrast. (sometimes putting a slight effect will help the photo's clarity)
Colored Pencil
We spend some time looking at a power point of Andy Warhol's portrait prints. We talk about his use of bright colors and high contrast. We also explore the ideas of positive and negative space, and the art of paper transfer. Then, each student is photographed in class (they can bring in a photo if they want, but taking them is easier). Then, I edited each one as described above and printed them out. The students then used tracing paper to trace over all the important lines and shapes. They flipped the tracing paper pencil-down on their final drawing paper and transfer the image. Then, they choose a color and carefully but thoroughly fill in all the major dark shapes. If they work hard and evenly, their images are recognizable!
Lesson 5: Rendering Forms
Focus: Form
Inspiration: Still Life images
Materials: 11x14 Drawing paper
Range of drawing pencils from 2H-6B and Ebony
Kneaded Erasers
Styrofoam forms (or just white ones) in a well-lit setup.
Focus: Form
Inspiration: Still Life images
Materials: 11x14 Drawing paper
Range of drawing pencils from 2H-6B and Ebony
Kneaded Erasers
Styrofoam forms (or just white ones) in a well-lit setup.
This assignment is great because the set up of it makes the kids feel like "real" artists, and they work extra hard. I get a permanent set up of the forms under a spotlight, and each kid sets up with a drawing board and picks the spot where they can see the set up best. Then we spend about two days on just drawing shapes alone. I explain that if your shapes are off, the whole picture will be off. Then, after completing a value chart in their sketch books and learning the different grades of pencils, we begin shading in our forms. I spend a lot of time reminding them that the darkest dark is usually next to the lightest light and how to show the forms using value, not lines. We practice using our kneaded erasers to show gradual change in values as opposed to hard lines.
I'm always impressed with the results of this project, and it usually lasts about two weeks. Sure there's a lot of complaining toward the end, but it's a great project to teach patience and perseverance.
Lesson 6: Collaborative Portrait
Focus: Value
Inspiration: Chuck Close
Materials: 1 foot x 1 foot pieces of drawing paper - one per child
Range of drawing pencils from 2H-6B and Ebony.
One black and white image of a person edited in Photoshop to be black and white, high contrast and divided up into 25 (or however many students you have) equal parts.
Now that the students know value and what the pencil gradings mean, and after a rather trying project like rendering forms, I like to move onto a a simple project that yields really great results. Each student is assigned one piece of the portrait. I number and assign them ahead of time so that in case a piece gets thrown out or lost I can reprint it with ease. I also try to assign the numbers so that 1 and 2 don't sit next to each other. That ruins the surprise! This project takes anywhere from a few days to a week. You really need to stress comparing values. I often have the students hold their drawings and printouts far away from each other so they can observe from a distance and see where they need to make more changes. It's always fun to put them together! Unfortunately, you have to throw it out after it's been displayed- so take lots and lots of photos!
Lesson 7: Magazine Animals
Focus: Texture
Inspiration: Romare Bearden
Materials: Scissors
Glue
8x10 backing paper
Lots and lots of magazines
For this project we look at the differences between real and implied texture. Each student chooses an animal and prints out a color photograph of that animal. They lightly sketch it on their backing paper then they start searching for textures and colors in the magazine that fit what they need. There should be absolutely no white spaces on the paper (unless they're intentional.) I give my students the option of either using magazine for the background or painting them- but if they paint it, it must be a stylized paint job- big chunky colors, big value changes. Lots and lots of texture!
This project takes about two weeks, and the kids lurve it.
Lesson 8: Oil Pastel Studies
Focus: Color
Inspiration: Vincent Van Gogh
Materials: Oil Pastels
5x6 sheets of drawing paper
8x10 sheets of black construction paper
Color prints of Van Gogh's most famous works
After discussing Van Gogh's life and works, each student chooses two of his pieces to copy. One should be more warm, and the other more cool. They do small renderings of each work using oil pastel, which they often whine about because it's 'messy.' These are very small but look fantastic hung up all together. Each study takes a few days so you can have both done in about a week and a half.
Lesson 9: Food Forms
Focus: Form & Color
Inspiration: Robin Antar
Materials: Recycled items (plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, etc.)
Hot glue and glue gun
Tape
Paris Craft plaster strips
Water and paper towels
Sink access
Paint and brushes
Lesson 9: Food Forms
Focus: Form & Color
Inspiration: Robin Antar
Materials: Recycled items (plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, etc.)
Hot glue and glue gun
Tape
Paris Craft plaster strips
Water and paper towels
Sink access
Paint and brushes
For this project we look at Robin Antar and the concept of hyperrealism- creating something so real looking that it's hard to tell the difference between it and the real thing. To do that, you need to focus on detail and color and all the tiny things that sometimes get lost in a work of art.
Each student chooses a food- they can work alone or in groups. Then, they begin constructing that food using all recycled materials- cut up water bottles or milk containers- plastic bags or cardboard pieces. They tape/glue together their structures and then use the Paris Craft plaster strips to coat them and make them solid. This part takes about a week.
Once the structures are finished and drying, I have the students complete a color wheel using only red, yellow and blue so that they understand mixology and how to achieve the non-natural colors they'll need for their foods. Then the students spend another week-two weeks painting their food forms with great attention to detail.
My students love this project. Every year its' their favorite. And some of their food choices are hilarious!
Lesson 10: Recycled Architecture
Focus: Form
Inspiration: Frank Gehry
Materials: Recycled objects (plastic water bottles, cardboard boxes, etc.)
Hot glue and glue gun
Scissors
Xacto knives and blades
This project was great because it continued our recycling theme. We look at Gehry's crazy buildings and talk about how interesting it would be to create buildings like him, with bold colors and non traditional shapes. We also talk about the concept of relief work. Then, using only recycled materials, the kids create the front of a building. I give them a list of buildings to choose from- Dance Studio, Shoe Factory, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Aquarium, Planetarium, etc. They get to work!
You need to be extra careful with this project because cutting plastic and cardboard and aluminum cans can be dangerous, so we spend a lot of time reviewing safety- how to properly cut using an xacto, and all that good stuff. They turn out so cool! This can take about two weeks and yields a lot more garbage, so clean up is key!
Lesson: Final Project Option 1: Relief Sculpture
Focus: Space and all other elements of art.
Inspiration: This year's projects
Materials: Everything we've used this year.
For the first option for Final Projects, students are given the line, "I would rather be..." and they have to fill in the rest. Then they take that statement and using all of the materials we've used this year, they create a relief sculpture of where they'd rather be. The results are always fun. This project can take up to three weeks, so plan ahead!
Lesson: Final Project Option 2: Board Games
Focus: Space and all other elements of art.
Inspiration: This year's projects
Materials: Everything we've used this year.
(That's supposed to be me. This was a board game about racing to get my comfy chair.)
Same guidelines as above, students can work alone or in groups to create a board game using all 7 elements of art and all of the materials we've used this year. They must be working games with rules and game pieces. We play them after our final exam (which only takes about 20 minutes of our 2 hour time slot). They're always fun and the kids love working together on them. The ideas are pretty crazy but they're always great!
So there you have it! A year's worth of Art Studio projects with inspiration, materials and photos of finished work. Feel free to borrow and improve upon anything you see here, and if you have ideas that you think I should try, please pass them along!
