Introduction
The focusing lens for this unit was about collaboration, identity, style, and symbol. From a technical standpoint, students learned how a collection of multiple images on one composition affected the expressive meaning of the piece compared to using a single image. Based on process and product, students learned how making art is a communal process and that identity can come from individual parts coming together. Giving students exposure to printmaking and watercolor enabled them to explore their own style, a way to express their identity in a visual way. The main focus was teaching them about line, shape, color, and texture. These lessons also gave students exposure to new materials and processes, enabling them to explore how their identity could be represented in a variety of mediums.
Lesson Descriptions
Lesson 1: Personal Stamps
In this lesson, the students created a personal stamp about an object that not only interested them, but also represented their identity. They used their sketchbook as a place to develop ideas with pencil, marker, and watercolor. Then, they transferred their design onto a rubber stamp using graphite paper, carved their design into their stamp, and made multiple prints of their stamp onto white and colored paper. Through the process of printing, students became aware of how printing multiple images on one surface (whether it came from their block or another classmates' block) has a different expressive aspect to art compared to a single image.
Ideation: Students created three thumbnail sketches of different symbols for their stamp, drawing inspiration from the designs they used to decorate their sketchbook covers on the first day.
Historical/Cultural Context: Students looked at examples of simple printmaking designs suitable for children's illustration books, with the focus being on line, shape, and texture. The goal was to make sure that students saw more simplified examples of professional work so they did not feel overwhelmed about adding excessive amounts of realistic details.
Tools and Techniques: Students learned how to relief carve into a stamp using Speedball carving tools, apply ink using a brayer, and apply appropriate pressure onto their paper to make a clear print. Students also experimented with making brick-like patterned prints and overlapping prints.
Expressive Features/Inherent Characteristics: Students identified how texture and rhythm/repetition were used in in their stamp’s design, the type of surface they printed on, and the amount of prints they made.
Critical Reflection: Students did a circle-up activity and discussed what they learned about the printmaking process and what they liked about it. They also reflected on how printmaking was different than drawing, and how it impacted the personal expression of their images. Finally, students compared and contrasted the expressive qualities of printing different images in an ordered brick pattern compared to layering different images over each other.
Literacy: Students wrote a list of objects, hobbies, and activities that interest them in their sketchbook as part of the brainstorming process. Key vocabulary terms they learned were texture, rhythm, repetition, printmaking, gouge, carve, and brayer.
Numeracy: Students will use their stamps repeatedly and in a patterned sequence.
In this lesson, the students created a personal stamp about an object that not only interested them, but also represented their identity. They used their sketchbook as a place to develop ideas with pencil, marker, and watercolor. Then, they transferred their design onto a rubber stamp using graphite paper, carved their design into their stamp, and made multiple prints of their stamp onto white and colored paper. Through the process of printing, students became aware of how printing multiple images on one surface (whether it came from their block or another classmates' block) has a different expressive aspect to art compared to a single image.
Ideation: Students created three thumbnail sketches of different symbols for their stamp, drawing inspiration from the designs they used to decorate their sketchbook covers on the first day.
Historical/Cultural Context: Students looked at examples of simple printmaking designs suitable for children's illustration books, with the focus being on line, shape, and texture. The goal was to make sure that students saw more simplified examples of professional work so they did not feel overwhelmed about adding excessive amounts of realistic details.
Tools and Techniques: Students learned how to relief carve into a stamp using Speedball carving tools, apply ink using a brayer, and apply appropriate pressure onto their paper to make a clear print. Students also experimented with making brick-like patterned prints and overlapping prints.
Expressive Features/Inherent Characteristics: Students identified how texture and rhythm/repetition were used in in their stamp’s design, the type of surface they printed on, and the amount of prints they made.
Critical Reflection: Students did a circle-up activity and discussed what they learned about the printmaking process and what they liked about it. They also reflected on how printmaking was different than drawing, and how it impacted the personal expression of their images. Finally, students compared and contrasted the expressive qualities of printing different images in an ordered brick pattern compared to layering different images over each other.
Literacy: Students wrote a list of objects, hobbies, and activities that interest them in their sketchbook as part of the brainstorming process. Key vocabulary terms they learned were texture, rhythm, repetition, printmaking, gouge, carve, and brayer.
Numeracy: Students will use their stamps repeatedly and in a patterned sequence.
Lesson 2: Quilted Partner Portraits
In this lesson, students created stylized and thematic portraits of one of their classmates and attached them into a cohesive piece. This allowed students to explore their personal interests, observe their classmates interests, and see how they fit together as a group. Students develop craft with watercolor and black marker, reflected on the intent and purpose in the design in others work, and envisioned how combining multiple paintings into a final classroom quilt had different expressive potential compared to an individual painting.
Historical/Cultural Context: Students looked at Faith Ringgold and Dominic Beyeler's work so they could understand how mixed media (specifically with quilted borders) impacted the expressiveness of their portraits.
Ideation: Students made one drawing of their partner in their sketchbook using graphite.
Tools and Techniques: Students understood how to draw a proportionately correct face that includes eyes, nose, mouth, neck, shoulders, ears, and hair. They also learned how to draw their partner based on observing their facial features. Finally, they learned wet-on-wet, dry brush, and salt application for watercolor.
Expressive Features/Inherent Characteristics: Using watercolor paint, students had the option to paint their partner portrait with a warm color palette against a cool colored background, or a cool palette for the portrait against a warm palette background. They also used black marker to outline their portraits with consideration to line and texture. These requirements had students consider how color schemes, patterns, and expressive marks communicated their partner's personality.
Critical Reflection: From a visual literacy standpoint, students discussed the visual impact of reading a quilt linearly (from right to left) versus looking sporadically at parts of the composition that stand out. They also talked about what the portraits had in common, and what they could tell about their class's personality based on the end product of their portraits.
Literacy: Students learned the definitions of portrait and mixed media. They also learned how art as illustrations compliments words in a book (such as Tar Beach).
Numeracy: Students understood how a perimeter and area were important aspects of the image; that body parts on the face came in pairs or groups (two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, etc); how to sequence, order, and plan steps when combining more than one art material, and how to sequence multiple images based on color and pattern.
In this lesson, students created stylized and thematic portraits of one of their classmates and attached them into a cohesive piece. This allowed students to explore their personal interests, observe their classmates interests, and see how they fit together as a group. Students develop craft with watercolor and black marker, reflected on the intent and purpose in the design in others work, and envisioned how combining multiple paintings into a final classroom quilt had different expressive potential compared to an individual painting.
Historical/Cultural Context: Students looked at Faith Ringgold and Dominic Beyeler's work so they could understand how mixed media (specifically with quilted borders) impacted the expressiveness of their portraits.
Ideation: Students made one drawing of their partner in their sketchbook using graphite.
Tools and Techniques: Students understood how to draw a proportionately correct face that includes eyes, nose, mouth, neck, shoulders, ears, and hair. They also learned how to draw their partner based on observing their facial features. Finally, they learned wet-on-wet, dry brush, and salt application for watercolor.
Expressive Features/Inherent Characteristics: Using watercolor paint, students had the option to paint their partner portrait with a warm color palette against a cool colored background, or a cool palette for the portrait against a warm palette background. They also used black marker to outline their portraits with consideration to line and texture. These requirements had students consider how color schemes, patterns, and expressive marks communicated their partner's personality.
Critical Reflection: From a visual literacy standpoint, students discussed the visual impact of reading a quilt linearly (from right to left) versus looking sporadically at parts of the composition that stand out. They also talked about what the portraits had in common, and what they could tell about their class's personality based on the end product of their portraits.
Literacy: Students learned the definitions of portrait and mixed media. They also learned how art as illustrations compliments words in a book (such as Tar Beach).
Numeracy: Students understood how a perimeter and area were important aspects of the image; that body parts on the face came in pairs or groups (two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, etc); how to sequence, order, and plan steps when combining more than one art material, and how to sequence multiple images based on color and pattern.
Lesson 3: Piper Cleaner Animal Zoo
In this lesson, the students used pipe cleaners to make animals for a "zoo." These stylized animals were an attempt to create a three dimensional sculpture. This caused the students to think about the way that lines work in space, how three dimensional artworks require a different planning processes than two dimensional artworks, and how abstract representation can be identified.
Historical/Cultural Context: showing sculptures by Alexander Calder and Ruth Jensen
Ideation: practicing gesture drawings; using gesture drawings to plan out skeleton for pipe cleaner animal; planning out background for animals
Tools and Techniques: understanding how to bend and wrap pipe cleaners to make three-dimensional animals that are able to stand on their own
Expressive Features and Inherent Characteristics: using warm and cool colored pipe cleaners and gestural movement to express the personalities of their animals
Critical Reflection: reflecting on how to transfer a two-dimensional drawing into a three-dimensional form
Literacy: defining vocabulary words such as line, two-dimensional art, and three-dimensional art
Numeracy: symmetry and proportions of an animal's body
In this lesson, the students used pipe cleaners to make animals for a "zoo." These stylized animals were an attempt to create a three dimensional sculpture. This caused the students to think about the way that lines work in space, how three dimensional artworks require a different planning processes than two dimensional artworks, and how abstract representation can be identified.
Historical/Cultural Context: showing sculptures by Alexander Calder and Ruth Jensen
Ideation: practicing gesture drawings; using gesture drawings to plan out skeleton for pipe cleaner animal; planning out background for animals
Tools and Techniques: understanding how to bend and wrap pipe cleaners to make three-dimensional animals that are able to stand on their own
Expressive Features and Inherent Characteristics: using warm and cool colored pipe cleaners and gestural movement to express the personalities of their animals
Critical Reflection: reflecting on how to transfer a two-dimensional drawing into a three-dimensional form
Literacy: defining vocabulary words such as line, two-dimensional art, and three-dimensional art
Numeracy: symmetry and proportions of an animal's body
Prepared Graduate Competencies
Comprehend: While these lessons allowed students to experiment with stylized expression over lifelike, technical refinement, they were required to create stylized imagery based on what they observed from life. With Lesson 2 specifically, students recorded their partner's facial features from observation in their sketchbook before creating their final painted portrait. In Lesson 1, students learned how to simplify details from real life in their designs to accommodate the small scale of their prints.
Reflect: By looking at examples of professional artists such as Faith Ringgold and Dominic Beyeler, students thought about and discussed how different forms of art (particularly when it came to printmaking mixed media paper quilting) could express a person's cultural identity and illustrate a storybook.
Create: Letting students play and experiment with materials and mark-making enabled them to start mastering the mediums without too much rigid structure. With that said, this was achieved with intense awareness of safety. This was especially the case with Lesson 1. Students wore winter gloves while carving to prevent themselves from accidentally stabbing their fingers.
Transfer: Students became aware of the diversity of peoples, cultures, and ideas by combining their individual pieces into one big project. For Lesson 1, this was achieved by having students print with multiple blocks on one surface. For Lesson 2, students tied their portraits together to make a class quilt. These forms of display made students aware of what their classroom identity was, and how their individual identities contributed to that. Incorporating visual arts into communal projects taught the students the value of the human experience. Any sort of communal effort contributes to cross-curricular lifelong learning.
- Explain, demonstrate, and interpret a range of purposes of art and design, recognizing that the making and study of art and design can be approached from a variety of viewpoints, intelligences, and perspectives
- Analyze, interpret, and make meaning of art and design critically using oral and written discourse
Reflect: By looking at examples of professional artists such as Faith Ringgold and Dominic Beyeler, students thought about and discussed how different forms of art (particularly when it came to printmaking mixed media paper quilting) could express a person's cultural identity and illustrate a storybook.
- Recognize, demonstrate, and debate philosophic arguments about the nature of art and beauty (aesthetics)
- Recognize, demonstrate, and debate the place of art and design in history and culture
Create: Letting students play and experiment with materials and mark-making enabled them to start mastering the mediums without too much rigid structure. With that said, this was achieved with intense awareness of safety. This was especially the case with Lesson 1. Students wore winter gloves while carving to prevent themselves from accidentally stabbing their fingers.
- Develop and build appropriate mastery in art-making skills using traditional and new technologies and an understanding of the characteristics and expressive features of art and design
Transfer: Students became aware of the diversity of peoples, cultures, and ideas by combining their individual pieces into one big project. For Lesson 1, this was achieved by having students print with multiple blocks on one surface. For Lesson 2, students tied their portraits together to make a class quilt. These forms of display made students aware of what their classroom identity was, and how their individual identities contributed to that. Incorporating visual arts into communal projects taught the students the value of the human experience. Any sort of communal effort contributes to cross-curricular lifelong learning.
- Transfer the value of visual arts to lifelong learning and the human experience
- Identify, compare and justify that the visual arts are a way to acknowledge, exhibit and learn about the diversity of peoples, cultures and ideas