YHS Art Blog

Goal: Create a collaged still-life using shades of gray, black & white torn paper.
• You will paint a range (or scale) of grays on white paper.
• You will break down your black and white photograph into shapes of gray, then determine which gray painted value applies to each shape.
• As you place your torn paper you should be very conscious of edges of shapes, remembering that the edge of one shape determines the edge of another shape.

Process:
1. You will get six sheets of 6” x 9” paper. Each student will paint one sheet white and one sheet black with acrylic paint.

2. Mix four grays that make even “jumps” from your white sheet to your black sheet and paint four corresponding sheets with those grays.

3. Choose your still life to “translate” to paper values and be sure to have an extra photocopy of it.

4. With a pencil, trace your value shapes on your photocopied still life and assign each value a letter or number. Hang on to this sheet for reference.

5. Make a “sandwich” in this order: acetate, 8.5” x 11” photo, cardboard (to keep it stiff) and tape along the edges (a small piece will do)

6. Choose a value to tear (don’t cut!!) into pieces to overlap and fit into a space. Use tacky glue to adhere to the acetate. As you cover the acrylic sheet it will become harder to see the photo and shapes underneath, so you may wish to begin with the more detailed areas. Always have your traced image to refer to or you can carefully slip out your photo for reference if needed.

7. If you make a mistake, just glue the appropriate value paper on top. The rough white line of the paper adds interest, so no need to try to eliminate that.

8. When done with the gluing, coat the entire sheet with modge podge.

9. After it dries, your can either peel off your image from the acetate or trim and mount it onto a clean sheet of tagboard or paper.

Sketchbook Assignment Due: Thursday, October 4th

Artists use many different techniques to show value in their drawings. Value can help show form of objects, proximity of objects, and can add interest to an image.
Goal: To copy, line for line, to the best of your ability, the drawing chosen.

• Choose one of the visuals on your table.
• Choose one that uses different methods of adding value.
• Open your sketchbook to a blank page and trace the rectangle of your chosen image on the right-hand page.
• Neatly glue or tape your image onto the left side.
• Copy, using your best effort, the drawing and value techniques of the artist.
• Pay close attention to the relationships of objects to each other(proportions) within the drawing.
• Try to use very similar lines and line variation as what you see in the drawing.

Use pencil/graphite.

Please choose your images thoughtfully; appropriately challenge yourself.

Challenge yourself appropriately. Remember, your sketchbook drawings are a way to demonstrate and document your learning as well as your progress/improvement over time. All students are required to show this.

Assignment due date: Friday, September 28th

Task: Choose a shoe(s) to draw in which you will be able to demonstrate the following:
A strong composition;
Line sensitivity/line variation;
Attention to detail.

This should be a contour drawing. Please include contours that define the edges as well as cross-contours.

A few reminders about creating strong compositions:
• avoid placement at dead center
• diagonals are more active than horizontals
• equal amounts of figure and ground confuse the eye
• sameness is frequently boring

Your sculpture should exhibit the following qualities:
• Capture the essence of your plan
• Simulates qualities of the relief sculpture, 2-d on one side, with forms moving into space on the other sides.
• Positive and Negative space used well and thoughtfully planned.
• Innovative and unique designs/patterns used.
• Is well-constructed

Please answer the following questions, using at least 4 complete and thoughtful sentences.

1. Using the Principles of Design vocabulary, briefly describe which concept(s) are demonstrated in your piece. Be specific. Use the following web site to help you to reveiw these principles. http://www.artcyclopedia.com/scripts/glossary-art-a.html

2. What surprised you the most about this piece as you worked through it?

3. Are you happy with your overall, final results? What would you change or do differently next time?

4. Based on your work, assign yourself a grade, 1-4, for technical and creative problem-solving skills and justify your answer, for each standard. Refer to the rubric.

Technical Skills

Exceeds the Standard
• Evidence of excellent planning is included.
• The craftsmanship of the sculpture is very high in quality; this includes cutting, , and gluing; no pencil lines are apparent or obvious.
• Attention to detail is extraordinary.
Meets the Standard
• Evidence of planning is included.
• Craftsmanship of the sculpture is consistent and good quality; some light pencil lines show, but do not intefere with overall visual impact.
• Attention to detail is consistent.
Partially Meets the Standard
• Evidence of planning is either missing or incomplete.
• Quality craftsmanship is not obvious and is lacking.
• Attention to detail is not obvious and is lacking.
Does Not Meet the Standard
• This sculpture is not complete.
• Several of the requirements are missing or not complete.

Creative Problem-Solving

Exceeds the Standard
• The paper relief sculpture strongly communicates and activates the positive and negative space in a unique and original way; designs/patterns are especially innovative and help to create rhythm and movement.
• Balance and contrast between the positive and negative space is extradorinary; the visual impact is outstanding!
Meets the Standard
• The paper relief sculpture uses the positive and negative space in a thoughtful way; designs/patterns are planned well.
• Balance and contrast between the positive and negative space is used well.
Partially Meets the Standard
• There are problems with the relationship between the pasitive and negative space; designs/patterns lack innovation and appear to be static.
• There seems to be little consideration of balance between positive and negative space; the sculpture lacks 3-d qualities.

Does Not Meet the Standard
• This project does not meet the criteria of the project. It is missing several of the requirements and/or incomplete.

Elements and Principles of Art:
Positive/Negative Space
Shape
Rhythm/Movement
Contrast
Repetition

Motivation:
Visit the following sites to view works of various artists who sculpt with paper:
http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/high/barb-paper.htm
http://www.petercallesen.com/index.html
http://www.ronchespak.com/

Lesson Objective:
Students will create original patterns/designs, considering positive/negative space, using paper relief sculpture.

Planning:
After looking at former student work, along with looking at various contemporary artists who use paper for relief sculpture, begin to imagine and plan your own paper relief sculpture.

Pay close attention to the interaction and activation of positive and negative space.

Experiment with different patterns and designs, using a 12” x 18” piece of tag board. Grid the tag board into 2” squares.

After experimenting with positive/negative shapes and the exacto knife, plan for the larger relief sculpture. Sketch ideas for shapes and planning in your sketchbook.

Final Project:
1. Measure a 21” square, using white tag board. Cut on the paper cutter.
2. Measure a 1.5” border. **Keep pencil lines very light.
3. Measure 2” squares.
4. Draw lightly, your plan. Using an exacto knife, cut your designs. Use a template for shapes to repeat the SAME shape.
5. Mount on black tag board with elmer’s glue.

Directions:
• Look carefully at your finished leaf designs as a group.

• In a word processing document, please respond to the following by justifying your placement on the rubric for BOTH the technical and creative problem-solving standards.

• Each justification should be at least 3 to 4 complete sentences.

• Please use the Language of Art (elements and principles of design) to help in your explanations.

1. Technical Skills Justification:

2. Creative Problem-Solving Skills Justification:

3. Which of the four designs do you feel is the most successful in terms of using positive and negative space well? Using the language of art (the vocabulary that we’ve talked about in class), please explain your choice.

Technical
Exceeds the Standard Craftsmanship and presentation of the design as a whole, is high quality. Attention to detail is fabulous. Paper is neatly and carefully cut and glued. Paper is kept clean and neat; there is no visible pencil lines. Directions are carefully followed; name and priniciples are written on back.

Meets the Standard Craftsmanship and presentation of the design as a whole, is good quality. Paper is cut and glued well. There are no obvious smudges, pencil lines, and/or glue marks. Directions are followed, inlcuding name and principles on back of paper.

Partially Meets the Standard Craftsmanship of the design needs more attention; parts look hurried and/or rushed. Parts are somewhat crooked and/or may not be adhered well. Pencil lines, smudges, and/or glue marks are obvious. Some of the directions are not followed; name and/or principles may be missing.

Does Not Meet the Standard This design is not complete and/or does not meet the criteria of the project. It is not acceptable in regards to presentation and craftsmanship.

Creative Problem-Solving
Exceeds the Standard Three designs are created in an extraordinary way demonstrating TENSION, BALANCE, & RHYTHM; an original and unique design is also created, using positive and negative space in an outstanding and dynamic way! The visual impact of all four designs is fabulous!!

Meets the Standard Three designs are created, demonstrating TENSION, BALANCE, & RHYTHM; a unique design is also created that considers the relationship of positive and negative space.

Partially Meets the Standard Three designs are created, but it is difficult to see the understanding of the prinicples: TENSION, BALANCE, RHYTHM. The fourth design does not demonstrate originality and/or does not use positive and negative space in a unique or interesting way; the design appears “static”.

Does Not Meet the Standard This project does not meet the criteria of the project. It is unacceptable and/or incomplete.

This is about space.
How you see it.
How you use it.
As artists we make decisions about space—
both in the positive (figure) and negative (ground).

We can create pieces that are more or less interesting,
more or less rhythmic, more or less balanced, and so on.

Steps:
1. Create 4 compositions: Each using 2 squares of paper, one black (5.5” x 5.5”) and one white (7.5” x 7.5”).

2. Choose one leaf you wish to explore in your 4 compositions

3. Using the followings principles of art, create your 4 different compositions:
• TENSION (place shapes close together).
• SYMMETRICAL BALANCE (same shapes on each side).
• RHYTHM (similar shapes repeating).
• Play, explore and create a UNIQUE COMPOSITION that uses POSITVE and NEGATIVE space in an interesting way.

Hints:
• Arrange your composition to leave a white border around the edge, however, you break up the border in spots.
• On the back of your squares you should put your name and label with the principle you are demonstrating.
• Quality craftsmanship counts!

Using a word document, answer the following questions, using, at least 3 thoughtful and complete sentences. Save to the documents folder on your hard drive.

1. Which photograph do you think is the most successful in terms of capturing two elements of design? Please explain.

2. Was this assignment more or less difficult than the last? Please explain.

3. Do you feel your photographs are more successful than the Composition assignment? In what ways? Please explain.