Hand Drawings
Gauging student skills and abilities
Hands and faces are intricate and unique subjects, therefore they are good challenges for drawing students. At the beginning of the semester, I have students complete a series of pre-instructional drawings, sort of like pretests. One of which is ha hand, another is a chair and one is a face. During the course of the semester then, a more serious, substantial drawing of each of these subjects eventually serves as sort of a benchmark for each student's progress.
Toward the end of the first quarter I've been able to determine the ability level of my students from previous assignments in their sketchbooks as well as a number of other activities. On assessment I took this year was a Left/Right brain inventory survey, which allegedly can determine if students have an inclination toward particular thinking modes which would allow them to perceive visually more easily, or with more difficulty.
Direct Instruction
To begin the unit I give students an analogy for drawing from real life- simultaneously observing and recording those observations, I ask them to imagine a microscopic explorer traveling the terrain that is their subject (a hand, face, or still life object). Then I demonstrate the technique of blind contour drawing on the board.
Basically, for "contour drawing," you pick a point on the object where the eye can begin its slow journey around the contour or edge of the object. The eye is barely crawling as it begins its journey. When the eye begins to move, so should the hand holding the pencil. At no time should you look at your hand as it draws. Students try drawing the entire contour of the object without lifting your pencil form the paper. Part of the point of the exercise is to develop the student's perception of edges, "contours," or borders between shapes, AKA lines.
Next, students are asked to complete a series of blind contour drawings in their sketchbooks. First with the help of a paper bag to keep them from looking at their paper. Then, gradually the amount of time spent drawing increases and they are challenged to draw "blind" without the bag.
One step might be considered to incorporate cooperative , because instead of hands or shoes, students are asked to take turns modeling for each other, so that they can draw blind-contours of faces.
Information Processing/Discussion
Along the way we debrief. Sometimes one-on-one with each student, sometimes in small groups, and a few times as an entire class, discussing how their drawings are accurate records of their perceptions, not necessarily perfect representations of their hands (or shoes or faces). We discuss and try to evaluate both the process and the products. One of the things that is important is to have the students reflect on how the process felt. If they were focused, able to avoid distractions, "absorbed" so to speak, and lost track of time, felt relaxed yet alert, or generally became silent or wordless (both outwardly and better yet, in their own minds) then, hopefully they can recreate those feelings each time they attempt a drawing. This hones their perceptual skills, stretches their attention-spans, and ideally, shifts them from a typically verbal to a more visual/spacial cognitive mode which is beneficial to being able to draw accurately.
Once students have improved their blind-contour skills enough, we add back in the "check-back" or "modified" contour drawing, where students try to look at the subject more than at their paper, but are now allowed to check back periodically in order to correct for placement and proportions. Students are then given viewfinders and introduced to the concepts of selecting a composition within a format (picture frame) and the practice of some artists of imagining that whatever they are viewing is flattened onto a single surface (the picture plane). Finally, they are asked to tone a format on a page, pose their hands with the viewfinder, and spend a few days drawing a fully developed, realistic drawing of their hands.
Assessment and Evaluation of Student Progress
When their drawings are finished, students are given a rubric to score themselves on each of the 5 perceptual skills; edge, space, proportion, shading, and composition as well as on their effort and level of improvement. They are also asked to respond to a number of reflection questions. Later I score them on the same categories, and usually try to read and comment on their reflections.
Students also view all of the drawings in the class and discuss the accuracy of the contour drawings and how convincing the shading is and analyze the compositions. Students are asked to consider the sensual, formal, expressive, and technical qualities of each others drawings during this "critique session."
So the rubric may be a formal summative assessment, the critique session is more informal, and all along the way there have been deliberate as well as incidental informal formative assesments going on. In this way, even if a given student does not achieve the desired technical proficiency, their perceptual skills may still grow and/or they may acquire an understanding of the concepts of contour, modeling shading, and arranging/selecting composition.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Painting 2009
Students used a photograph of themselves, used Photoshop to analyze the basic facets on their faces, then chose their own colors to blow it up to a 14X20 poster. Nick tried his hardest to look like President Obama in his pose, and chose the complimentary colors, orange and blue to try to make as striking an image as he could.
Graphic Artist, Shepherd Fairey used an AP photo by Michael Garcia to create his famous campaign poster of Barrack Obama. His original now hangs in the National Portrait Gallery
Victoria's pose and color choices, make this look like one of 60's Pop Artist Andy Warhol's portraits of Hollywood stars. She received a Judge's Choice ribbon for this painting at the first annual Western Valley Conference Art Show March 20-2 hosted by West Monona HS in Onawa.
Nisha's analogous color scheme (next to each other on the color wheel) make it look like she's deep in the ocean
Christine's monochromatic (one color in different shades) almost looks like a photograph in maroon, red, and pink
Rosario's color choices make this look like an actual thermal scan using an infrared imaging divice
Billie used the same patriotic colors as our exemplar, Shepherd Fairey. It really intensifies her eyes.
Megan used only the primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) making this a very striking composition
Luke's striking yellow background and limiting himself to just four shades, really makes this look like a comic book image
Friday, October 10, 2008
Drawing and Seeing
Before & After
Above left is a pre-instructional drawing done the first week of class. To the right is the "Final Exam" of the same student at the end of the semester!
You don’t need to know how to draw already- the whole point of this class is to teach you how to draw. This course is recommended for any student intending to take any other art courses. Emphasis will be placed on brain research and visual thinking modes. All students must have this course or Art Fundamentals prior to any other art course.
I swear by my textbook Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain; a course in enhancing creativity and artistic confidence by Betty Edwards, © 1999 Tharcher/Putnam.
I've been using it since 1994 (an earlier edition). Dr. Edwards has compiled decades of brain research and art education together in perhaps the most acclaimed book learning how to see differently and therefore be able to draw. Students acquire five perceptual skills that make up the global (holistic) skill of drawing. A major key to learning to draw is understanding how brain lateralization effects one's ability to perceive accurately and successfully record those perceptions.
Students begin by learning how important line is to expression. Even your signature is a communicative work of art.
Students try a variety of exercises for bypassing their preconceptions and their dominant verbal left-brains, including copying this Picasso drawing upside down.
"Blind" or "Pure" Contour line drawing forces the student to focus on the edges of an object, without worrying about the placement or proportion of the whole.
Then, they hone their new contour line drawing skills
One of the three benchmarks of the class are drawing hands. In order to do so, students learn about the artist's concepts of a "picture plane" onto which they "flatten" anything they're looking at, and a "picture frame" which helps select a stronger composition.
Next, students are challenged to see the space around objects as a real and vital element- both because it improves composition and because "negative spaces" share edges with the positive forms anyway.
Mastering negative space as well as some more important artist concepts like "basic units" and sighting sizes and angles prepares students for the second major benchmark of the class, drawing chairs.
Students learn that with sighting and their imaginary picture-planes, informal perspective can become easier and more effective than traditional linear perspective.
Finally, students examine skeletal structure and learn the basic placement guidelines for drawing portraits, bringing them to their third and most important benchmark; faces.
Senior Portfolio and Advanced Drawing students learn about drawing figures, including skeletal studies and gesture sketching, then they are able to choose their own subjects and often demonstrate a mastery of the five perceptual skills as well as composition.
Above left is a pre-instructional drawing done the first week of class. To the right is the "Final Exam" of the same student at the end of the semester!You don’t need to know how to draw already- the whole point of this class is to teach you how to draw. This course is recommended for any student intending to take any other art courses. Emphasis will be placed on brain research and visual thinking modes. All students must have this course or Art Fundamentals prior to any other art course.
I swear by my textbook Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain; a course in enhancing creativity and artistic confidence by Betty Edwards, © 1999 Tharcher/Putnam. I've been using it since 1994 (an earlier edition). Dr. Edwards has compiled decades of brain research and art education together in perhaps the most acclaimed book learning how to see differently and therefore be able to draw. Students acquire five perceptual skills that make up the global (holistic) skill of drawing. A major key to learning to draw is understanding how brain lateralization effects one's ability to perceive accurately and successfully record those perceptions.
Students begin by learning how important line is to expression. Even your signature is a communicative work of art.
Students try a variety of exercises for bypassing their preconceptions and their dominant verbal left-brains, including copying this Picasso drawing upside down.
"Blind" or "Pure" Contour line drawing forces the student to focus on the edges of an object, without worrying about the placement or proportion of the whole.
Then, they hone their new contour line drawing skills
One of the three benchmarks of the class are drawing hands. In order to do so, students learn about the artist's concepts of a "picture plane" onto which they "flatten" anything they're looking at, and a "picture frame" which helps select a stronger composition.
Next, students are challenged to see the space around objects as a real and vital element- both because it improves composition and because "negative spaces" share edges with the positive forms anyway.
Mastering negative space as well as some more important artist concepts like "basic units" and sighting sizes and angles prepares students for the second major benchmark of the class, drawing chairs.
Students learn that with sighting and their imaginary picture-planes, informal perspective can become easier and more effective than traditional linear perspective.
Finally, students examine skeletal structure and learn the basic placement guidelines for drawing portraits, bringing them to their third and most important benchmark; faces.
Senior Portfolio and Advanced Drawing students learn about drawing figures, including skeletal studies and gesture sketching, then they are able to choose their own subjects and often demonstrate a mastery of the five perceptual skills as well as composition.
Painting
This course will explore a variety of painting media, including Watercolor, Tempera, Gauche, Mixed Media, Acrylic, and Oil. Students will examine several different styles and techniques and learn about a sampling of the most famous painters of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Students may choose to purchase materials in additional to those provided by the school.
Van Gogh's Starry Night... in CRAYON!
Students examine values and analyze facets in these still lives
Students explore abstract expressionism and artists like Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollack.
Like VanGogh, these oil pastels, use only complimentary colors.
A challenging assignment is a Georgia O'Keefe style flower.
Monochromatic watercolor
Above, limited-palette self-portraits. Below, abstract-shape analysis.
Senior Portfolio and advanced students excel in self-directed assignments.
Van Gogh's Starry Night... in CRAYON!
Students examine values and analyze facets in these still lives
Students explore abstract expressionism and artists like Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollack.
Like VanGogh, these oil pastels, use only complimentary colors.
A challenging assignment is a Georgia O'Keefe style flower.
Monochromatic watercolor
Above, limited-palette self-portraits. Below, abstract-shape analysis.
Senior Portfolio and advanced students excel in self-directed assignments.
Ceramics
Ceramics will provide students with a conceptual and manual foundation in the field of ceramics. Students will learn the properties of clay, its preparation, hand and wheel techniques, surface design, firing methods, fundamental ceramic terms, principles of design and introductory ceramics history. Students will also be oriented in safe practices of the ceramic artist. Emphasis will be on developing skills appropriate to the beginning student for the purpose of creative expression and technical understanding of the clay as medium
Two of the first skills students develop are creating pinch-pots and coil pots.
With slab-construction techniques, students can create a variety of vessels and structures including "ginger-bread" houses.
An emphasis is put on gesture or manorisms when working with the human figure.
Four of the challenge projects during this semester class include hands, shoes, skulls, and faces.
One of the funnest projects is faux food!
Two of the first skills students develop are creating pinch-pots and coil pots.
With slab-construction techniques, students can create a variety of vessels and structures including "ginger-bread" houses.
An emphasis is put on gesture or manorisms when working with the human figure.
Four of the challenge projects during this semester class include hands, shoes, skulls, and faces.
One of the funnest projects is faux food!
Sculpture and 3D
This course will explore the unique application, elements and principles of design to three-dimensional space. ‘While learning about sculptors through out art history, students will explore a variety of media styles of 3-D. Students will experiment with additive and subtractive methods of production and will work with both relief, and in-the-round.
After being introduced to "How Are You Peeling? Foods with Moods" by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers, students created their own vegetable sculptures.
This cubist foam core sculpture is similar to several Picassos
Paper mâché and plaster casting are as much a challenge as they are fun.
After being introduced to "How Are You Peeling? Foods with Moods" by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers, students created their own vegetable sculptures.
This cubist foam core sculpture is similar to several Picassos
Paper mâché and plaster casting are as much a challenge as they are fun.
Introduction to Art (9-12)
This class is designed for the student interested in learning more about art prior to graduation, but who was unable to take Drawing. Through lecture, classroom exercises, and projects students will be introduced to the visual elements and principles of design. Students will learn about the four disciplines of art; aesthetics, art history, art criticism, and art production. All students must have either this course or introduction or Drawing prior to any other art class.
Line, texture and optical illusions
Students are introduced to the concept of abstraction. In this assignment, they are asked to gradually abstract an image in stages, from only slightly stylized, to almost non-objective.
High school students are sometimes re-introduced to concepts from middle school, but are expected to produce a high caliber work.
Since Introduction to Art is a survey class, students have an opportunity to be exposed to clay too.
Line, texture and optical illusions
Students are introduced to the concept of abstraction. In this assignment, they are asked to gradually abstract an image in stages, from only slightly stylized, to almost non-objective.
High school students are sometimes re-introduced to concepts from middle school, but are expected to produce a high caliber work.
Since Introduction to Art is a survey class, students have an opportunity to be exposed to clay too.
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