Lessons and stratagies
Each of the lessons described in this unit will include a sketchbook and 'process journal' component. As stated earlier, the process of art making is a principal part of this unit. For the sake of organization and clarity I will label lessons as 'process journal', sketchbook, and the culminating assignment as 'final work.'
For a number of years, I have been working with my students in what I call 'process journals.' The idea is simple and the results, spectacular. The book entitled A Humument, by Tom Phillips (1987) is the source for this idea. The author purchased an old Victorian novel from a used bookstore and proceeded to treat each page with different art materials and techniques. In doing so, he transforming each page in the novel, A Human Document into richly decorated, and individual works of art.
I require my students to bring to class an old book (any old, hardcover discarded book will do, but it is recommended that the pages have limited illustrations or photographs which tend to be distracting). The book becomes a 'process journal' as we paint, draw, collage, and even tear pages. An aspect of this 'process journal' that makes it different from the traditional sketchbook is the inclusion of the text that is already on the page. Applying an otherwise flat or translucent material onto a page full of text, adds a new depth and dimension (both literal and often symbolic) to the page. The original text may or may not be revealed in the end, though quite often it becomes an integral part of the design. The possible uses and adaptations of such a book are vast. The journal is a source of artistic innovation and inspiration in the difficult field of art making. I have found, more often then not, my students are more attached to their 'process journals' then they are some the final products they create.
Lesson: Travel experience. Mixed media.
The goal for this lesson is to have students identify and apply contrast in both the writing and art making. This lesson will also introduce students to the unit goal (NC 4) in which a range of subject matter and ideas will be explored to communicate intended meaning in art.
As you read the following sketchbook and process journal assignments, note that they will be happening at the same time. I will break the ninety-minute class into two parts and these activities will be completed over a few days.
Sketchbook
Students will be asked to write a descriptive narrative about an experience they've had traveling in and or around the school campus. (Traveling is defined for this assignment as going from here to there!) This narrative can be as broad in its scene as my own example of madly trying to find the road this new school was built on, on a map of Charlotte that did not even have the road it's on charted; or as specific as trying to find a certain classroom on the first day of school.
A strategy for getting art students to complete any 'non-art-making-product' in the studio is through modeling. I will begin to tell my story, emphasizing adjectives that help set the tone to my story. As I am telling the story, I will be asking students to jot down adjectives I use that helped set the tone of the story. This will help them quickly focus in on the thing I most want them to do in their own story. Once this story has been told and a list created, the class will discuss what they thought the tone was. I will lead a discussion on how in writing; tone invariably influences the image that is pictured in our mind.
Student will be asked to take a few minutes to discuss his or her own travel experience with each other. Finding time for students to casually discuss personal events such as this is an essential part of the creative process. Not only does this allow them a certain level of freedom from teacher lead instruction, it subconsciously creates a dialogue within themselves about tone, sequence, and visual references. This period of open discussion is monitored closely for on-task conversation and timed, usually with music playing. When the music stops, student will be prompted to write their narrative.
I will introduce The Allegory of the Cave, a story found in Plato' work, The Republic as a way to introduce contrast (in writing and in art). This story is one that I have used with art students on other occasions and feel will work well here. The story does a great job placing the reader deep inside the world within the cave. The human experience as Plato saw it provides a great parallel for this unit's exploration of the known and unknown. What is the mood or tone of the story? What kinds of art elements would visually describe this mood? Does the story imply the use of color or is it black and white? Are the lines severe or soft edges and what kind of space is implied - deep or shallow? If we were to change certain adjectives, can we change the tone of the story? (Provide an example sentence here for students to work with) What visual elements should then be changed? I have a number of illustrations of this story from a variety of sources (including online image searches) and will use them to model how artists have illustrated the tone of this work (with particular emphasis on contrast).
Students will trade their story with a partner. The partner will list the adjectives used and will briefly describe the tone of the story. Upon returning each other's stories, the writer will decide if the tone that was interpreted by the reader is in fact, one they intended. They will be give time to change these narratives if they want to. It is fine to embellish the story, the actual experience itself is not so important. Students will be asked to select two or three of the most visually interesting sections of their narrative and create illustrations of them using pencil or other 'dry' media (this will likely be a homework assignment). I use the term illustration very loosely here - there is no design criteria other than the final image should show the viewer a scene from the narrative.
I use the term open-ended drawings stringently with my students; if I'm not careful I will end up with all Japanese animation - every time. I make sure to send them off with some specific objectives in mind. In this case, emphasis will be place on creating strong visual contrast with the material they choose.
Process Journal
There are number of collage techniques that will be introduced to students for this assignment. I will provide one example here that will likely be new to most high school students. There are of course, other collage techniques that can and will be used, but for the sake of this entry, I will describe one and cite in my bibliography books that use techniques suitable for high school art students.
Students will be provided with photocopied maps of the school building, road maps of the surrounding neighborhood, and maps of the city of Charlotte. Using these images, students will be introduced the to the process of gel transfers. A gel transfer derives its name from the transfer of an image from paper onto the surface of the acrylic gel. The resulting image is translucent. The transfers will be organized and glued on the pages of the process journal. The result will be a text page with on overlay of the map. This may look very busy and even flat - and I would agree that this step alone is not the best use of the transfer image - but remember the function of the process journal is to explore different media and its potential expressive qualities. There will be opportunity for student to explore design solutions as well as incorporate color and additional layers of media that will work with the gel transfer to create contrast and depth on the page.
Final work
The final work will be a minimum 18"x24" and should take five to seven class periods to complete. Part review and part introduction, the works of the contemporary artists described in the rational section of this unit will be analyzed in a slide presentation. The class will discuss the content, tone, contrast, and the manipulation of media of these works as they begin to formulate a plan for their own final piece. This final work is a culmination of the activities done in both their sketchbook and their process journals. Students will be asked to incorporate a variety of techniques including drawn, painted, and collaged images in the final work, which will visually narrate the travel story they first wrote about.
Lesson: Symbolism - decipher the key to your map. Illustration. (Color Pencil)
Every art teacher I know struggles with trying to get all students to complete a work of art at the same time. I am certainly no different. On a day that we have a scheduled critique I discretely keep my fingers crossed as students pin up their final products, desperately hoping I did not rush them or that the one or two students who work at a snail's pace found time to get the work done. My solution is twofold. I always run 'in process' critiques during the working stages of a final project. Students get a fresh perspective on the work they are doing and we can all keep up with how much time is needed to get the work done. The second strategy I use is to slowly introduce ideas and concepts (usually as a warm up exercise during the first part of the class) for a new assignment, as they get closer to finishing what they are working on. This allows those students who work more quickly some additional time to draw or experiment with new materials and techniques. In the case of this lesson, they will be asked to create symbols that represent places in the world they know and symbols that represent contemporary issues in the world (they know). The latter is a bit ambiguous and will be clarified as you read further; I will provide example drawings of both to students as they begin working. Magazines, books and maps will be used extensively in this lesson, a good supply of each is necessary.
The idea for this illustration is to describe the world today, according to your personal truth. It is ultimately a commentary (personal voice), which reflects the world that is known by the artist.
To begin this map illustration, students are going to be sent on a scavenger hunt. They will be asked to research maps from the middle ages. In particular, they will be looking for exotic and bizarre creatures that are so prevalent on the mappaemudi. The stories and subsequent illustrations of strange animals and monstrous races certainly impact our perception of the world at the time they were made. I will be asking my students to consider the nature of such images and the influence they have on our perception of that world. How much does what we read and see influence our perspective on those things we have not personally experienced? Hidden in these themed maps is a world full of truths and unknowns.
It is just this kind of fantasy that my students are fascinated with and should be a great point of discussion. It is also the kind of analysis and interpretation that I want them to put into their own artwork.
Students will develop variations on the images found on the mappaemudi as they begin to learn about why they existed. It will be important to address the larger context of these (little) images and direct students to see how they are in fact, symbols that express the values and ideas of the times in which they were created. Why do the images appear in the places that they do? Why do they look so unlike us, in many cases frightening? What function did these maps actually serve? For their illustration, students will be asked to consider the same questions in the context of our world today.
What sort of events and issues are important to the world you (as the mapmaker) live in and how can you best illustrate these ideas? If you were asked to draw the world that you live in, what would it look like? Will you illustrate the entire planet, the United States, Charlotte, or Main Street? Population, the environment, war, and poverty are some contemporary issues that fit within this lesson and should initiate some opinions when introduced as possible map themes. How is the theme of the map best illustrated? What symbols will you create to represent the theme of the map? What kinds of boundaries best describe the world you are showing us? What colors (if any) best suite this map?
Student will select the drawing surface that best reflects the theme of their map. A map that deals with environmental issue for example may be created on a recycled piece of cardboard. They could chose to draw on top of an existing map or begin their drawing on a crisp sheet of white drawing paper. The sizes of this work will then, also vary for each student. One of these unit goals is to explore the unique properties and potential of materials and learn techniques for working with each material. They will be asked to carefully consider the choice of material and its relationship to the expressive nature of the theme in their map. Color pencil will work well because of its ability to show detail though other material with a similar quality may also be used (depending on the drawing surface that was chosen).
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