Getting to know you...

A new semester means a new group of students. I always try to have the students create a project that helps me get to know them.

 

My 7th grade is working on a project I call "collage me". I found the inspiration on this blog through Pinterest. We used the overhead projector light to create a shadow that we traced on craft paper. The students then searched through magazines to find images of things they like and that inspire them. They must also include their name somewhere in the collage. We discussed composition and craftsmanship. When the project is complete, the students will be asked to complete a written reflection that ties into Indiana visual arts standard 7.6.2.

 

 

 

 

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New semester resolutions and such...

I feel like I have to make the same resolution year after year. I WILL update my classroom blog... Maybe if I make myself write it in the chalkboard one hundred times I will remember. So here goes attempt number three!

Today I began a new semester with a new group of students. Some students have had my class before but a fresh start and a different group of students always brings new challenges and excitement. Each semester I make a goal. 

This time around (aside from keeping up with blogging), I am attempting electronic hall passes. The students use a Google form I created to enter their name, where they are going, and the time. When the students return, they submit the form so it time stamps when they return. Hooray for the digital age! 

Their own mark...

Students at FMS look forward to 8th grade art.  The first project we begin with is always a hit...Graffiti Art!  Whenever our display goes up, all students exclaim, "I want to do that!".  It is a great project because students love it, the majority are successful, and I am able to learn names a little easier.

We begin by discussing the difference between art and vandalism.  We then discuss how graffiti is becoming very mainstream and graffiti artists are now being commissioned by various business, advertising companies, and property owners.

The students then look at many examples.  We go over how to draw lettering and make it varied. Students most often select a brick background for their graffiti.

Before students begin coloring, we discuss proper coloring methods and the importance of contrast.

The "I" phone

Did you ever think about how much your digital device reveals about you? From the pictures you have, the background you set, and the apps you have downloaded, you reveal a lot about yourself. With this in mind, I had the students in all grades fill in a template of a phone with apps. They could use the images of apps they already had or create their own to show a bit of their interests. They were then asked to design their ideal phone case. The students really enjoyed this activity and will be finishing it today in class using colored pencils.

 

You can get a blank copy of this document here: "i"pad document 

Back to school!

Today was the first day of the 2015-2016 school year. The first day is always my least favorite. I have to stand in front of students and go over rules and procedures. BORING! I did try to break it up with a creative drawing activity at the end.  6th grade was asked to create the ultimate robot maid.




7th grade imagined a universe they could enter through their locker.

8th grade created the ultimate vacation location.  We really had fun with that one!

This short exercise helped me discover students who had a hard time coming up with ideas, their drawing ability/confidence, and a little glimpse into their personality.

Back to basics - contour line drawing

I always like to begin the semester by studying contour line drawing. It is a skill all artists employ at some point during the creative process, even just in sketches. We discussed the importance of looking at the object you are drawing instead of burying you head in the paper. The students practiced blind contour drawings during which they could only look at the subject they are drawing. It was a frustrating but fun exercise and ultimately helped to remind students to draw what they see, not what they think.
The students also learned about the element of art line; specifically line qualities. We looked at examples of how line quality can give a completely different look to the same drawn image.

The students then applied this knowledge by drawing "Line Quality Cupcake Contours". A cupcake was placed at the center of every table. The students selected a colored piece of sulphite and used pencil to draw the contours. The students then divided their drawing into quadrants. In each quadrant, the students went over their pencil lines with sharpie using a different line quality. The students then finished the project by erasing any pencil marks and colored it however they wanted with colored pencil.

Getting to Know You...

Even though it is the middle of the school year, it is like the first week of school in the art room with a brand new group of students to start the new semester. I always like to start off with a project based on the students' names. Most middle school students are excited to create personalized art. I try to pick projects all students can be successful at so they start out on a positive note. I have a few go to name projects but I always like to try new things. My counterpart and I turned to an art teacher's best friend: Pintrest.

For 6th grade, we selected this project from art projects for kids. On day one, we went over how to create a variety of block and bubble letters. Then we discussed facial proportions and created a sketch of the final project. Students then created the "Part of Me" project on 9x12 drawing paper and used colored pencils to complete it. View the Fegely Artsonia gallery to see more.

7th grade students learned about shape as an element of art through a powerpoint, notes, and discussion. The students filled out an interest survey to help them brainstorm for this project. They were then asked to come up with a shape that somehow describes them or their interests and fill the shape with their names. We discussed and practiced different lettering techniques. View the Artsonia Gallery here.

The eighth graders reviewed positive and negative space then created what I refer to as the "negative name tangle". Drawing lightly in pencil, the students wrote their names. Then, students used sharpies to fill in the negative space with a minimum of 10 patterns and designs. Once the entire page was filled, students erased the pencil lines so the negative space made the positive space visible. View the gallery here.