Digital Shape Collages

Seventh Grade digital art students made these quick digital collages using the shape tool in photoshop. This week we are doing digital collages using images that tell the viewer about us. The students did these practice images to play around with the layering tool in photoshop. Students were exploring interesting ways to layer images in a composition. Look out for the real collages soon, I just really liked these and wanted to share them.

Weekly Update 10/28/13 - 11/01/13

Sixth Grade

We spent the week looking at lines and texture this week. We talked about types of lines and how to use contour lines to create simple but detailed drawings. Then we created visual texture rubbings and on Thursday we created actual texture using paper. We had a quiz on Friday testing our new knowledge.

Seventh Grade

We talked about what abstract art is about, and then looked at the elements line, shape, and value. Students created abstract drawings on black paper which displayed their understanding of these three elements.

Eighth Grade

Just like seventh grade, we looked at line, shape, and value. But in 8th grade we talked about op art and how to create optical illusions using value. The goal was to create a drawing that showed the illusion of 3-dimensionality. These were finished on Friday.

Radial Symmetry part 2

Seventh graders started out the new grading period by learning about radial symmetry. We started out by looking at some images and discussing what it means for something to have radial symmetry, and then we did some practice drawings using shapes to create radial symmetry. During this time we also looked at lettering styles and how to create a unique style of lettering. To end the unit, students used their name (or nickname, or a word) to create radial symmetry.

Weekly Update 10/21/13 - 10/25/13

Sorry for the lack of weekly updates recently, with the end of the first grading period things got a bit hectic and I couldn't find the time to post anything. Now we have started the 2nd grading period, which means all new students and new artists to highlight. 

Sixth Grade

In sixth grade we started out with our self-portrait collages. These were mostly finished by Friday, and may need a few finishing touches before they get posted on here, but keep a look out for them.

Seventh Grade

Seventh graders started out by talking about radial symmetry and creative lettering styles. We used our new knowledge to create abstract designs using our names which highlight radial symmetry. Finished pieces coming soon!

 

Eighth Grade

In eighth grade we started out by talking about graffiti (styles, meanings, legalities, among other things) and about how to incorporate our own personal style into a graffiti tag of our names. Students finished their names this week and they'll get hung in the hallway soon. 

Digital Art

Digital students are working on creating GIFs that animate a character moving through a background. Students drew the characters and used cameras to digitize them and edit them in photoshop. They used ArtRage to create digital paintings of the backgrounds. Next week we'll use gifpal to animate them.

Weekly Update 9/30/13 - 10/4/13

Sixth Grade

Sixth graders looked at animal sculptures from Oaxaca, Mexico. These sculptures use a lot of color and pattern which were the art content we focused on for this unit. (we looked at these for inspiration) The students were required to use patterns in their animal drawings and reference the artwork of Oaxaca in their drawings. They should be done next week and uploaded here.

 

Seventh Grade

This week seventh graders worked on two projects at one. Some groups worked on glazing our pottery from a few weeks ago and others worked on designing and coloring templates to create 3D stars. 

 

 Eighth Grade

In Eighth grade this week we worked on creating letter forms out of cardboard and adding layers of paper mache to them. Next week we will paint them using patterns.

Weekly Update 9/23/13 - 9/27/13

Sixth Grade

In sixth grade art we've continued working on color this week. We finished our landscape paintings (which we used color schemes on) and moved on to some review of all of the elements of art. On Thursday students took a quiz over the elements. Look for the landscapes to be posted in the next day or so, they're really great!

 

Seventh Grade

In seventh grade we have been plugging away at our grid style self portraits. Friday is the last day to work on these, so we'll see some finished products soon. I can't wait to see them, the progress has been really great so far!

Eighth Grade

Eight graders have been working on a lot of things at once this week. First we finished our positive/negative space still life paintings (images to come soon), then we glazed our pottery, and lastly we talked about the principle of design pattern, which we will use for a project next week.

 

Digital Art

We have almost finished our stop motion animations! I can't wait to share them with you!!!!

Notan Collages

Seventh grade students worked with the Japanese concept of Notan -- which deals with the relationship between light and dark -- to explore space, contrast, balance, and proportion. The collages turned out really nice. The students did a great job creating some really interesting symmetrical designs.