Weekly Update 8/26/13-8/30/13

Sixth Grade

This week sixth grade spent time working with the elements of art. We looked at the elements line and texture, and completed activities about both. Students created different types of lines, drew contour line drawings, created rubbings to show visual texture, and used folding techniques to create actual texture.

Seventh Grade

This week 7th graders learned about line, shape, and value. We used this knowledge to work on abstract drawings. Students had to create a drawing using various lines and shapes, and using color pencils they added value throughout the image. These should be finished on Tuesday, so more images to come soon.
 

Eighth Grade

Eighth graders also learned about line, shape, and value this week, but they took that knowledge and used it to create Op art images. I didn't take any pictures of them yet, but they should be finished and uploaded soon.
 

Self-Portrait Collages

The first sixth grade project of the grading period was a self-portrait collage. To start off we discussed what a self-portrait was, and how we could make one that depicts our personalities/interests to the viewer. Students chose images that would show off their own unique identities to include in their collages. Then students were asked to choose a shape to make their collage. They could choose from a circle, square, diamond, or triangle--they were required to choose the shape that best described their personalities (a choice they were required to defend in their artist statements). Then the students spent time gluing their images to the surface while paying attention to composition and white space. We had a lot of very successful collages this time around!

Graffti

Our first project in 8th grade was a graffiti project, where we studied creative ways of lettering and how to use words to create a work of art. Students looked at images of graffiti and spent time creating their own unique style and executing a tag of their name or a nickname. 

Coming Soon...

Stop Motion Animated Videos Featuring Cubee Craft People: Made by 8th Grade Digital Art

Weekly Update 8/19/13-8/22/13

Weekly Update

Sixth Grade

 
This week sixth graders worked on their self-portrait collages. Students looked through magazines to find images that displayed their personalities to the viewer. We discussed the format of self-portraits as well as the process of collages. We finished these up on Thursday, so they should be up on the blog next week.

Seventh Grade

Seventh graders have been working on designs using their names to create radial symmetry. Last week we spent some time learning about how to create unique lettering styles, so this week students took that knowledge and used their names as the base for a drawing. Students traced their names and by rotating and translating them the designs connect and create kaleidoscopic images that are great examples of radial symmetry. These should be finished next week and hopefully will be uploaded then as well.

Eighth Grade

This week we continued our unit on creative lettering and worked on our final lettering projects--graffiti images of student names. Students looked at some examples of graffiti, and discussed the various cultural issues surrounding graffiti (legality, value compared to gallery art, formal art concepts, etc.) Then students created their own graffiti tags which we will cut out and hang in the halls so that the students can "tag" the school. Pictures to come soon.

Descriptive Lettering

To start our graffiti unit the 8th graders were given a list of words (hot, smooth, slippery, etc.) which they had to illustrate through creative lettering. Each student chose three words and drew them in a way which would show the viewer how that student perceives the selected word. We had a lot of really great drawings turned in at the end of the day. 

Mona Lisa

For our day one project in 7th and 8th grade art we took the Mona Lisa, by Leonardo da Vinci, and transformed her into our own versions. I borrowed this lesson from Art Projects for Kids, and I really enjoyed seeing how the students took an image and turned it into their own. Each student had a unique spin on the original, and it was a great way for everybody to get into the groove of things in the new art classes.