Oil Pastels (Craypas) Resist on Pellon (K- adult)
Aims: •To create individual works to glue onto to a background
•To (possibly) integrate other curriculum into your art lesson such as science, math, social studies, etc.
Materials & Tools:
white pellon (not glue kind)
craypas
watercolors
brushes, water can
scissors
newspaper to protect table
Procedure:
Cut pellon into a banner or pennant shape. Have a theme such as heritage, their name, symbols, etc. for the students to respond to. Draw, using pressure,
your design. Use lines, don’t color in. Paint watercolor over the craypas. (Oil repels water.)
Reflection:
These are beautiful hung in windows or in light.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The Drawing Game Lesson Plan
This is a game I invented many years ago to get my students exited about seeing. It works well with all ages (4th Grade and up) and prizes add to the frenzy. Watch out for cheating, though. Even amongst adults!
Aims: To practice deep looking
To listen to words and put them into visual form
To be about to recall and describe in words what you saw
Motivation: The game itself is all the motivation you will need, although silly prizes
add to the fun.
Vocabulary: parallel, perpendicular, cylinder, sphere, etc.
Procedure: Collect all sorts of odd objects: I use broken kitchen utensils, old parts of hardware, packaging, weirdly-shaped things I find in my travels, perfume bottle caps, old kiln parts, etc.
Divide the class up into teams of four or so. I try to mix students up so there's one star artist per team, but what's interesting is that the star artist may not be good at this game initially. Sometimes the quieter kids are better observers.
Each team sends a member out into the hall. Have them go far enough away so they can't see into the room at all. Bring out an object and have the rest of the students look at it carefully. Make sure no one draws a little sketch of it on the sly. I've had adults use an eraser to draw the outline on the desk!!!
Put the object away, bring the drawers back into the room and give them a set amount of time (5 minutes or so) to work. The drawer will listen to the describers and draw the best he/she can. Describers must use appropriate art words--"not draw a fork," but "draw two parallel lines close to each other, connect the bottom, draw another line at the top, extend it on both sides a bit, now draw four lines perpendicular to the extended line, now make them thicker." Be sure your students don't use had gestures or point on the paper. Some students just have to sit on their hands to resist. Keep the tone light--don't be too mean, but don't allow cheating just the same.
Each turn you decide the winner(s) and then a new person goes out in the hal. Everyone gets a turn. Mention that the objects get harder, so the less-successful kids get to go first.
Follow-up: Your students will beg you to play this game again. They never tire of it and they really do learn a lot about seeing, memory and observation by playing it.
Have the objects get harder as you go. Increase points to keep all teams in the running.
Aims: To practice deep looking
To listen to words and put them into visual form
To be about to recall and describe in words what you saw
Motivation: The game itself is all the motivation you will need, although silly prizes
add to the fun.
Vocabulary: parallel, perpendicular, cylinder, sphere, etc.
Procedure: Collect all sorts of odd objects: I use broken kitchen utensils, old parts of hardware, packaging, weirdly-shaped things I find in my travels, perfume bottle caps, old kiln parts, etc.
Divide the class up into teams of four or so. I try to mix students up so there's one star artist per team, but what's interesting is that the star artist may not be good at this game initially. Sometimes the quieter kids are better observers.
Each team sends a member out into the hall. Have them go far enough away so they can't see into the room at all. Bring out an object and have the rest of the students look at it carefully. Make sure no one draws a little sketch of it on the sly. I've had adults use an eraser to draw the outline on the desk!!!
Put the object away, bring the drawers back into the room and give them a set amount of time (5 minutes or so) to work. The drawer will listen to the describers and draw the best he/she can. Describers must use appropriate art words--"not draw a fork," but "draw two parallel lines close to each other, connect the bottom, draw another line at the top, extend it on both sides a bit, now draw four lines perpendicular to the extended line, now make them thicker." Be sure your students don't use had gestures or point on the paper. Some students just have to sit on their hands to resist. Keep the tone light--don't be too mean, but don't allow cheating just the same.
Each turn you decide the winner(s) and then a new person goes out in the hal. Everyone gets a turn. Mention that the objects get harder, so the less-successful kids get to go first.
Follow-up: Your students will beg you to play this game again. They never tire of it and they really do learn a lot about seeing, memory and observation by playing it.
Have the objects get harder as you go. Increase points to keep all teams in the running.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Drawing With Inked Glue
This technique is inspired by an idea in a book called Glorious Glue!. The concept is simple, yet very sophisticated-looking. Children grades 4 and up will have no problem working with this process. Younger students may need some guidance.
Aims: To explore the use of line in a mixed media piece
To use a mixture of glue and india ink to create stained-glass type, raised lines and then color them in
Materials: heavy white paper, elmer's white glue bottle (not school glue), india ink,
pencil, eraser, pastels or watercolors. The india ink is mixed into the glue
50-50. Make sure the nozzles aren't clogged.
Motivation: Depending on whether you are introducing a theme (the city, buildings of
the future, the rainforest, magical flowers, etc.) you may want to begin only
talking about line. What kind of lines are there? (skinny, fat, scalloped,
wiggly,zig-zag, dotted, swirly, etc). If you have a theme or are integrating
another subject you may have photos or posters to stimulate interest and
discussion. Just remember that if you show completed projects or art work, your
students will have trouble being creative. This project works well with words and can be adapted in numerous ways to all subject areas.
Vocabulary: india ink, mixed media, texture
Procedure: After your opening discussion, show your students how to draw lines with a
pencil and then use the bottle to trace over the lines. Start in the center
and work out. Don't encourage small shapes as they will blob. Let the finished
work dry completely.
Next, have students color in with pastels or watercolors. If you use pastels,
instruct your students not to blow away the dust (take it to a deep garbage can
and shake it, instead). If you want to fix the work, you can use hairspray when
students are not around. Fixative can be used outdoors, but never around young
lungs.
Reflections: These will be beautiful and should be talked about and displayed.
Aims: To explore the use of line in a mixed media piece
To use a mixture of glue and india ink to create stained-glass type, raised lines and then color them in
Materials: heavy white paper, elmer's white glue bottle (not school glue), india ink,
pencil, eraser, pastels or watercolors. The india ink is mixed into the glue
50-50. Make sure the nozzles aren't clogged.
Motivation: Depending on whether you are introducing a theme (the city, buildings of
the future, the rainforest, magical flowers, etc.) you may want to begin only
talking about line. What kind of lines are there? (skinny, fat, scalloped,
wiggly,zig-zag, dotted, swirly, etc). If you have a theme or are integrating
another subject you may have photos or posters to stimulate interest and
discussion. Just remember that if you show completed projects or art work, your
students will have trouble being creative. This project works well with words and can be adapted in numerous ways to all subject areas.
Vocabulary: india ink, mixed media, texture
Procedure: After your opening discussion, show your students how to draw lines with a
pencil and then use the bottle to trace over the lines. Start in the center
and work out. Don't encourage small shapes as they will blob. Let the finished
work dry completely.
Next, have students color in with pastels or watercolors. If you use pastels,
instruct your students not to blow away the dust (take it to a deep garbage can
and shake it, instead). If you want to fix the work, you can use hairspray when
students are not around. Fixative can be used outdoors, but never around young
lungs.
Reflections: These will be beautiful and should be talked about and displayed.
Stuffed Sculpture--K--Adult
Stuffed Craypas Resist (K- adult)
Aims: •To create 2D Paper
•To turn that paper into 3D sculptures
Materials & Tools:
white paper--(18 x 24 or 12 x 18 works well)
craypas or crayons
watercolor paint, brushes, water cans
scissors
pencil
stapler, staples
newspaper (for stuffing)
Yarn or string
Procedure:
Have a theme in mind when you begin this project. Some themes I have done in the past have been owls, fish, butterflies, flowers and strange creatures.
The first part is the making of the paper. Show your students how to use craypas-especially the light colors--pressing hard on the paper to make lines. Then the oil resists the watercolor and the lines appear. Have each student make two pieces of paper.
When dry they can begin the project. Have your students draw their shape on the white side of the paper and cut out. I get them to make big shapes by touching both sides of the paper.
Place the next piece under the cut out shape and trace, but be sure to have both painted side together. You have to make opposite shapes or it won’t work. Read the last two sentences again!!!
Staple around the edges, leaving a pocket for stuffing. Crumple up newspaper and stuff. Staple closed and punch a hole for a string or staple over a string and knot.
Optional: Add glitter, googly eyes or feather to jazz up your sculptures.
Note: Skinny shapes won’t stuff well.
Reflection:
Hang up in your room.
Aims: •To create 2D Paper
•To turn that paper into 3D sculptures
Materials & Tools:
white paper--(18 x 24 or 12 x 18 works well)
craypas or crayons
watercolor paint, brushes, water cans
scissors
pencil
stapler, staples
newspaper (for stuffing)
Yarn or string
Procedure:
Have a theme in mind when you begin this project. Some themes I have done in the past have been owls, fish, butterflies, flowers and strange creatures.
The first part is the making of the paper. Show your students how to use craypas-especially the light colors--pressing hard on the paper to make lines. Then the oil resists the watercolor and the lines appear. Have each student make two pieces of paper.
When dry they can begin the project. Have your students draw their shape on the white side of the paper and cut out. I get them to make big shapes by touching both sides of the paper.
Place the next piece under the cut out shape and trace, but be sure to have both painted side together. You have to make opposite shapes or it won’t work. Read the last two sentences again!!!
Staple around the edges, leaving a pocket for stuffing. Crumple up newspaper and stuff. Staple closed and punch a hole for a string or staple over a string and knot.
Optional: Add glitter, googly eyes or feather to jazz up your sculptures.
Note: Skinny shapes won’t stuff well.
Reflection:
Hang up in your room.
Collagraphs
This is a printmaking process in which you make a plate and then rub it or use a brayer to make multiples. While sophisticated artists use this process, it is also adaptable to young children.
Aims: To explore the process of collagraphy
To make multiples of an artwork
Materials & Tools:
Cardboard (chipboard; not corrugated)
Oak tag or Bristol board
Elmer’s Glue
Brayer
Inking Tray
Water-based Printmaking Ink-one color plus white
Paper to print on—especially neon or bright and black
Papers such as fadeless and bond paper work well. Construction paper is okay but due to its “tooth” won’t be as solid an image.
Optional: twine, string, fabric.
Procedure:
First, choose your theme. It could be fantasy animals, abstract shapes, the zoo, the circus, the rainforest, etc. Remind students that this process needs simple shapes without too many small details.
Make the plate:
This is a backwards process. Cut shapes (I prefer it when students don’t draw their shapes first) and glue on using glue brushes. Remember, you only need to glue around the edges.
Any blob of glue will print, so beware. (You can actually make glue drawings on cardboard, let them dry and print them.)
Teach your students to overlap—so to make an eyeball you’d cut an almond shape, an iris and then a pupil and glue one on top of another.
Let dry completely before printing.
Printing:
There are two basic ways to print collagraphs without a press.
Single Drop Printing is printing once. Spread ink on a tray and roll back and forth. Listen for a “kissing” sound. It should not be too thick (like icing on a cake). You will learn what is the right amount. Cover your printing area with newspapers to protect table. Ink the collagraphic plate being sure to cover all four corners.Don’t try to push ink down into areas that seem “bald”—that’s how the image will show up.
Move plate to a clean area to print. Lay your paper on top of the plate and rub with the flat of your hand. Pull up your print from one corner and put on drying rack or clothesline to dry. Don’t change ink colors until the plate is perfectly dry. Use different colored paper to make it more interesting.
Double Drop Printing: You need two brayers and two inking trays. One will have color (like turquoise) and the other will have white. This works best on black or dark colored paper. Make a print in any color except yellow or white. Set aside. Ink the plate right away in white. Lay the plate almost on top of (but not quite) the wet print. Flip over carefully and rub. Remove print. You will have a 3-dimensional looking print.
Reflection:
As always, be sure to share your work.
Variations:
You can make a group quilt or use this process to make a mural. The collagraphic plates could be shaped (not rectangular) if you wish and you could print on mural paper to make a large group project.
Aims: To explore the process of collagraphy
To make multiples of an artwork
Materials & Tools:
Cardboard (chipboard; not corrugated)
Oak tag or Bristol board
Elmer’s Glue
Brayer
Inking Tray
Water-based Printmaking Ink-one color plus white
Paper to print on—especially neon or bright and black
Papers such as fadeless and bond paper work well. Construction paper is okay but due to its “tooth” won’t be as solid an image.
Optional: twine, string, fabric.
Procedure:
First, choose your theme. It could be fantasy animals, abstract shapes, the zoo, the circus, the rainforest, etc. Remind students that this process needs simple shapes without too many small details.
Make the plate:
This is a backwards process. Cut shapes (I prefer it when students don’t draw their shapes first) and glue on using glue brushes. Remember, you only need to glue around the edges.
Any blob of glue will print, so beware. (You can actually make glue drawings on cardboard, let them dry and print them.)
Teach your students to overlap—so to make an eyeball you’d cut an almond shape, an iris and then a pupil and glue one on top of another.
Let dry completely before printing.
Printing:
There are two basic ways to print collagraphs without a press.
Single Drop Printing is printing once. Spread ink on a tray and roll back and forth. Listen for a “kissing” sound. It should not be too thick (like icing on a cake). You will learn what is the right amount. Cover your printing area with newspapers to protect table. Ink the collagraphic plate being sure to cover all four corners.Don’t try to push ink down into areas that seem “bald”—that’s how the image will show up.
Move plate to a clean area to print. Lay your paper on top of the plate and rub with the flat of your hand. Pull up your print from one corner and put on drying rack or clothesline to dry. Don’t change ink colors until the plate is perfectly dry. Use different colored paper to make it more interesting.
Double Drop Printing: You need two brayers and two inking trays. One will have color (like turquoise) and the other will have white. This works best on black or dark colored paper. Make a print in any color except yellow or white. Set aside. Ink the plate right away in white. Lay the plate almost on top of (but not quite) the wet print. Flip over carefully and rub. Remove print. You will have a 3-dimensional looking print.
Reflection:
As always, be sure to share your work.
Variations:
You can make a group quilt or use this process to make a mural. The collagraphic plates could be shaped (not rectangular) if you wish and you could print on mural paper to make a large group project.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Part Two Approved!!!!
Dear All,
There will be a 5-week continuation of Nassau Tract's Art for Academic Learning, which will feature all new ideas and projects. (You need not have attended part one to come to this one, so tell your interested colleagues.)
Sessions will include banners, paper sculpture, pillows and fabric painting, stencils, drawing with glue, plaster craft, puppets, sketchbook/journal ideas and more.
Dates and times are: May 19, 26, June 2, 19 and 20, from 4 p.m.--7 p.m. in Room 200 at West Hempstead High School. There will be a $10 materials and refreshment fee.
I hope to see you there!
Julia Healy
There will be a 5-week continuation of Nassau Tract's Art for Academic Learning, which will feature all new ideas and projects. (You need not have attended part one to come to this one, so tell your interested colleagues.)
Sessions will include banners, paper sculpture, pillows and fabric painting, stencils, drawing with glue, plaster craft, puppets, sketchbook/journal ideas and more.
Dates and times are: May 19, 26, June 2, 19 and 20, from 4 p.m.--7 p.m. in Room 200 at West Hempstead High School. There will be a $10 materials and refreshment fee.
I hope to see you there!
Julia Healy
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Pop-Up Books, Grades 3 and Up
This is a wonderful project that bridges art and writing. It could also have an integrative aspect (science, math, social studies, etc.)
Materials:
Several sheets Oak tag or Bristol board to be folded in half & used for figures
2 pieces of heavy chipboard, a little bigger than your book
Drawing paper to make covers with
Pencil, eraser
Practice paper
Scissors
Elmer’s Glue
Sharpie Markers
Watercolors
Watercolor Brush
Water Can
Colored Pencils
Note: Do not use pastels or craypas, as they will smear.
Procedure:
Begin by planning your book. Decide how many pages you want it to have and how many moveable characters you will need. Most likely, your book will be horizontal in format, so plan accordingly.
Your story can be worked out on scratch paper. Students may use word processing and cut out their printed copy and glue it to the bottom of their books after the illustrations are done.
The top half of the book will be background for an outside scene or the wall for an inside one. The bottom half will be for the story and is the ground or floor. Your pop-ups will come out of folded area.
Once you have your story, fold your oak tag in half and draw your scene lightly in pencil. Outline in sharpie and watercolor in. Colored pencils can be used later, if you wish. Mixed media can add a rich look to your art work.
On separate oak tag, make your characters. When dry, cut out.
Book Assembly: Pop-ups are based on the idea that everything will fold flat along scored lines when the page is closed.
First draw an “11” on the outside of the fold. Make sure your pop-up will not extend outside of your book by visually measuring first. The “11” can’t be too thin or too thick, too long or too short. As you do this, you will get the hang of what size to make your “11”. Fold back and forth to score and put back into position. Open the fold and push out your “11” which now becomes a stair step. Your pop-up will get glued onto the front of the stair step—not the top!
For a slider, make the “11” and then cut a long strip twice the length of the slider you want. Slide it through your “11” and then glue it to itself at one end. Then glue the character or thing on the outside of the strip.
You also may use z-strips—small strips folded like zees that pop out things like clouds, birds, etc.
Advanced pop-up techniques include angled folds and pop-ups attached to pop-ups. There are many books to refer to if you want to get more sophisticated.
Glue your pages together, being mindful not to slop glue too near the open holes formed by the “11’s”.
Cover: The cover uses the “envelope” technique I showed you for your accordion books. You need to create a spine for your book which will vary depending on how many pages you have. Lay your cardboards our on your cover paper with a space between them that will become the spine. It may be as close as a quarter of an inch or as far apart as three-quarters of an inch. Trace the cardboard and remove. The cardboards, remember, are a bit bigger than the book pages (Maybe ¼” or so on each side). Draw envelope flaps from the exact corners. Angle in, not out! The spine area is just made straight. The lines are only drawn on an angle from the corners. Put the cardboard back on the tracing and fold the flaps tightly over the cardboard and tape down. Do this all eight times.
Draw your cover, sharpie and watercolor. Put your title on the cover and your name, too. It should have a compelling illustration to make us want to open it.
The last step is gluing the end book pages to the cover. Glue around the edges, and your book is finished.
Reflection:
Share the books as usual. Books may be displayed in the library or classroom.
Follow-up or Variations:
Students can make pop-up cards using this technique. Simple one page pop-up pictures can be done by kindergartners. If you want to display on a bulletin board, tie a piece of yarn or string on the oak tag to hold the fold open.
Materials:
Several sheets Oak tag or Bristol board to be folded in half & used for figures
2 pieces of heavy chipboard, a little bigger than your book
Drawing paper to make covers with
Pencil, eraser
Practice paper
Scissors
Elmer’s Glue
Sharpie Markers
Watercolors
Watercolor Brush
Water Can
Colored Pencils
Note: Do not use pastels or craypas, as they will smear.
Procedure:
Begin by planning your book. Decide how many pages you want it to have and how many moveable characters you will need. Most likely, your book will be horizontal in format, so plan accordingly.
Your story can be worked out on scratch paper. Students may use word processing and cut out their printed copy and glue it to the bottom of their books after the illustrations are done.
The top half of the book will be background for an outside scene or the wall for an inside one. The bottom half will be for the story and is the ground or floor. Your pop-ups will come out of folded area.
Once you have your story, fold your oak tag in half and draw your scene lightly in pencil. Outline in sharpie and watercolor in. Colored pencils can be used later, if you wish. Mixed media can add a rich look to your art work.
On separate oak tag, make your characters. When dry, cut out.
Book Assembly: Pop-ups are based on the idea that everything will fold flat along scored lines when the page is closed.
First draw an “11” on the outside of the fold. Make sure your pop-up will not extend outside of your book by visually measuring first. The “11” can’t be too thin or too thick, too long or too short. As you do this, you will get the hang of what size to make your “11”. Fold back and forth to score and put back into position. Open the fold and push out your “11” which now becomes a stair step. Your pop-up will get glued onto the front of the stair step—not the top!
For a slider, make the “11” and then cut a long strip twice the length of the slider you want. Slide it through your “11” and then glue it to itself at one end. Then glue the character or thing on the outside of the strip.
You also may use z-strips—small strips folded like zees that pop out things like clouds, birds, etc.
Advanced pop-up techniques include angled folds and pop-ups attached to pop-ups. There are many books to refer to if you want to get more sophisticated.
Glue your pages together, being mindful not to slop glue too near the open holes formed by the “11’s”.
Cover: The cover uses the “envelope” technique I showed you for your accordion books. You need to create a spine for your book which will vary depending on how many pages you have. Lay your cardboards our on your cover paper with a space between them that will become the spine. It may be as close as a quarter of an inch or as far apart as three-quarters of an inch. Trace the cardboard and remove. The cardboards, remember, are a bit bigger than the book pages (Maybe ¼” or so on each side). Draw envelope flaps from the exact corners. Angle in, not out! The spine area is just made straight. The lines are only drawn on an angle from the corners. Put the cardboard back on the tracing and fold the flaps tightly over the cardboard and tape down. Do this all eight times.
Draw your cover, sharpie and watercolor. Put your title on the cover and your name, too. It should have a compelling illustration to make us want to open it.
The last step is gluing the end book pages to the cover. Glue around the edges, and your book is finished.
Reflection:
Share the books as usual. Books may be displayed in the library or classroom.
Follow-up or Variations:
Students can make pop-up cards using this technique. Simple one page pop-up pictures can be done by kindergartners. If you want to display on a bulletin board, tie a piece of yarn or string on the oak tag to hold the fold open.
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