Pop Art Animals Workshop

In this painting workshop students talked about the Pop Art movement and looked closely at the Endangered Animal Series by Andy Warhol. A brief demonstration helped students break down animal reference images into basic shapes. Then they began drawing their chosen animals (for this workshop they could choose any animal, although normally I would keep with the endangered theme). Once the drawings were complete students went about painting and finishing their animal portraits in a similar style to Pop Art icon Andy Warhol.

Paint markers and water-soluble oil pastels were used to add lines and details.

Here are a few paintings that the students created:

Fashion Design Workshop

During the month of August I have the pleasure of teaching a handful of short workshops at the Marblehead/Salem School of Music. What's art being taught at a music school you may ask. Well, I am also the office manager there, so the owners are letting me offer some workshops outside the music realm.

Today's workshop was Fashion Design. And the girls that signed up for it did a great job -- I'm sure they will all be on Project Runway in about ten years!

It was only a two-hour workshop, so the kids managed to make one or two designs each (adding color to at least one of them). I used colored pencils because they were on hand and affordable. Of course, depending on the group and the duration, the materials could get a lot more professional, even introducing computer design software.

I provided handouts referencing some fashion design books, provided inspirational imagery from saved boutique catalogs (like Anthropologie), and offered suggestions for ways to master the figure and drapery of fabric. My number one tip: Draw people all the time! Keep a sketchbook and draw them while you are waiting in a public place (like for an appointment). This is great practice and helps you better understand the human body so much more than using a mannequin or copying a template.

We used copy paper for first drafts and when the girls had a finished sketch that they really liked, I let them use the windows as light boxes to trace their drawings onto the "good" paper.

Here are some of the sketches and designs that were created:

 

Soft Sculptures and Marionettes - Upper Elementary and Middle School

A few summers back I offered one of the more advanced puppet making classes I've ever taught. The puppetry component was the easy part. The hard part was that kids no longer seem to learn sewing and I had to start from the very basic concept of threading a needle.

I taught the same two-week workshop twice.

The first time we worked only from patterns and made very large marionettes, which most of the kids decided they liked better as just soft sculptures.

These are the large soft-sculptures that came from that first attempt. The theme was "Create a Real of Imaginary Character." Elvis is center-stage.

The second time I scaled them down and bought pre-sewn un-stuffed muslim doll bodies, which made things go a lot smoother. The students could make two each and focus on character design instead of sewing. The objective was to create two characters that could interact with each other to tell a story.

Art Camp Sculpture Class at Glen Urquart School

This summer I jumped on board a new art program at the Glen Urquart School. I designed a four week sculpture program that (unfortunately) ran for only one week. But during that one week this July there was some great creative thinking happening.

The unfinished sample project.

 We focused primarily on paper mache as our main project/medium. The students made their supportive forms out of balloons, coffee caddies, newspaper, and masking tape. A warning on balloons: HIDE THE EXTRAS!

You can still make out the balloon form and coffee caddy at this stage.

Once the forms were built up with layers of paper mache (newspaper strips adhered with Elmer's Art Paste), the students added plaster strips for stability. Some pieces only needed a little bit of plaster strips, but others and those that were smaller could be covered entirely.

There were two possibilities for finishing. Students could use paint or collaged tissue paper.

Painted Orange Octopus

Original Troll Head

Tissue paper collage was used for this unique Imaginary Creature

Painted Dragon's Profile

 Paper mache and plaster take a while to dry in the humid summer air, so there were some smaller side projects as well. Students had free choice sculpture materials, such as model magic, beads, feathers, and wire.

 

 

 

 

 

 On the last day of the week/class we did some soap carving. I didn't get any pictures of the soap carvings though since a first attempt at carving doesn't really yield an identifiable sculpture. It does lend itself to some good, clean, fun though!

Hand Renderings: Grade 5

I am excited to say that I have been subbing for another art teacher all this week and it has been so much fun! This is especially true because I have been given free reign on many of the lessons and have been trying out some new ideas with the students!

The first one I will post about may be my favorite this week -- although it would be a tough choice since all the projects have been great in their own ways.

My Demonstration Drawing

The fifth grade students were presented with the challenge of drawing their own hands from observation only. Cue a few moans here when they were told absolutely no tracing. But after the initial and expected complaints that it was too hard to do, they buckled down and realized with focus they could achieve surprising results.

Once the hands were drawn students could choose from the following options:
1.) Draw more hands in varying poses
2.) Overlap hands
3.) Crop some of the imagery
4.) Add text (such as a name or phrase)
5.)Work collaboratively with a partner

Then with the drawings complete and gone over in permanent marker, students could add color with watercolor paints using any technique they chose. These ended up including some of the following:
1.) Paint everything one color
2.) Paint everything varying colors, no pattern
3.) Paint everything with a pattern
4.) Paint only selective areas (i.e. background or hands)
5.) Use splattering with care

This one is pretty amazing! I love the varied lettering and attention to detail.

Here are more drawings -- I think they are all rather awesome since this was the students' first experience with drawing hands without tracing and with no rough drafts!
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I envision this lesson as part one of a two part idea. In the second part, I would love to expand on the use of hands by incorporating them into a portrait drawing lesson.