ART LESSONS GRADES 7 & 8

Lessons Described for Grade 7 
See complete listing of Art Project and Illustrated Demos

 

Orientation to Class: 1 Day 
Click here to see information.

Materials, Storeage Spaces and Guidelines - - 1 Day  also: click here

Design 1 to 3  "Breaking Up Space
            Students are informed that designs are made from interesting visual arrangements which include Size variety, Tone variety, and Color variety. Students are given limitations in each of the 4 assignments which will help them to achieve unity of form and harmony of tonality and color. Skills include using palettes to mix colors, using a strait-edge,  creating borders and working with neatness.

Design 4 and 5   "Silhouette and Pattern" 
    In the silhouette assignment we learn about positive and negative as it applys to an object and its background. Shape selection is made from a photo source. This is interpreted in a larger size and cut and mounted neatly. We use two contrasting colors of paper and glue to mount the image.
    The pattern assignment uses the same figure in various ways to produce pattern. some of these ways include; repetition, and adding additional forms to the design.

Design 7: Near and Far the way of expressing depth in 3d space in a simple way:
     There are several simple means which we use to interpret space and depth. I will list these as "simple perspective". Generally perspective is the achievement of a natural look of depth or distance. Just as though you were drawing through a pane of glass. ('To look at through')

A: Objects which overlap other objects B: Object appear to risee on picture surface C: Objects become more faded in the distance D: Objects which change size as they recede into the distance.

Near-Far Assignment: Produce an imaginary landscape which features objects or masses which demonstrate the above 4 techniques. We will use pastel chalk and blending tools to do shading on figures. We can introduce a 3d trick assignment which I call buttes and canyons into this.
 

Design 8: Clay Building techniques, Using stamps and slabs.
       Tools and hints on handling clay
Samples of Clay Projects Grade 8
        Clay warm up assignment 30 minutes, making some stamp designs

         Two Clay-Building  projects

 Clay: Clay Handling and Pottery

Basics of clay handling and guidelines. Making clay stamps to use as a decoration tool. Methods of rolling out clay slabs and joining them into basic pots or structures. Relief design using stamps . Relief patterns turned into wall planter.

Stamps: make stamps from short clay roll or long cube of clay. Make three stamps. Place a design on each end of the stamp.(You will have a total of 6.) Keep your stamps no longer than 3 inches long. Use a pencil to design the first stamp. a paper clip to design the second stamp. A screw, nail or another small object (or combination) to form the last stamp. Stamps must be no wider than 3/4 inch. Stamps must be very very clean and clear in order to use for good design.

Design 2: Using a dry or fired stamp we will create a personal trivet (hot pad) Rolling out a very flat and level clay slab, then make repeat patterns using your 6 stamp impressions. Very fast and simple will be fired and finished in an antiqued design.

Design 3. Use two slabs to join into a wall hanging see the page and handout for this. This will be fired and glazed. 
 

Design 9: One point perspective, (1 vanishing point)

Basics of Perspective using vanishing points:
Learning how to draw with vanishing points. You will do your name as a block of 3 dimensional forms which recede into the distance. Your design will be colored using paint or colored pencil.
 

Project 10: Learning the "Italic" Calligraphic alphabet.  Using this  alphabet to  interpeting a phrase & make a poster.

Project 11: Charicature: Learning how to draw the human face. Cartoons and Charicature, Drawing Fun Faces

Lessons Described for Grade 8 

Orientation to Class: 1 Day
Materials, Storeage Spaces and Guidelines - - 1 Day

Design 2 - Design is made by "Cropping" a picture
    Make a selection from a picture found in a magazine or newspaper. Each art student will seek a visual arrangement which includes Size varieties, Tone varieties, and Color varieties. Students will crop the image and reproduce the line shape and tones of the image on a larger sheet of paper (18x24)
Skills include selection, masking the area, and drawing to scale - proportion, working with brush and palettes in reproducing line shape and tone.

Design 2- alternative project: Interpreting a famous work of art:

Time allotted for this project: Days 6-8 days
    Choose from several famous works of art by modern artists such as Picasso Matisse Klee and Others. We'll begin using a "color book" type of a blank to draw from.
    Skill centers on reproducing to scale and proportion. Skill mixing tones and colors with a palette developed furthe. Working with care and precision stressed as always. Being aware of design in the examples which are unique in creative and arrangement. 

Design 3. Modeling Mass and 3d Forms
Using tone or surfaces contours to express "Mass" or "Volume" of Forms.

Time allotted for this project: 3 days 
Assignment 1: Developing Skill and Technique transforming 2dimensional shapes into 3 dimensions masses. Learning how to shade and show illumination (light which shines) upon surfaces. Alternate Assignment : Interpreting a photo as 3d masses.
Assignment Variation: Use a flat drawings of "shapes" in space and turn these into masses: You may click on the page called 2d3d.html to get an idea of the basic idea.

Clay Handling and Pottery
Two Clay Projects using hand building methods

Time allotted for this project:   3 days  See lesson handout and lessons the web document on Online Studio. There are some basics of clay handling to get acquainted with and you will do some nifty quick projects which look great but take only minutes to complete. We are looking at surface design and overall form and function. 

Click on the Series of Designs from which you can choose: There are six design choices which you may alter to fit your taste. 

If you would like to make a *patterned  personal relief plaque you may make this for extra credit> Use shapes and textures on a flat slab shape. You may include words, icons and at least 3 different texture techniques. Organize make it visually interesting. 

1 Point or 2 Point Linear perspective drawing.
Time allotted for this project:  about 1 week
     Using vanishing points, horizon-eye level to draw a real location or environment that occupy 3 dimensional space. 

     The project will be to draw a portion of the room or a hallway view in detail, accurately using vanishing point(s), eye level line, you will need a strait edge, sharp pencil and drawing board. A second option would be to interpret a photo of buildings as a perspective drawing.

Design and Poster making including:    Margins, Letter Forms and Sizes: Graphics and Guidelines.

  •  Use irregular guidelines and place letter forms to fit the odd guidelines.
  • The letter forms may be 'shaped' or simple line but however you choose to make the letters you will paint in every space inside and outside each letter.
  • Use watercolor in liquid wash only. Mixing color is done on palette. 
  • Messages or themes  for poster making:    Look for poems, Song texts, Proverbs, Popular Expressions, Trite phrases, or cliche's 
Design and Poster making option 2: Designing expressive letter forms which express a quality - - Letter form Design: To express a quality or feeling with a letter form: Phrase should suggest some quality such as hot, rough, shiny, dry, flaming, etc.
Fitting message to theme. Graphics enhance message. Qualities that can be expressed with letters. 

Part or all of the poster must have "expressive lettering" that brings out the quality you are trying to suggest.

FIGURE DRAWING: Learning the proportions of the human Body
Option 1:  Use photos to provide poses. 

Option 2. Observation from live models may be an option.

Drawings from models requires observation and proportion and suggesting the pose. 

2014