Secondary
Brooklyn Community Arts & Media High School
9th grade: Visual Narrative: Exploring Identity
For this project, students created a Visual Narrative Portrait that revealed aspects of their identity. They examined influences that affect their identity, such as cultural background, where they live, family, friends, activities, and things they like and dislike. They were introduced to artists who create non-traditional self-portraits and explored the use of imagery and symbolism to create a unique silhouette.
Brooklyn Community Arts & Media High School
9th grade: Inspirational Figure Portrait
For this project, students were asked to pick an individual who they find inspirational. This was the second drawing unit which focused on drawing techniques. For this particular drawing project, the goal was for students to improve their shading skills (previously learned in the observational drawing Unit), and learn how to draw large-scale by using the grid process. Students set up their grids with 2×2 inch squares and used a 5×7 reference photo of their inspirational figure. This was a very successful project for my students to learn how to draw portraits, focus on scale and value and learn about the artist Chuck Close who also uses the grid process for his painted portraits.
Brooklyn Community Arts & Media High School
9th grade: Still-Life and Observational Drawing
As part of the Foundations Art & Media program at BCAM, students are introduced to a variety of art materials and techniques. For their second Unit project of the school year, students were introduced to observational drawing. After learning about scale, proportion, contour drawing, positive and negative space, and shading techniques, students created a still-life drawing. The majority of my students have never had any instruction in drawing before this course. Throughout the process of learning how to draw what they see, students slowly began breaking through their frustrations of drawing and creating drawings that brought them confidence and a variety of skills they will be able to apply into future projects.
Brooklyn Community Arts & Media High School
9th grade: Designing a Quote and Accordion Book Structure
During this project students learned how to make an accordion book, find an inspirational quote, brainstorm ways of interpreting their quote in a visual way, and finally draw the chosen quote inside the book. We looked at many examples of artists and designers who draw text and make the words look like images. Students found inspirational song lyrics, quotes from historical persons, while some used their own words. The goal was for students to learn how to create meaning through drawing and emphasizing mood and emotion with how the letters were drawn.
Bayard Rustin High School
11th grade: Personal Icons
Students created a series of personal icons that were put together in 3D form.
Students were introduced to symbols and icons in culture. For this project, students utilized a problem solving processes to determine how to convey a particular message through imagery, while also using color and form to represent emotion, place, and time. Beginning with mind maps and thumbnail sketches, students created multiple solutions for their chosen elements of identity.
DICE Collaborative Project
9th-12th grade: Journal Cover
Students were asked to design a cover for a collaborative design journal, showcasing their semester projects, and Graduate students design research papers. Students investigated the purpose and meaning of the journal in order to develop visual ideas and a theme for the journal. Students then sketched layout ideas focusing on design concepts such as balance, rhythm, harmony, and tension. Students were then introduced to digital photography and Photoshop techniques to create the cover design. To download Journal, go to: Pratt Dice
Saturday Art School
6th grade – 9th grade
Hand drawings:
Students were interested in learning how to draw a part of the body that is difficult to represent. Through a series of drawing exercises, i.e. starting with shapes and proportionally breaking that shape into smaller forms. Students practiced drawing their own hands in different positions emphasizing proportion, line quality, and adding detail. Once students felt comfortable with drawing their hands, they created an illustration of their hands in an imaginary environment.
Color mixing/color and self:
Students explored personal identity with color, a chosen action pose, and created a collage focusing on abstract concepts. Students were inspired by the Apple ipod silhouette campaign and chose a pose that represented an emotion or action. Student then reviewed color-mixing techniques, which became the collaged paper for their silhouettes. After completion of the project, students were asked to present their “identities” and discuss the purpose of color and action they chose.
Gesture drawings:
Through a series of timed gesture drawing exercises, students’ and their partners posed for each other in order to draw the human form with charcoal. Students practiced their hand-eye coordination with emphasis on form and shape rather than small details. Each sketch was timed; 10 seconds, 25 seconds, 45 seconds, 1 minute and two minutes. After the lesson, the class discussed the process of drawing the form as it related to how much information they could draw in a defined amount of time. Students then practiced drawing more detailed sketches of the human form in action poses.
TCTA-Dougherty Art School
7th-10th grade
Self-Portrait Stencil Project:
Students were introduced to history of graffiti and street art. Classes discussed different types of stencil processes and then used digital cameras and Photoshop to create three templates for self-portrait stencils. Students then cut out stencils and experimented with spray-paint to create multiples of the portraits. A variety of materials such as wood, paper, plastic, and fabric were used as surfaces for the stencils. All of the classes then had a group show at Mexi-Carte Gallery in Austin, Texas based on street art exploration.
First Night Puppet and Sculptural Form:
A total of six large-scale puppet and sculptures were created by six groups of teenagers that would be showcased in the annual New Year’s Eve Parade celebration in Austin, Texas. Students worked collaboratively to design sculptures that were based on the theme of Texas. Students created prototype sketches and presented to peers. Students learned how to create a supportive form using materials such as wood, foam, and chicken wire. Students also experimented with movable parts. Once the framework was created, students papier mached the surface and painted each sculpture based upon original sketches.
