Realistic Still LIfe Drawings. Many would agree that drawing realistic items are the hardest things to create as it takes little imagination and much technical skill. To practice this, I had students bring it items that meant something to them and we were to draw and shade it as realistic as possible. First you must use critical thinking, non- traditional measurement, and some math, to determine the size relationships, the details, and proportions of the items. After that, you must compare the  items to a gray scale to determine the proper values in shades of gray and lightly shade them in. Finally you must determine what shadow the items create on the table and reproduce it as the final step of realism. Great Job Smith 7th and 8th graders!

In this assignment, I had my 6th and 7th graders design and create paper monster characters that can stand up on their own. We were first inspired by watching some videos of employees working at PIXAR while creating the movie Monsters University. They talked about how they drew many ideas before refining it to a finished product that appeared to screen. Students were encouraged to create as many eyes, and arms as possible to create a character that could fit into the movie. We then had to make our monsters stand up, and we learned some 3D building techniques as well. Overall, a great job Smith students!

The objective of this assignment is to show students how a series of lines created in a certain planned succession can create an Optical Illusion. This effect is intensified with the placement of objects within a plane, and when the color is added. This combination of effects helps give the visual illusion of movement and depth on a two dimensional surface. These drawings were 12 x 18 inches and completed with marker.

In our first art project of the year, 7th and 8th grade students were to draw an outside shape of their choosing. This shape will then be divided into 15 smaller areas. Each of these areas will be filled in with a different unique pattern. Each pattern must consist of 2 different elements (lines or shapes), and can be colored any way the student chooses. Each student was encouraged to explore their own interests when determining all of their choices. This promotes interest and ownership over the project. We completed this project in 6 class periods.

Hello, and welcome to the new year! I am excited to be back at O.L. Smith this year teaching Introduction to Art for sixth grade, and Two Dimensional Art for seventh and eighth grade. We are already up and running with our first art projects of the year, and I’ll be posting the final student art very soon. The Syllabi for both classes can be found under Class Info.

Welcome to iBlog Teacher Websites Sites. This is your brand new classroom website.  There are some things you should do to get started.  Hopefully you have been following the Getting Started Tutorials and Step Sheets.

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