Each year Dearborn Public Schools holds an event (now in it’s 28th year) called Empty Bowls. The art department at 20 Dearborn schools create ceramic bowls for sale. These bowls were available at Park Place banquet Hall on November 25, and with $5. admission patrons get a bowl, and a soup and bread buffet during the event. All donations go to Blessings in a Backpack and Gleaners Food Bank. We raised $3,600 during the 2 and a half hour event. Here is a sampling of what Smith had for sale.
Our assignment was to create an acrylic landscape painting, so we researched the most famous landscape painter of our time, Mr. Bob Ross. He is known for his easy going style, and that fact he can finish a painting in 22 minutes. We attempted to follow his lead, and complete a mini 4” x 6” painting by painting along with him. After that we jumped up in scale and created our own painting at 11” x 14” and took two weeks to complete. As you’ll see, the students did a great job!!
With this project we combined our drawing lessons with our shading lessons to create a traditional Still Life. Students were tasked with bringing in 3 items that mean something to them and place them on a table for 2 weeks and make them look as realistic as possible, and as you can see they did an incredible job!!
The file contains all information and definitions for the midterm art exam.
For anyone to advance drawing skills to better draw the structured world around us, understanding perspective drawing is key. We begin by drawing simple geometric shapes and then find a VANISHING POINT in the center of the paper. We then begin to draw lines from each corner of every Shape to the middle point. We then must remember that any line we draw that is not completely VERTICAL or HORIZONTAL must go to the VANISHING POINT. This mimics the point to the horizon in real life (like the end of the road or sidewalk) that gets smaller in the distance until it disappears into the distance. When complete wit the building shapes, we then just add doors, windows and signs to complete our unique city design. We also talk about how in the real world we could use these skills as an engineer, a city planner, architect, interior designer, and more.
We begin the year learning the basic Elements of Art which start with LINE and then SHAPE.we start by making patterns and designs for various smaller projects, and then moved to more advanced ideas. To end our unit, we had a quick, fun project that related to the real world from a middle schoolers point of view, we created EMOJIS. We discussed how just a few lines can visually communicate ideas and emotions. We often use these images that say much more than writing with words could, and it all starts with a circle and a few lines. Students had 35 minutes and came up with 100 different EMOJIS!!
Get get students comfortable about creating art, we begin with simpler concepts of drawing LINES and SHAPES, and the best way to do that is to draw items from Nature. Objects of the earth contain lines that are organic without right angles and are simple to reproduce. I brought in various kinds of leaves, acorns, pinecones, seashells, and sticks, and students spent a few days drawing them. FRom there, they could color them using any media available, paint, markers, colored pencils, and watercolor paint. They then cut them out and created a collage from the drawings on colored piece of paper. We talked about how Naturalist Illustrations have been around since the cavemen and the Ancient Egyptians, where they visually documented the world around them. Without illustrations of every day life and the natural world around ancient civilizations, we wouldn´t know much about their past, especially if can´t understand their ancient language.
In the Introduction to Art class, we begin the year learning about LINES, and SHAPES. Our first attempt at putting them together to make art is to make an Optical Illusion. We use a ruler and math to define where we put the lines, and after a while they make patterns. If one pattern is drawn and a similar but different pattern is placed near it, it tricks the eye and creates an illusion. Color is very important factor in the illusion as well as neatness and CONTRAST create a more effective optical illusion.
To start our year off, we need to know all students abilities in each subject. In Art, I need to know how week students can draw shapes and forms, or “real things” that are in front of them, so I know where to start my instruction. I am happy to report that most students were well above where they should be. I brought in many items to choose from, and all students had 10 minutes per item to draw everything they could in that time. Here are some of the results from each class!
I’m so excited to start the 2019- 202 school year, and am so happy you have chosen to take my art class. We will be challenging your creativity, and having lots of fun learning about and creating spectacular art this year. Attached are the syllabi for both the Intro to Art class (6th grade) and 2D Art (7th and 8th grade). Please fill out, get parent signatures, and return within a week for 10 points. See you in class, and stay creative!!