IMPRESSIONS OF CCHS ART
                   Mrs. Robin Dean 
                       dean@ccs.k12.de.us

ART I~ DRAWING UNIT

“Drawing is a natural means of communication & expression. All cultures through time have used drawing as a means to communicate. Making marks and giving them meaning is an important part of a child’s development. Most of you already have some experience with drawing. With instruction, study & practice, everyone is capable of improving their drawing skills.” One of the most important aspects of learning to draw is learning to “see” or observe carefully. Carefully observation adds to your visual memory. There are basically three types of drawings OBSERVATION, MEMORY & IMAGINATION. You can also combine all three into one type of drawing.

                    THE PURPOSE OF DRAWING

• Record Information & or Collect Ideas- Quick thumbnail sketches
• Drawing for Understanding- To explore images & movements- Gesture
• Drawing as a Story
• Expression- Response to emotions or events
• Imagination                         

 DRAWING TECHNIQUES~Students will practice the following techniques during this unit.

• Contour Line
• Gesture
• Shading
• Drawing Techniques- Hatching, Cross Hatching, Stipple, Scribble & Combinations

PROJECTS~ Bottle Still Life, Shaded Forms, Ink Animal Design & Oil Pastel Still Life.

ART II~ COLOR UNIT 

EDIBLE COLOR WHEELS~ Students learned about the lay out of a color wheel and that it was invented by Sir Isaac Newton in the 1600's. Students mixed their own colors from the primary colors in frosting.  The made Edible Color Wheels using Vanilla Wafers & frosting. After explaining their wheel to the teacher, they ate their creations!      

COMPLEX COLOR WHEELS~Students are creating a 12 color wheel plus tints and shades of each color.  They learned why all color wheels are in this order. Unique wheel designs will be created using the color order, but not a plain circle shape.  All colors were mixed using the primary colors plus black & white.  Some other color theory concepts that students learned were: secondary colors, tertiary colors, complementary colors, analogous colors, neutral colors, color intensity & values, monochromatic colors, warm & cool color schemes and color triads.

ART III & IV “A SPECIAL PLACE”              ACRYLIC PAINTINGS & CERAMIC EASELS   

VISUAL PROBLEM

Students are creating an Acrylic painting (300 pts.) of a place which has an emotional connection to you. It could be a place where you felt safe secure, warm and happy. Or it may be a place where you felt free, energetic and alive. Your place may have negative emotions attached to it, such as a place where you felt frightened, terrified or betrayed. This place should have strong emotional ties- not just a place that you like. I would like you to have spent time in this place. Create a Ceramic easel which compliments and holds your painting.

     You should have photos, pictures & or sketches to use as a reference for your painting. Do preliminary sketches in your sketchbook. (50 pts. For photos & sketches) Write a one page Artist’s Statement about this painting. (50 pts.)

ELEMENTS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR PAINTING-Worth 300 pts.

Design Reviewed by Me before painting

v  Perspective- 1 or 2 pt.  Linear or atmospheric

v  Composition Arrangement/Balance

v  Color should be a very strong element- emotional, mood, Color Scheme

v  Landscape, Cityscape, Seascape, Interior- What will it be?

v  STYLE~ Realistic or Abstract

      Don’t forget to try & or use several different painting techniques, such as, Wash, Wet-on-Wet, Dry Brush, Lifting Colors, Overlaying Colors, Sponging, Texturing (Cellophane, cardboard, Scraping (Incising), Masking, Spattering, Stippling, Detailing. 

ELEMENTS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR CERAMIC EASEL- Worth 200 pts.

v  Easel design should compliment the design of the painting.

v  Easel should support the painting but not be too large or take attention away from the painting. (Do not make a full size frame- 1 or 2 side supports)

v  The clay will shrink 8% or more- make sure you make slot where painting will fit larger than the size of the canvas.

v  Easel will be glazed with colors which compliment the design of the painting.

ART HISTORY ASSIGNMENT- Worth 100 pts.

Students will select a famous Landscape painting. You may use the art room books & prints as a reference or print one from the internet or your own resources. I need to see a copy of your Landscape painting You are to research the following information and write it  in your sketchbook along side of a pencil sketch of the Landscape painting: Artist, Title, Date, Objects/Subject, Style of work & explain why you chose this Landscape painting & Compositional Techniques (Viewpoint, Cropping, Overlapping, Focal Point etc)