8th Grade Manga Project

MANGA, MANGA, MANGA... it seems that is all I see in my classroom anymore. I love that my students are interested in a particular type of art, but I do sometimes get tired of seeing the same style over, and over, and over, and over.... HOWEVER, I decided to embrace their interests and use that to my advantage. 

I found a website www.faceyourmanga.com and did a little playing around. This site allows you to go on and create your own Mangatar... for FREE! There are, of course, options to pay for a full size mangatar, but there is no need for that, the thumbnail picture is big enough for students to look at and draw. 

First things first, we have to LEARN about Manga before we can create it. I made a ppt. for students to take notes on (as usual.) They copy the notes that are red as we review each slide. When I was researching for this project, I learned so much, who knew you read Manga right to left?!?

After we review the notes, I bring up the website on my projector, and show students the ropes. I also show them the few things that might be deemed 'not school appropriate' (you know how middle schoolers are, so we address it, and I make it known that I don't want to see any of it on their final product. In case you are wondering, there is a hand you can add holding a cigarette, a middle finger being held up, and a pot leaf you can add to a t-shirt- my principal decided that as long as I showed them these ahead of time that it was still fine to use the site) then we head to the computer lab and students are given a directions sheet: 

When the students are finished, I tell them there is a "save" option at the top of the screen. I have students send their mangatar to my email and that is how I save and print them for reference. 

After I print them I have them draw their mangatar on a piece of cardboard. Sometimes, it is nice to have them work on something other than just plain old drawing paper. 

After they draw their mangatar, I have them trace it with sharpie and begin painting with acrylic paint. 

I am always impressed with how much their mangatars do look like them! They have done such a good job, and its a double win- something they like, and something they can feel successful with. 

Clay... my nemesis...

I hate to say "I hate clay," but I do, I hate it. OK, OK I don't hate the medium, I hate doing it with students! 

"Can we do clay," "When are we going to do clay Mrs. Clarke," "What are we going to make out of clay this year Mrs. C?" 

I hear this alllll the time.  Why is it my nemesis, you ask? Well, as much as students like it, they can't manipulate it, and when they do it never looks like they want it to, or as they intended. Then I get the complaints, the "I can't do it," and the "this is hard."  

Before I begin with 7th or 8th- (I do not do clay with 6th grade, I have a wacky schedule and they only have art or 40 minutes) they all take notes from my Prezi:

 http://prezi.com/fdyfjlvxqfem/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

I tend to do the same project with my 7th graders each year, they create a clay tile. They have to roll out a slab (recently I have begun rolling our slabs on my slab roller to save time)  then they cut out a square from a template. They use the extra clay they cut from around their square to attach at least three things to their slab. We talk about low relief vs. High relief and I tell them they need to have low relief. 

After they attach the required pieces, they use toothpicks and other clay tools to add designs and patterns or drawings of their choice. 

This proves to be a relatively easy project for them, they still feel like they are manipulating the clay and yet they all end up with something that looks pretty good. 

They must attach at least three things using the score slip and smooth method. Their grade is based off of their design idea and their execution of that design, their ability to follow directions and their creativity and effort. 

8th grade... I can never decide on something great for them. This year in particular, I have two groups of students who do "not like art," and got stuck in my class. They don't want to do annnnyyyyything. 

For their art journals they use a quote each week (see previous post on art journals) so this year for their clay project, they created a quote tile. They begin by rolling out a slab, or using a previously rolled slab. They cut out the shape of their choice and then used alphabet macaroni to create the quote of their choice. Once it is fired they use glaze to decorate it. 

I would say it was somewhat successful.. again they don't seem to like anything anymore it seems... sadly :( 

Lastly, my favorite group of students, my special needs population. These are my learning support students- they range in abilities from vocal and great motor skills, to very limited motor skills and non-verbal students. 

This year they created owls. They also begin with a slab but fold over three of the edges and use various materials to add texture to their owls. They use different colors of glaze to add color to their creations. 

6th Grade Pop Art Project # 3

ONOMATOPOEIA... say what?!?  We have gotten to the third and final pop art project in 6th grade. For this project we focused on the onomatopoeia aspect of pop art. Students learn about it in their 6th grade English classes, so I try to reiterate that information in here. 

We begin by talking about the artist Roy Lichtenstein. 

Then we talk about what Onomatopoeia is, I always show them a few silly videos about it:

Then they begin a torn paper newspaper collage. I tell them they only want black and white print, no pictures and no color. 

Once that is complete, they choose a word to illustrate. we talk about different fonts that will make an impact with their word. 

They draw it in bubble/block letters and color using one color and outline using a second color. 

• They cut out their word and glue it to their newspaper collage. 
• They cut their collage edges in an interesting way and glue it to colored paper

• They cut the colored paper in the same way they cut their collage, leaving a line of color going around their collage.

• They glue their paper down one more time on a different color of paper. 

• They use black paint and the eraser end of a pencil to create ben-day dots on the last piece of colored paper. 

7th Grade Watercolor Silhouettes

7th Grade... my nemesis. I love them, I really do, but they are not interested in anything but themselves and their friends. Art? Whats that? I do not exist in their realm of knowledge! 

Seriously though, they are like the spoiled middle child.. they are never happy no matter how much time and energy I put into their projects, its never good enough. 

I have to look for projects that do not take a lot of time or they lose interest. This project is perfect for them, it takes place over 3 days- one for learning and experimenting, one for painting with watercolor and one for painting with tempera.

All in all they create two paintings, one objective and one non-objective. 

 

Day one: Material distribution and beginning stages: dividing their paper for the 10 watercolor techniques I show them.
Each table gets a box with the necessary materials (they get their own water cup, paint brush and papertowel)

They are given their watercolor paper and a roll of masking tape, and they watch this video I made:

After they separate their paper, they watch another video I made and practice the techniques as they go along (I play one and pause to allow time for them to try it and so on) 

The outcome looks like this:

Day Two: they are instructed to complete two background paintings, one for the objective painting of the silhouette and the other for their non-objective painting. They must use at least two of the techniques they practiced. 

Day three: They choose a silhouette and for most I print it and they trace it onto their paper (remember my previous comment about them being the spoiled middle child..) they use black liquid tempera to paint their silhouette. While that is drying, they use the same black tempera paint to paint abstractly all over their second painting. Some are more creative than others, naturally.

Overall I was impressed with the outcome. I intend to display them by mounting them together onto a larger piece of paper. :)

6th Grade Pop Art Unit Project #2

The class began with a YouTube video about Andy Warhol

We looked at some of his artwork and talked about why it was art, and why some think it wasn’t. 

I took a picture of each student and they used overhead projector sheets to trace their facial features 

Once their face was traced, I photocopied it. They used a 12x18 piece of drawing paper and a light table  (which my maintenance man made for me!  Under the counter light from lowes, 2x4s,  plexi glass and VIOLA! )

Students used the light table to trace their face 4 times on the 12x18 paper. They then go over their pencil lines with sharpie, then they are ready to begin painting. 

Each student was instructed to use 3 colors for their faces, paying attention to overlapping lines which create new shapes. 

After they painted their faces, they were instructed to use a ruler to draw 5-10 lines through their background. They chose 5 or more of the shapes created by the lines to add simple sharpie designs. 

Students used 2 colors to paint their background which they did not use in their faces. 

The final results were better than I had hoped for!