Student work/Lesson idea: Scratchart animal portraits

There are many different approaches for how to carry out visual art education and instruction.  Some people think teaching by theme is the way to go (I feel like this is best for the more advanced students) while others go by way way of teaching whatever they feel like is "neat" at the moment.  Me?  I prefer to teach in the way of dividing the semester into teaching the elements of art and principles of design.  I start the first nine weeks with the elements of art (in no particular order:

• Line
• Texture
• Form
• Shape
• Color
• Space
• Value

And then I try to introduce the principles of design (again, listed below in no particular order) concurrently while I'm teaching the aforementioned elements:

• Emphasis
• Balance
• Harmony
• Variety
• Movement
• Rhythm
• Proportion
• Unity

By the end of the first nine weeks, all elements and principles will be used and the students will have a reasonable grasp of each of (what I consider) the fundamentals in order to do complete work that is more complex and largely self-directed.

For the very first lesson/project of the 2D class, I almost always do a scratchart piece.  This teaches the students how to use the simple element of a line in ways that can show both texture and variety to differentiate difference surfaces and things.  Last year I did landscapes and used some of Van Gogh's landscape art to inspire the students.  This year I went with animal portraits because they seemed more fun (read: LESS boring) and lent themselves to (what I felt) greater creative self-expression.

In order to prepare the students for their final scratch art works, I ran them through a battery of steps to ensure that they would 1) know exactly what they wanted to do before they started and 2) not waste the expensive scratch boards that I try to spring for (always as close to if not actually artist-grade quality).  These are the things they must do to get their final scratch board for their final piece.

1. Small rectangle of  "throwaway" scratch paper in neon or sparkle divided into 12 boxes and each box must have a different pattern, texture, or small picture => For this I take larger sheets and cut them down to smaller sizes.
2. Brainstorming of ideas for animals/subject matter
3. At least (3) thumbnails of their ideas so that there is one good idea interpreted three different ways or three different ideas tried out in order to narrow it down.
4. One large scale drawing with details and labels of what will be scratched out and how

Once the students successfully completed step four, they were issued their scratchboards and then they went through the process of transferring their images to the board - some did it by going over the lines of their drawings repeatedly in order to impress a light design into the ink of the board but many transfered their image with free-hand.  The students were repeatedly remind to work from the foreground to the background and also to lay a piece of clean paper underneath of their hands to avoid transferring too much oil from their skin to the inked board which in turn makes it harder to scratch through/out.

With regard to the designs, I encouraged the students to take unique approaches in illustrating their animals other than in ways that might be commonly first thought of.  I encouraged them to illustrate perspectives from different vantage points (like, worm's eye view, bird's eye view, or of the animal's eye view) and even employ (if possible) a little bit of humor and/or fun in the way they depicted their animals in their natural settings.  I also made required them to scratch out/texturize at least 85% of the scratch board surface in some way. 

All of the students work really hard to push themselves creatively and when it came time to pick pieces to go in the school's student gallery hallway (set up like a legitimate public gallery) it was really hard to pick which five would represent the over 75 students who had created work.  The truly remarkable thing about all of the work is that most of was done by first-year visual art students who have little to know intensive visual art training/education.  Perhaps I'm biased but I feel like all of this work is very exceptional  in light of the fact that  it's from the foundational/introductory courses. (Please note: pixelated portions of the pictures were my doing to block out student names)

Not bad for student artwork, eh?  I'll do this one again and forego the landscapes.  These were way too much fun and the students learned a tremendous about how many ways lines can be used other than to just connect to points in addition to adding all kinds of visual art vocabulary to their natural vernacular - background, foreground, contrast, negative space, etc.

Obedience is key

The word obey sneaked into my every day vernacular about a month or so ago and these days I'm using it so often that I can hardly believe it.  This is due in large part because I have a two year old daughter who likes to throw things for (what seems) no good reason at all but it's also because it is something that I feel is necessary for my own commitment to living a life of faith.

I've never been a terribly rebellious person in the most literal sense of the word but I definitely have a history of trying to move and shake things about for no other reason than it seemed like a good idea at the time. (Hmmm... maybe this is where my daughter gets that whole thing of the aforementioned.)  It's not that I have been a troublemaker per se but more that I am not afraid to step up and take a stand for something I believe in.  This means I'll do it if I have to step to someone/something or stand block for something/someone.  Something interesting to note?  I'm barely 5'2" and most people think I'm just a little beyond a hundred pounds. (My weight is more like a dollar and a quarter and I really don't care who knows it.)  For this reason it's always surprising for people to see how naturally strong willed I am and that my presence can carry so much more weight than it might appear. *shrug* You can't push me around so don't try.  That's just all there is to it.

Still?  For as much as I might be a real force to be reckoned, there's one thing that can and will always get me on my feet and moving in whatever direction necessary: the Lord God Almighty.

Just to be clear on something, I haven't always been a Christian let alone a devout believer and follower of Christ's teachings.  I've been a terrible keeper of faith for a huge part of my life for a myriad of reasons but I was raised in a Christian household and taught from the very beginning that living a Christian life was the right and best thing to do.  I strayed from it too many times to count but even in those times when I felt it was wrong, there was always something about it that was nothing other than magnetic and it always pulled me back.  It wasn't until my mid 20s when I completely submitted myself to it and actively tried to walk a straighter path of faith and draw myself closer to the Lord.  And thank goodness I did that because it was the best thing I've ever done and probably will ever do.

Since my realization that living of Christ is the only way to go, I decided to completely commit myself to whatever He calls me to do and do wherever He calls me to go.  That's included severing relationships, walking away from rock-solid careers, and making myself just about homeless at times (but He never let me out high and dry like that, don't worry).  Still?  He's always provided and always asked me to keep walking even when the ground isn't visible.  And here I am because of it.

There's so much going on for me right now and for as crazy as it all has been, it's the most exciting time of my whole entire life.  I honestly feel like I'm on the verge of something so big that I can't even tell you how big it is because I only have a small glimpse of it and the rest of it is just sky high.  Don't get me wrong, I'm completely  intimidated by the things I feel like I'm being called to do but I'm going to do.  I'm going to do it all.  And I'm doing it all for nobody other than HIM.  It's the least I could do, y'know?  For all He's done (and will do) for me.

So young and unknowing

O be careful little eyes what you see

O be careful little eyes what you see

There's a Father up above

And He's looking down in love

So, be careful little eyes what you see

O be careful little ears what you hear

O be careful little ears what you hear

There's a Father up above

And He's looking down in love

So, be careful little ears what you hear

O be careful little hands what you do

O be careful little hands what you do

There's a Father up above

And He's looking down in love

So, be careful little hands what you do

O be careful little feet where you go

O be careful little feet where you go

There's a Father up above

And He's looking down in love

So, be careful little feet where you go

O be careful little mouth what you say

O be careful little mouth what you say

There's a Father up above

And He's looking down in love

So, be careful little mouth what you say

There is nothing more exciting to me than a person who has discovered and starts to embrace a belief in God.    Their eyes, ears, and hearts are wide open and open to everything and anything that will help them be as close to God as possible. (I remember being in this stage myself and it was so exciting.)  The efforts that come from  a new believer - someone who has been so recently reborn of Christ - are so earnest.  They are willing to do just about anything to get closer and be closer to God.  Ultimately though, too many of them miss the mark with their efforts and they end up sprinting down paths that they feel like they should walk only to be reeled back in by the very thing that inspired them to begin with.  They start seeing God in everything and in turn study the wrong types of doctrines, listen to the wrong sermons, and act and speak in ways that are just plain wrong. But here's the thing: they can't help it.  At least not yet.

You who cast the first stone

This was one of my least favorites of the bunch and the most recent one I finished.  And now that it's done, I almost hate to look at it and feel how cold and harsh it is.  But that was my intention when I even planned this one so I should be rejoicing about the fact that I achieved such an effect, right?  This type of person does nothing but steal joy from others only to replace it with their own judgments and condemnation.  You can't see it well in the picture but in the eye sockets, I placed big giant diamond-like stones.  The diamonds are representative of how cold and hard their vision is of everything they see.  Even cursory glances from them can pierce and cut.

I can't even explain any more of this one.  I'm sure there are redeeming elements of this type of person but I doubt that (in real life) they will even see those things of themselves.

More will never be enough

Information is not knowledge.

Knowledge is not wisdom.

Wisdom is not truth.

(the aforementioned by Frank Zappa)

But truth can bring hope.

Hope can inspire faith.

Faith can bring love.

And love can and will conquer all.

(If only you let it!)

It doesn't matter how many books you read because if you aren't reading and believing in the holiest of all, you might as well set fire to everything else you're reading since all of it will end up burning you anyway.