My Philosophy

An art classroom should be a safe-haven for students to feel comfortable and have the freedom to express who they are through art and to grow in their abilities to create while they are in the classroom. Students should learn how to think both independently and interdependently through individual and group art projects. Through hands on experience, students should become familiar with many different art forms and artists. It is very important for students to have many visual aids available to them. I believe the more art someone sees the more inspired to create they become. An art educator should support each of the students to find their own way of creating to the best of their ability. Art education should begin with the basics and encourage exploration into new ways of creating. Looking at the artwork of past and present artists, and the arts of many different cultures should be a part of inspiring students. An art classroom should be a place where students are free to explore and discover more about what part they play in this world.

Danielle Hallman, Skier, Watercolor

My silhouette is an image of someone cross-country skiing done in watercolors. The background of the image is a blue gradation because blue is a cool and calming color and the feelings I want to come from my image. Last year my boyfriend attempted to teach me how to cross-country ski, something he has been doing since childhood, and I am hoping that when we go again this year I will fall a little less and this will become something that we can share. I am someone who loves being active and outside and I wanted my project to express it.

My idea for my project is that the students will have an image of themselves involved in an activity that they enjoy—to make the project more personal and enjoyable—and make a silhouette of themselves. The background of the image will be done in watercolor and will be expressive, using color and texture to show either the emotions they feel when doing this activity or to expressively depict the mood setting in which this activity is done.

Teacher: Danielle Hallman
Grade Level: 7
Title: Active Silhouette

Brief History and Background: Silhouette is a subject that greatly contrasts from its background. Most often the subject is outlined and filled in with a dark color on a light background. Images that can be closely compared to silhouettes can be found among cave paintings and images found on ancient Greek vases. Silhouettes were often created using the subject’s shadow and more recently are created from cutting away at black paper to create an image based on the subject. Today silhouettes are found in many advertisements and in modern art.

PA Standards:
• 9.1.8 A- Know and use the elements and principles of design.
• 9.1.8 B- Demonstrate painting and drawing.
• 9.3.8 A- Compare and contrast their artwork with peers.
• 1.4.8 B- Write a description.

NETS:
• 1 Create original and self-expressing works of art.
• 2 Interact and collaborate with peers using a digital environment.
• 5 Exhibit digital citizenship.

Goal: To create a silhouette that is performing an action with an expressive background.

Objectives:
• Students will understand what a silhouette is.
• Students will express emotions through color.
• Students will be able to create texture with watercolor paints.
• Students will produce an active silhouette.

Requirements: Student will bring in 5 pictures of themselves performing an activity and choose one to create an active silhouette with an expressive background on 11” by 14” watercolor paper; write a 1 page explanation on their choice of silhouette subject, and how the expressive background fits the silhouette and will post an image of their final project and the explanation on the classroom blog. Each student will then respond to at least 5 other student’s blogs.

Resource/Materials/Visual Aids: computer and projector to show links in references; the exemplars created by teacher

Supplies/Materials:
• 11” x 14” watercolor paper
• Assorted brushes
• Watercolor paints
• Plastic pallets
• Water cups
• Permanent markers
• Tracing paper
• Tape
• Pencils
• Erasers

Teacher Preparation: set up computer and projector/smart board, and if watercolors are in tubes distribute paint on pallets to save paint.

Teaching:
Introduction:
Day 1-Open discussion on how colors relate to emotion. What feeling do you get from the color yellow? red? blue? etc. Discuss how emotion can be expressed through marks and shapes along with color. Introduce watercolor exercise in showing emotion through color, line and shapes.
Day 2- What are silhouettes? Open discussion on where we see silhouettes. Show links found previously on projector/smart board. Introduce silhouette project. Create a silhouette of yourself performing your favorite activity, be sure to include enough information so that we will understand what the silhouette is doing, ex: if your silhouette is playing football make sure they are carrying a football. Using props when taking a picture can easily help your silhouette be understood.

Directions:
Day 1
1. Create a list of 6 words expressing emotion or an action.
2. Draw 6 boxes on a piece of watercolor paper and write, small, in each box one of the words from the list you created.
3. Using color washes, marks and shapes, illustrate the word in each box.
When students are finished with the exercise they are to write down at least 5 activities they like to do when they are not in school. For homework they are to find pictures of them performing this activity or bring in props to take the picture in school the following class.

Day 2-3
1. Students who need to have their pictures taken will begin with that and then print them out.
2. Begin by associating colors to the image chosen.
3. Decide whether it is a very active image or more still to determine what kind of marks and shapes to use. Refer to exercise from prior class.
4. Create a background for your silhouette using color washes, marks, and shapes with watercolors. Let dry and move to next step.
5. Using tracing paper and a pencil trace the outline of the figure in your photograph or create an outline on the tracing paper based on your photograph.
6. Trace and fill in the outline with permanent marker and place over dry background and move around to discover where you want your silhouette.
7. Flip over tracing paper and rub pencil over the area where the silhouette is, make sure the outlines have pencil over them.
8. Flip tracing paper back over and place on painted background. Use tape to hold in place.
9. Trace the outside of the silhouette you created to transfer it to the background paper.
10. Use permanent marker to fill in the transferred silhouette.
Have one page description on choice of silhouette subject, and how the expressive background fits the silhouette for the next class.

Closure: Day 3-4 Computer Lab for scanning final images and blogging.

Critique/Evaluation/Assessment: Online presentation and critique, evaluated by a rubric based on: effort, craft, completion, and participation in the class blogs.

Extensions: experiment with watercolor paints or free drawing.

Vocabulary:
• Silhouette- a subject that is filled in with a solid color contrasting from its background

Bibliography/Refrences: Kara Walker Art; Google Images “Kara Walker”; iPod ad; ArtLex; Color Meaning; Sports silhouettes; Silhouette Photos

eLecture- The Golden Age of Illustration

Life, "In A Position To Know" (1921), Cole Phillips

Illustration is defined as a picture or diagram that assists in making something clear or attractive (Merriam-Webster OnLine). The earliest forms of illustration are pre-historic cave paintings, although complete comprehension of them is impossible, they are seen now as telling stories through images. Before printing presses were invented books were illustrated by hand. Woodcuts, etching and engraving are the early ways used to reproduce illustrations. The invention of lithography allowed for better reproduction of illustrations. I am keeping the focus on American Illustration, because it is very abundant and adding other cultures would be too overwhelming for one lecture.

Self Portrait, George Catlin

George Catlin is an early American Illustrator who traveled through the west creating portraits of Native Americans. He published a series of books and created two major collections of paintings in his attempts to record the appearance and customs of America’s Natives in order to educate those who were unable to travel and discover for themselves.

The Golden Age of Illustration began in the late 19th century and continued until shortly after World War I, when images could be reproduced with a combination of photography and halftone engraving. Artists’ individuality in their marks became lost in the reproduction before this combination was possible. The Civil War contributed largely to the need of illustrators. Advertising was needed to encourage enlisting into the armed forces; illustrations also could convey information of defeats and victories, and portraits of military leaders and politicians.






















Custer's Division Retiring from Mount Jackson, Alfred Waud, Pencil and opaque white on tan paper

Newspapers and magazines began to employ “artist-reporters” to create images on site of the war’s events. The sketches were then given to the art department where engravers translated them to woodblocks for reproduction. Some of the artist correspondents were Winslow Homer, Theodore R. Davis, and Alfred Waud. The popular newspapers of the time were Leslie's Illustrated News, The New York Illustrated News and Harper's Weekly.

“By World War I, Americans had overcome their sense of cultural inferiority to Europe, and American illustrators were greatly respected. The best artists of that era were attracted to this mode of expression and vigorously competed in pursuit of the huge readership of nationally distributed magazines, books and newspapers, which eventually dwarfed that of Europe” (Society of Illustrators).

Life magazine became another important publication for illustrators. From the mid 1880s into the late 1930s Life was considered a humor and general interest magazine. Artists such as Coles Phillips , Norman Rockwell , Harry Oliver, and Charles Dana Gibson contributed to this magazine. These artists are still sought out by current illustrators and students for their unique techniques and inspiration. Being a published artist was considered prestigious and well paying.

Triple Self-Portrait, Norman Rockwell

“It was the revolution of color printing that was as much required for the success of the art as the artists themselves. Howard Pyle and Edwin Abbey, indeed many of the great black-and-white artists, were now painting in full color, the reproduction of which had been denied them for most of their careers. Once halftone printing could reproduce black-and-white artwork with previously unattainable fidelity, the next logical step was the imposition of four halftone plates inked with red, yellow, blue, and black, and the effect of a full color painting could be printed. New presses would make it economically feasible to include at least a few color reproductions in an issue of a magazine or at least the frontispiece of a book.” (Society of Illustrators)
It became an honor for artists to be published in magazines.


Howard Pyle

Illustrators Mentioned
George Catlin
Winslow Homer
Theodore R. Davis
Alfred Waud
Coles Phillips
Norman Rockwell
Harry Oliver
Charles Dana Gibson
Howard Pyle
Edwin Abbey

Writing Activity
Research one of the illustrators listed above. Pick two to four images to discuss. Write what is being depicted in the images: maybe a social issue? an image of the war? satirical commentary?- Discuss your interpretation and what you find in your research.

• If students have a blog set up this would be appropriate to set up on the blog with the images they have found and should be encouraged to respond to at least 2 other student’s posts.
• Students could bring in printouts from the Internet of the images they chose and present them to the class. The class should then interpret the images through a class discussion. Following the class discussion the student whose images were discussed should briefly present his or her findings.
  

Studio Activities

• Based on the writing activity- Create an original piece of art inspired by the illustrator you chose for your research. Study techniques, subject matter, composition, media and style.
• Pick a word and illustrate the meaning of this word using objects or expressive marks while keeping the word readable.
• Creating an image based off of a poem or your favorite song. If you did not write the poem or song, be sure to give credit where credit is due-be sure to include the writer’s name in artist statement or name of your artwork.

Assessment is based on the presentation of the written material and participation of an in-class critique of the completed studio activity.

Links

• Engraving- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engraving
• Etching- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etching
• Merriam-Webster definition of Illustration- http://cougar.eb.com/dictionary/illustration
• Woodcuts- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodcut
• Lithography- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithography
  
• Society of Illustrators- History of American Illustration- http://societyillustrators.org/about/history/283.cms
• Wikipedia on Illustration- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illustration
• Illustrated Word Lesson Plans-
  http://www.kid-at-art.com/htdoc/lesson70.htm
  http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/high/wendy-drawing.htm
  http://www.wendypaigefree.com/ehsillwds/index.html
• Norman Rockwell-http://www.nrm.org/
• George Catlin-http://www.georgecatlin.org/
• Leslie's Illustrated News-http://cprr.org/Museum/Leslie%202-9-1878%20p389.html
• Harper’s Weekly-http://www.historicpages.com/texts/hwcat01.htm
• Winslow Homer-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winslow_Homer
• Theodore R. Davis-http://www.harpers.org/subjects/TheodoreRDavis
• Alfred Waud-http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm041.html
• The New York Illustrated News-http://www.cartoonstock.com/vintage/directory/n/new_york_illustrated_news_gifts.asp
• Golden Age of Illustration-http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/golden-age.html
• Howard Pyle- http://www.bpib.com/pyle.htm
• Charles Dana Gibson- http://www.americanillustration.org/html/cg/index.html
• Harry Oliver- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Oliver
• Coles Phillips- http://www.americanartarchives.com/phillips,c.htm
• Life Magazine- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_(magazine)
• 100 Years of Illustration- Howard Pyle and Norman Rockwell
  http://giam.typepad.com/100_years_of_illustration/howard_pyle_18531911/
• 100 years of Illustration- Edwin Abbey
  http://giam.typepad.com/100_years_of_illustration/edwin_a_abbey_18521911/
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

WebQuest- Antiques Roadshow: The Value of Artwork

Antiques Roadshow: The Value of Artwork
For grades 9 through 12

Introduction
The Antiques Roadshow film crew is coming to your school. In your group, you will be finding, researching, and appraising artwork.

The Task
You will be working in a group of three. Among your group you will decide who will be the appraiser and the other two will be antique collectors, one person may be someone just looking to make a buck. Your group will be presenting in front of the class in the form of a skit.

For inspiration in writing your script visit the video archives.

• In the keyword box enter a type of art you are interested in seeing appraised. For example: paintings and drawings, ceramics, folk art, portraits, etc.
  
• Once the search is complete you will be presented with a list of episodes, scroll through, choose a title that interests you and click “Watch Appraisal,” on the right of the page.
  
• This will bring you to a page giving you information on the object that was appraised, the video of the appraisal, the transcript of the appraisal and the appraiser’s name and image that, when clicked, will bring you to a page giving you information on him or her.

As a group you will decide upon 2 pieces of artwork.

Appraiser- you will be responsible for researching the artwork. This must include the name of the artist, the title of the artwork, when it was made, the medium, and any other interesting facts about it that you can find. Based on research you will decide the value of each artwork your group has chosen, and during the presentation must use the research to support your decision on value. Type up the information you found and give a copy to the teacher before your skit is performed.



Antique Collector 1- you are responsible for choosing one of the two pieces of artwork the group has decided on. You must print out an image of this artwork. You must come up with a story of how this piece of art happened to come into your possession. You may want to create a character for yourself, ex: a nice older person who had this artwork lying around and always thought it might be worth something; or someone just trying to get money out of the artwork they had found, expecting it to be worth way more than it really is. Come up with an idea on what paid to get this artwork, or if it was inherited.

Antique Collector 2- you are responsible for choosing one of the two pieces of artwork the group has decided on. You must print out an image of this artwork. You must come up with a story of how this piece of art happened to come into your possession. You may want to create a character for yourself, ex: a nice older person who had this artwork lying around and always thought it might be worth something; or someone just trying to get money out of the artwork they had found, expecting it to be worth way more than it really is. Come up with an idea on what paid to get this artwork, or if it was inherited.

Both antique collectors should be very different characters.

Each group member is to write a reaction paper to the process of this assignment, and their opinion on how the value of artwork should be determined.

Checklist:

• Script of skit
• Research information
• Print outs of artwork chosen
• Reaction papers

Antiques Roadshow

• For artwork research, feel free to use textbooks, websites, magazines, etc.
  

To be or not to be...art.

It seems as though there is always a conversation about whether or not something can be considered art. These conversations can become very heated. By using a blog to post the image and hold the conversation each opinion can be fully expressed and understood without the interruptions and conversational cut-offs an argument in a classroom can bring on.