Understanding by Design Lesson: Self Portrait in the Style of Another Artist

 

Self Portrait in the style of Rosalba Carriera

Self Portrait in the Style of Another Artist


Stage 1: Desired Results

Established Goals:
1. Select a self portrait by another artist. Using that artist’s style and medium, create a self portrait.
2. Do research on the life and times of the selected artist and present it to the class.
3. Explore and articulate why you chose this particular artist.
4. Learn more about the history of portrait painting and drawing.
Understandings:
Students will understand that:
1. different artists will speak to them and that others will not.
2. how to interpret another artist’s style.
3. how to present their work and the history of their artist to their peers in a way that creates meaning for everyone.
Essential Question(s)
1. Why do artists do self portraits?
2. What makes a self portrait different than other portraits?
3. Is self portrait more autobiographical than other works by the same artist?
4. Why would you do a self portrait?

Three self portraits in the style of Andy Warhol

Stage 2: Assessment Evidence
Performance tasks
1. Select a self portrait by another artist and do your own self portrait in the same style and medium.
2. Research a brief history of the life and times of the artist chosen and present it and your work to the class.
Other Evidence
1. Students will create an interesting and provocative self portrait.
2. Students can explain what they are doing and critique each others’ work.
3. Students will be excited about displaying their work.

Allison and her self portrait after winning the Congressional Show

Stage 3: Learning Plan
Learning Activities
1. Students will have various self portrait books and the internet to peruse to pick an artist.
2. Students will work in the style of that artist while painting or drawing themselves.
3. Have students ask the group for help on specific concerns.
4. Presentation to the class at the end of the process.

UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN: PERSPECTIVE

Pastel of Truck Showing Understanding of One Point Perspective

Stage 1: Desired Results

Established Goals:
1. Learn to draw in one point perspective.
2. Learn a little about the history of the invention of perspective.
3. Learn a little about how artist’s have used perspective from the time of it’s invention.

Understandings:
Students will understand that:
1. perspective is a mathematical construct
2. perspective can be used to make things look “real”
3. perspective can be used to create distance

Essential Question(s)
1. How can drawings that are not accurate compared with what we know to be true (parallel lines never meet) give an accurate representation of reality?
2. What events or changes in world view led to the invention of perspective?
3. Does one have to be taught perspective or can it be self-taught?


Stage 2: Assessment Evidence
Performance tasks
1. Accurately draw a city in one point perspective.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of perspective vocabulary.
Other Evidence
1. Students focus on their work without signs of frustration.
2. Students can help others if asked.
3. Students can explain what they are doing.


Stage 3: Learning Plan
Learning Activities
1. Two days of critical exploration.
2. Two days of direct instruction on rules of 1 point perspective. (draw along with teacher).
3. Slide show of drawings and paintings in perspective.
4. Work on drawing till they are completed.

Advanced:
Two Point Perspective

SELF PORTAITS FROM PHOTOS USING THE GRID SYSTEM

Self Portrait HS
Stage 1: Desired Results

Established Goals:
1. Learn to use a grid to blow up a small photo and to do an accurate to scale drawing using that photo.
2. Continue exploration of using shading to make a their head look dimensional.
2. Learn to draw a themselves  with accurate features and proportions.
2. Learn about the history of portrait painting and drawing.
Understandings:
Students will understand that:
1. that they are using one style of portraiture based on the work of Chuck Close.
2. shading can be used to make faces look “real”.
3. accurate proportions will make a face specific.
4. a grid can be used to increase the size of a drawing proportionally and to increase accuracy.
5. The historical use of the grid.

Essential Question(s)
1. Why do artists do self portraits?
2. What makes a self portrait different than other portraits?
3. Is self portrait more autobiographical than other works by the same artist?
4. Is it “cheating” to use a tool like a grid to create an accurate self portrait.

Stage 2: Assessment Evidence
Performance tasks
1. Learn to use a grid to draw a self portrait using shading and correct proportions.
2. Draw an accurate self portrait.
Other Evidence
1. Students will create an interesting and provocative self portrait.
2. Students can explain what they are doing and critique each others’ work.
3. Students will be excited about displaying their work.

Stage 3: Learning Plan
Learning Activities
1. Slide show of self portraits and an introduction of how to use a grid.
2. Complete a self portrait from a photograph using either paint or drawing to create form.
3. Have students ask the group for help on specific concerns.
4. Group critiques during and at the end of the process..

Brook and his self portrait on left.

UNDERSTANDDING BY DESIGN LESSON PLAN: REDUCTION PRINTS

Reduction print using a gradated roll

Stage 1: Desired Results Reduction Printmaking

Vermont Framework of Standards and the Grade Level Expectations
A7-8: Students show skill development when creating art
A7-8: Students make connections between/among the arts and disciplines outside the arts
A7-8:11 Students demonstrate perform/communication skills in visual arts
A7-8:19 Approach to work
A7-8:20 Students develop effective, personal work habits
A7-8:21 Students demonstrate appropriate interactions

Established Goals:
Students will:
1. learn to use print making tools safely.
2. learn about the history of print making.
3. learn the vocabulary of print making.
4. learn about color mixing.
Understandings:
Students will understand that:
1. printmaking is a viable art form even in the digital age.
2. one of the purposes of printmaking is to make multiple copies and the economic benefits of doing so for the artist.

Essential Question(s)
1. What led to the development of printmaking?
2. Was printmaking more important before computers and copy machines?
3. Is printmaking a dying art or is there a way to make it meaningful in the digital age?
4. What unique qualities does printmaking have compared to digital images?
Stage 2: Assessment Evidence
Performance tasks
Students will:
1. use tools safely and appropriately.
2. be able to use carving tools to create textures and desired effects.
3. use butter block to create a reduction print using four colors that makes a repeating pattern on two sides.
5. appropriately clean up their tools and work area.

Other Evidence;
Students will
1. focus on their work without signs of frustration.
2.  help others if asked and be able to explain what they are doing and why.
4. make their own decisions about how their work is displayed and be able to explain  that decision.
5. be excited about displaying their work.


Stage 3: Learning Plan
Learning Activities
1. Slide show of different kinds of prints including reduction prints by contemporary artist Chuck Close and discussion of the essential questions.
2. Teacher will demonstrate tool safety, carving techniques, talk about examples of other students’ work and explain technical excellence or difficulties such as too much ink, too little ink, misregistration, etc. 
Students will:
3. draw their design on paper the same size as the block.
4. pick out four colors and decide which areas in their design will be which color.
5. ask Jeneane to help them with color and carving order. This order will be written down.
6. work in pairs to facilitate printing and hanging up work to dry.
7. prepare their work for exhibition.

Reduction prints in progress

 

UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN: LESSON PLAN FOR PASTEL

Stage 1: Desired Results Pastels

Vermont Framework of Standards and the Grade Level Expectations
A7-8:10 Students show skill development when creating art
A7-8:14 Students analyze interpret and respond to art
A7-8:15 Students analyze, interpret and respond to art
A7-8:19 Approach to work
A7-8:20 Students develop effective, personal work habits
A7-8:21 Students demonstrate appropriate interactions


Established Goals:
1. Learn to see color and how the colors one chooses depend on the personality of the artist.
2. Learn Jeneane’s technique of doing pastels which is based on French artist Edgar Degas and American artist Mary Cassett.
3. Students will start to develop their own style.
Understandings:
Students will understand that:
1. by looking more carefully they can see “more” color than non artists.
2. they can learn to use color in a creative way that reflects their personality.
3. practice helps one to improve their ability to see and use color in a more complex manner.

Essential Question(s)
1. How do color choices convey mood?
2. How can an artist be influenced by previous artists and still keep their originality and voice?
3. How do artists overcome the fear of failure long enough to be skilled?

Stage 2: Assessment Evidence

Performance tasks
1. Students will learn one technique of using pastels.
2. Students will be able to begin to use pastels and color to convey mood.
3. Students will learn to accept mistakes as part of learning.
4. Students will produce pastel paintings that show improvement over their first efforts.
Other Evidence
1. Students focus on their work without signs of frustration.
2. Students can help others if asked.
3. Students can explain what they are doing.
4. Students will express a sense of accomplishment.

Stage 3: Learning Plan

Learning Activities
1. Slide show of pastels by Degas, Cassett and Lunn with a discussion on the essential questions
2. One day of direct instruction on pastel technique where students will follow along with the teacher as she does a demonstration of using pastels.
3. Students will do two still lives on their own.
4. Students will be allowed to chose a photograph or work of art to interpret in pastels.
5. Each day we will ask a couple of different students to put up their work so we can give them requested feedback.