April 26, 2013
7th Grade Skill Building
7th Grade Skill Building
Self-Portrait process steps
Until the end of the school year, 7th Grade students will be working on a self-portrait drawing. Students are developing and using many skills and disciplines as they tackle the difficult possibilities of the self-portrait. 7th graders will consider not only the technical steps necessary to complete a portrait drawing, they will also consider composition and style as a means of conveying a sense of themselves to the viewer.
Today, 7th Graders created a grid on a black and white copy of their original photo and received a transparency print out of their photo, both will be used as accuracy tools during their self-portrait process.
Continuing steps for this project include skill development in areas of line, shading, and observation when drawing, accompanied by taking photos of each other that act as the "subject" for their self-portrait drawing.
April 26, 2013
7th Grade Skill Building
Water Color Pencil Exercise for use in Self-Portrait Process
7th Grade students are beginning their self-portrait process that will last the next couple of months. Students will be developing and using many skills and disciplines as they tackle the difficult possibilities of the self-portrait.
Today students created a small watercolor pencil drawing. Watercolor pencils and paints will be used on the final self-portaits, so today students experimented with the parameters of this dry/wet material. Watercolor pencil pigment was applied dry to watercolor paper, creating the foundation for the watercolor; next students carefully used wet paint brushes to blend and move the dry paint lines across the paper. Student expectations included the creation of a complete composition (filling entire paper) including the exploration of color, and use of varying line density. This mini exercise is meant to increase student focus for the prolonged drawing project beginning after Spring Break.
7th Grade students are beginning their self-portrait process that will last the next couple of months. Students will be developing and using many skills and disciplines as they tackle the difficult possibilities of the self-portrait.
Beginning steps for this project include skill development in areas of line, shading, and observation when drawing, accompanied by taking photos of each other that will be used as the "subject" for their self-portrait drawing. Over the next classes, students will continue to sharpen their drawing skills through small exercises, in addition to printing a transparency copy of their photo and measuring out and drawing a grid on another photo copy, both for use as accuracy tools during their self-portrait process.
Today students created a transparency version of their photos, tracing their photo onto a transparency sheet using pen, sharpie, and/or ebony pencil. Students where encouraged to experiment with line and color allowing the transparency drawing to become a self-portrait of it is own. This mini exercise is meant to increase student focus for the prolonged drawing project beginning after Spring Break.
7th Grade Takes a Good Long Look at Themselves
7th Grade students will be working on self-portrait drawings over the next couple of months. Students will be developing and using many skills and disciplines as they tackle the difficult possibilities of the self-portrait. Self Portraits have a long history, and many great masters have tackled the challenge of representing themselves via a 2D surface. Like these artists, 7th graders will consider not only the technical steps necessary to complete a portrait drawing, they will also consider composition and style as a means of conveying a sense of themselves to the viewer.
Beginning steps for this project include skill development in areas of line, shading, and observation when drawing, accompanied by taking photos of each other that will be used as the "subject" for their self-portrait drawing. Over the next classes, students will continue to sharpen their drawing skills in addition to creating a transparency drawing from their photo and creating a grid on another photo copy, both for use as accuracy tools during their self-portrait process.
February 8, 2013
7th Grade Final Fusing
February 1, 2013
7th Grade Final Fusing
7th Grade students have explored the technique of fused glass over the last couple months. Students previously learned about the nature of glass and the chemical process that occurs when heated to high temperatures. After creating holiday decorations, personal designs, and "puddles," students focused their design skills on constructing a final single piece. Students were supplied with a plethora of glass in different sheets, colors, and sizes. They learned how to use a glass cutter, wear proper eye wear, and how to place the glass in their design to create colorful fusion effects.
Students are constructing simple frames for their fused glass artwork so that it may sit upright on a windowsill with sunlight, or on a tabletop with a battery powered/low watt light source. These art pieces will be on view at this years TBS Student Art Show.
February 1, 2013
7th Grade Fuses Glass Using the Studio's Ceramic Kiln
7th grade has been exploring the world of fused glass in the Art Studio. With careful attention to detail and safety, students learn about "cutting" glass through scoring and cracking and how glass has a surface tension that causes it to always melt to a height of a 1/4", unless contained within a mold.
Students will create a finished fused glass lighted art piece for this years TBS Student Art Show.
Students enjoyed learning about and exploring this technique from Helios Glass Studios in Austin, Texas.
Fused Glass "Puddles"
Students will create a finished fused glass lighted art piece for this years TBS Student Art Show.
Students enjoyed learning about and exploring this technique from Helios Glass Studios in Austin, Texas.
Fused Glass "Puddles"
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What’s a “puddle”?Component making is a big part of working with fused glass. Pot melts, pattern bars, and powder wafers are just a few of the things we make that become parts of bigger projects This tutorial shows you one of the easiest to make and most useful components, something we call “puddles”.
The technique takes advantage of two of the most important glass properties:
1) Surface Tension:
When glass melts it seeks a height of 6 mm (1/4 inch). You can thank surface tension for that. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_tension)
2) Gradual Melting
As glass is heated, it melts - and softens - gradually. This allows glass to fuse together without colors mixing completely (the way ice cubes made from colored water would mix if allowed to melt together in a drinking glass).
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January 18, 2013 7th Grade Makes Glass Fusing Slump Molds
Today students learned the fundamentals of glass fusing, and began creating their own ceramic slump molds for their own glass bowls. Students will work to finalize and perfect these molds and will revisit their fusing skills as 8th graders when student materials are renewed and their glass bowls can be made.
Students will create 2D imagery using fused glass for this years TBS Student Art Show.
This video demonstrates crushing glass bottles to create recycled fused glass bowls.
This video is a great demonstration of recycling glass into new shapes and colors, and also shows the necessity for a mold if you want your melted glass to retain a width of more than a 1/4".
This tutorial shows a unique way of creating new fused glass to create a new colorful design.
November 16, 2012
7th grade students have begun to design their own stained glass windows. Using simple straight-sided shapes, students were encouraged to consider symmetry when filling their frame with their design. Students used geometric stencils and rulers to mark out the shapes that would represent their cut glass.. Designs drawn on paper were transferred onto laminate and color was applied using sharpie. Students were encouraged to view their mini design using the overhead projector to simulate sunlight through glass.
Today, students continued finalizing their (first) designs and continued their design into a larger 81/2"X11" format. Students used the same principles as before, designing on paper first then using a transparency overlay with colored sharpies to explore color combinations and compositions.
November 9, 2012
As an introduction to the future creation of small stained glass windows, students were shown a simple youtube tutorial on "How to Build a Stained Glass Window." Students learned about the basics of creating a stained glass plan, cutting the glass, framing the pieces, soldering, and completing a window from scratch.
Last week students began to design their own versions of a stained glass window. Using simple straight-sided shapes, students were encouraged to consider symmetry when filling their frame with their design. Students used geometric stencils and rulers to mark out the shapes that would represent their cut glass.. Designs drawn on paper were transferred onto laminate and color was applied using sharpie. Students were encouraged to view their mini design using the overhead projector to simulate sunlight through glass.
Today, students continued finalizing their (first) designs and continued their design into a larger 81/2"X11" format. Students used the same principles as before, designing on paper first then using a transparency overlay with colored sharpies to explore color combinations and compositions. Some students to a design break and worked on color composition filling-in a blank stained glass pattern with color.
October 26, 2012
As an introduction to the future creation of small stained glass windows, students were shown a simple youtube tutorial on "How to Build a Stained Glass Window." Students learned about the basics of creating a stained glass plan, cutting the glass, framing the pieces, soldering, and completing a window from scratch.
Today students began to design their own versions of a stained glass window. Using simple straight-sided shapes, students were encouraged to consider symmetry when filling their frame with their design. Students used geometric stencils and rulers to mark out the shapes that would represent their cut glass.. Designs drawn on paper were transferred onto laminate and color was applied using sharpie. Students were encouraged to view their mini design using the overhead projector to simulate sunlight through glass.
October 19, 2012
7th Grade students will be working with metal and glass this fall into spring. Over the coming months students will be given lessons to increase their skills in working with metal and glass, cumulating into projects such as jewelry, slumped glass bowls, and stained glass windows.
Today students were shown a demonstration of how to make two different wire bracelets. Both designs required patient metal manipulation, done by hand, and following step-by-step instructions. This year's 7th grade projects will require attention to detail, patience for process steps, and safety when handling tools. These skills will be the underlying focus of each weeks activities as we prepare for our bigger stained glass project this winter.
October 12, 2012
7th Grade Manipulates Metals and Learns Stained Glass Basics
7th Grade students began class this week, with a 10 minute observation contour drawing of a common Art Studio tool, e.g. scissors, 3-hole punch, stapler, and others. Students remarked on the ease of replicating the lines of these objects in proper perspective compared to past objects such as the potted flowers or the jars of misc objects. The clean lines and sharp corners of today's drawing subjects gave students a chance to achieve higher realism and strengthen their mark-making confidence, while still increasing their skills with a sustained 10 minute exercise. Students needing an extra challenge were given a stylus pen to create their sketch without the possibility of erasing.
7th Grade students will be working with metal and glass this fall into spring. Over the coming months students will be given lessons to increase their skills in working with metal and glass, cumulating into projects such as jewelry, slumped glass bowls, and stained glass windows.
Today, students continued to work with embossing metal, wire, and other materials creating complex art cards showcasing their explorations in miniature works of art. As an introdution to the future creation of mini stained glass windows, students were shown a simple youtube tutorial on "How to Build a Stained Glass Window." Students learned about the basics of creating a stained glass plan, cutting the glass, framing the pieces, soldering, and completing a window from scratch.
September 28, 2012
7th Grade students will be exploring metal and glasswork until the new year. Many of the ways they will explore new material explorations and composition techniques with be through the miniature medium of artist trading cards.
Continuing to explore their metal and watercolor skills from last week, students were challenged to create an art card (a work of art that is 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" in size) that has a minimum of 2 visible layers, 3 materials, and is structured as either a card with folded panels, or in a dyptic or tryptic card set.Students were introduced to the process of adding additional panels to the 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" standard art card to create doors that open onto a hidden area. A folded art card can be of any shape or size when unfolded, but the entire piece must still be able to reduce back to the standard 2 1/2" x 3 1/2".
They were also shown how the visual story can be continued or strengthen by creating a dyptic or tryptic using multiple art cards side by side in a vertical or horizontal orientation.
September 21, 2012
7th Grade Experiments with Water, Wax, Metal, and Color
7th Graders were given the opportunity to explore some old and new materials utilizing the Art Card "canvas." Demonstrating a resist technique using wax resist (for ceramics) and water color, students watched as an almost invisible image came to life with the addition of liquid watercolors. The wax resist is a liquid and can be painted with a a paintbrush onto watercolor paper in any desired image or design. Applying liquid watercolor paint on and around the dried wax resist causes the watercolor to slide off or bead up soaking only into the paper; unwanted beads can be dabbed off with a paper towel or kleenex.
Students were also given an embossing metal demonstration using a uniball pen to emboss a design into the metal and to add color with sharpies to the indented (embossed) lines and spaces. The result is a multidimensional image with added sheen. Students were also shown how to layer their designs using an exacto knife to cut away areas of the watercolor and/or the embossing metal to show the design underneath. This layering technique will assist them in future classes to create a multilayered "finished" Art Card.
September 7, 2012
7th Grade Exercises and Plays in the Art Studio
Middle School students begin every studio class with a 10 minute silent observation contour drawing. Sometimes the observation subject is a still life and other times it is an object or environment chosen inside or outside the studio. Students are encouraged to study the object they are drawing, checking in visually every 5 seconds to confirm the angle, shape, or texture of the next line they are about to draw. Today 7th Graders completed their first observation drawing of a filled glass vessel that they will continue to draw once a month to increase their familiarity wit the object, and to strengthen their confidence with perspective and proportion in general.
Group drawing games in the Art Studio are important for fun, team building,
and increasing organizational skills.
Scribblish, a game played the first day of class, encourages drawing, writing, and interpretive skills. Fashioned upon the idea of telephone, it is best played with 4+ participants. Here's how you play: The 1st person draws a picture in the first folded square on the scribblish sheet and passes it to the person next to them. The second person looks at the picture and writes what they think is happening in the picture in the second folded square. Here's where it gets tricky! Before the second person passes the sheet to the third person, they fold down the first square (with the drawing) so the third person can not see the drawing. The third person reads the writing and then draws a picture of how they think that would look. Then before the third person passes it to the fourth they fold and hide the drawing (1st square) and writing (second square) so that the fourth person can only see their drawing on the third square. The fourth person looks at the picture and writes what they think is happening in the picture. Repeat until your sheet is full.
Sometimes the beginning and end match, and other times they are as different as night and day!!
Annual 7th Grade (2011-2012) Whiteboard Animations
Students in the seventh grade will spend the remaining months of the school year exercising their drawing and critical thinking skills. In their main project students will create an animation short using whiteboards, digital cameras, and imovie. Students will explore drawing techniques creating emotive characters and investigating the graphic accents necessary to depict movement in drawings.
Final 7th Grade (2011-2012) Clocks and Altered Books: Story Time!
7th Grade Students spent 17-20 hours during the months of October - February creating Altered Books, clocks, and sometimes a combination of the two.
Some students had a clear vision of the altered book they wanted to create, others had a sense of an alteration technique they wanted to perform, such as folding or cutting out pages in the book, and some explored literary themes such as fairy tales, geography, and history.
Clock ideas encompassed themes from personal interests, such as pigs and space ships to architecture, gears, movement, nature, composition, and reason.
Students in the seventh grade will spend the remaining months of the school year exercising their drawing and critical thinking skills. In their main project students will create an animation short using whiteboards, digital cameras, and imovie. Students will explore drawing techniques creating emotive characters and investigating the graphic accents necessary to depict movement in drawings.
Final 7th Grade (2011-2012) Clocks and Altered Books: Story Time!
7th Grade Students spent 17-20 hours during the months of October - February creating Altered Books, clocks, and sometimes a combination of the two.
Some students had a clear vision of the altered book they wanted to create, others had a sense of an alteration technique they wanted to perform, such as folding or cutting out pages in the book, and some explored literary themes such as fairy tales, geography, and history.
Clock ideas encompassed themes from personal interests, such as pigs and space ships to architecture, gears, movement, nature, composition, and reason.
7th Grade Studio Fall/Winter 2011
Middle School students begin most classes in the studio with a 10 minute silent observation drawing. Sometimes the observation subject is a still life, an object or environment chosen inside or outside the studio. Students are encouraged to study the object they are drawing, checking in visually every 5 seconds to confirm the angle, shade, shape, or texture of the next line they are about to draw. Students will continue to work on their perspective, depth, and shading techniques through the end of the year
Middle School students are taught many techniques using many different tools and mediums in the TBS Art Studio. Drawing, sculpture (with clay, paper, wood, wire, etc.) painting, animation, photography, computer programs, building, printmaking and more are explored throughout a single year with increasing skill levels offered each year of 6ht, 7th, and 8th grade.
Middle School students are taught many techniques using many different tools and mediums in the TBS Art Studio. Drawing, sculpture (with clay, paper, wood, wire, etc.) painting, animation, photography, computer programs, building, printmaking and more are explored throughout a single year with increasing skill levels offered each year of 6ht, 7th, and 8th grade.
2011 7th Grade Begins Process Exploration of White Board Animation
Students were shown white board animation demonstrations and examples. Through story boarding and sketching, students began developing an animation short and the characters they would use. Using cartooning techniques, students transformed stick figures into angels, devils, mini-muscle boy, multiple versions of Alfie, and generally emotive and interesting characters. Using white boards as animation canvas, students take stop-motion photos of each scene segment, later these photos will be animated to sound using imovie.
2011 Art Show Preparations and the Completion of the Self-Portrait Diorama
Students were shown white board animation demonstrations and examples. Through story boarding and sketching, students began developing an animation short and the characters they would use. Using cartooning techniques, students transformed stick figures into angels, devils, mini-muscle boy, multiple versions of Alfie, and generally emotive and interesting characters. Using white boards as animation canvas, students take stop-motion photos of each scene segment, later these photos will be animated to sound using imovie.
2011 Art Show Preparations and the Completion of the Self-Portrait Diorama
Students in the 6th-7th grades worked in the first weeks of March to complete their final efforts on their Diorama project. Artist statements detailing the students relationship to their diorama scene acted as a conduit giving the viewer insight to the connection between the artist and their work.
Doodle 4 Google Final Touches
Students in the 6th-8th grade challenged themselves to adapt the Google logo into their own interpretation of their goals for their future. As students developed their graphic designs, and wrote their artist statements many students found that their own life goals involved global goals for peace, environmental health, and general assistance to those in need.
7th Grade Mark Making
Students played two versions of Pictionary style drawing games to lubricate their skills and mental agility for representing objects in a 2D medium. Students were introduced to crosshatching dimension/shading techniques via the work of Edward Gorey and in-class demonstrations. Students tried their hand at crosshatching, and continued to exercise their mark making via lettering using their name.
7th & 8th Grade Field Trip to The Oakland Museum of California's
Vivo: Days of the Dead Exhibition
7th Grade Studio Time September 2010 - February 2011
See "Focus" Page for process/project slides and information.