After a week of reflection and self-critiques, I thought it would be appropriate to have our students continue to examine works of art and identify what they see. Upon entering the art studio, we reviewed the steps of a critique (describe, analyze, interpret and judge) and then discussed how we could take these steps and use them when constructing our own ideas for works of art. Having students learn the elements of art is essential - after they know and understand each element they can easily put these into practice and explain how they've created a picture.
In an effort to push this idea, we did what all great artists do -- study other artists! I had a variety of famous works available - Mondrian, Matisse, Thiebaud, Klee, O'Keefe - and students chose their favorite. We talked about focal points and what design elements make art interesting to look at. Students were required to point out every line and shape they saw in their chosen picture and were also required to explain the relationships the lines/shapes had with one another. (Explaining relationships is essential - and our students easily used vocabulary such as, "beside, above, below, inside, outside). We also talked about proportions. (Wow! These are things I learned about when I was MUCH older!). Students then used a fine tip marker to draw whatever they were looking at. Finally, they could fill in their line drawings with a medium of their choice. I must say that paint was the most popular medium, however some students did insist on using markers, colored pencils and oil pastels.
The students' work is phenomenal. I am very eager to create a display of the famous works of art along with their interpretations in the near future!
No comments:
Post a Comment