Insect Kaleidoscopes
4th Grade, 3-4 Weeks
This unit provides students with the opportunity to study organic materials from nature and create images from their imagination, as well as make the connection between their own encounters with insects to the exotic insects depicted in the work of Christopher Marley. Students should be able to move on from this lesson and build upon this knowledge in more advanced watercolor paintings and drawn collages.
Relationship to Life
Tracing shapes to create a drawn collage is an important exercise for creating compositions. It provides a challenge for students to make decisions about positive and negative space relationships, and will force students to plan their compositions from the start of the project. Students should be able to create preliminary sketches, which demonstrate a strong understanding of composition, and shows the students ability to trace images carefully.
Children begin to become more concerned with expressing images in a realistic way. It is during this stage that children are most critical of themselves, and therefore, are usually unsatisfied with how their drawings turn out, because it is during this stage that children realize the difference between drawing for the sake of drawing and drawing to accurately represent something. Children become more concerned with details and specific characteristics that define gender, age, location, time, etc in an image. Children also want to “make art”, and are often frustrated with their inability to creatively and accurately portray an image or idea.
Themes start to come into play with the introduction of abstract thought. Children can portray both realistic and imaginary scenes. Gender-related themes often come into play: boys will tend to draw sports, cars, superheroes, and cartoon characters, while girls will draw animals, flowers, hearts, and fashion-oriented images.
Specificity in an image is important in describing age, gender, proportions, and definitive features, however children are now able to think abstractly.
Regression is a common theme in child art at this stage. If a child is unable to depict something the way they want, they often resort to stick figures or cartoon-like images to mask or compensate for their inability to draw realistically. Often times, children become so disconnected from the art making process due to their frustration that they begin to draw haphazardly, and details are often sketchy or ignored all together, (Simpson, 1998).
Progress is made in a child’s move away from drawing using frontal views only, and with their deeper understanding of perspective and depth in the picture plane. Horizon lines come into play, and children are aware of a foreground, middle ground and background.
Color is used in a more realistic way, however children begin to trade crayons and markers for pencils to allow for editing and corrections in their work. Pencils also allow for complete manipulation of the tool. This is important in this stage because children are concerned with perfection, and a material that is difficult to use or time consuming will only add to their frustration.
Problem/Activity Statement
Students are assigned to create a drawing using provided insect stencils to create an insect Kaleidoscope. Students are asked to plan their page using lines to help map out the placement of each insect. Students will solve creative problems by completing preliminary sketches and by practicing tracing the insects before moving on to the final drawing. Students will learn the importance of preparatory work and planning, as well as the need to make decisions and be willing to make changes or discard unsuccessful experiments.
Goals
Students Should…
Understand: How to produce an artwork that explores composition by creating artwork with a center of interest, repetition, and/or balance, and define and identify occurrences of balance, rhythm, repetition, variety and emphasis.
(MACF Standard: 2)
Know: The relationship between purpose, meaning and principles of design in an object. (MACF Standards: 2 and 6)
The art making processes necessary to design and create their object.
(MACF Standard: 4)
Be able to:
Use a variety of materials and media, for example, crayons, chalk, paint, clay, various kinds of papers, textiles, and yarns, and understand how to use them to produce different visual effects.
(MACF Standard: 1)
Explore and experiment with the use of color in dry and wet media.
(MACF Standard: 2)
Invent either a functional and/or expressive personal response.
(MCAF Standard: 3)
Objectives
Demonstrate an understanding of ways artists plan thematic compositions.
Analyze and apply thematic compositional approaches used by Christopher Marley.
Identify and use ideas and skills of Marley’s work to make a personal style in one’s own work.
Use a variety of techniques to apply the formal qualities of art.
Utilize Elements of Design: asymmetrical compositions, simplified shapes, bold and mixed colors, contrast between positive and negative space, and unity, balanced and rhythm throughout the work.
Instructional Concepts
“The pieces are created with careful attention to the flow of negative space, complimentary coloration, and the meticulous selection and preparation of each specimen. Colors are natural, as many are structural instead of pigmented, and are as durable as any color in the animal kingdom.”
“The Prism series is one of the most popular of my creations, Each piece is meant to be appreciated as both an unearthly kaleidoscope of color and a manifestation of the most strikingly adorned organisms on earth. There is a juxtaposition of clean, geometrically recurring shape and wild organism.”
Line can be used to invent forms.
Color can be changed by mixing.
Color can be used for emphasis in a composition.
Texture can be used to create surface variety.
Space can be achieved through the variation of size, shape and placement.
Balance can be achieved through the arrangement of line, shape, color, texture, and shape or form within a composition.
Emphasis can be achieved through outlining.
Unity can be achieved through the repetition of line, shape, color, texture, and space of form in a composition.
Rhythm can be achieved by varying the size of a line, color, texture, shape and form.
Previsualization and working from memory and imagination helps children develop their schema for drawing.
Introducing children to art develops their visual awareness and provides a springboard for personal image making.
Resources and Materials
Materials: Exemplars:
Sketch paper Teacher Exemplar
Watercolor paper Aesthetica, Christopher Marley
Pencils Fulgens Prism, Christopher Marley
Watercolor paint Lumens Prism, Christopher Marley
Paint brushes
Insect stencils
Rulers
Motivation
The teacher will have prepared one final watercolor painting, and will also show the kaleidoscope photographs by Christopher Marley to demonstrate what the works made with real insects look like. These exemplars will give students a foundation for their compositions and content. The teacher will engage the students in assembling composition and content of a kaleidoscope image based on Marley’s body of work. Students will choose insect shapes from the stencils provided, and strive to trace the image neatly. The teacher will then do a demonstration of different watercolor techniques, and students will be engaged by discussing what they thing the outcome will be while the teacher is painting. Students will then experiment with wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry watercolor techniques on their own work to achieve a desired effect.
Questions
Topic Questions:
Why are people interested in insects?
Does the collection and preservation of insects make them seem more special than the insects in our every-day environment?
How has the composition of these works altered the interpretation of the material used?
How has Marley used composition and color to create different moods in each one of his works?
Association questions:
Are the kaleidoscope images reminiscent of any other type of art you might have seen? Why do you think that is?
Why might people strive to preserve exotic, foreign and rare insects in artwork?
Visualization questions:
What advantages does working with real specimens give Christopher Marley that other processes do not?
How can negative space be manipulated to create rhythm and balance on a 2-D surface?
How might manipulation of color with watercolor paint help achieve the organic coloration seen in the specimens in Marley’s photographs?
Transition questions:
What Elements and Principles of Design are most important to remember when creating an image using stencils and watercolor?
Procedures
Demonstration
The teacher will first show master photographs and personal work to the class. The teacher will ask students to find similarities and differences between the works and discuss similarities and differences in technique, circumstance, composition, subject, and if these differences created success. The teacher will then discuss materials used and go over any unknown vocabulary. The teacher will follow this discussion with a demonstration of how to properly trace the insects and compose their image, and encourage students to practice first before making their final drawings. The teacher will then do a painting demonstration, showing students how to paint using wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry watercolor techniques.
Students will make preliminary sketches and render images using line only. When students’ drawings have been approved, they will recreate their compositions onto their final paper and fill in each shape, using watercolor.
Vocabulary:
Composition- How a picture is arranged. It is important to remember balance, unity, rhythm, and movement, and how positive and negative spaces interact when creating a composition in order to achieve an interesting, well-planned image.
Kaleidoscope- An optical instrument in which bits of glass are shown in continually changing symmetrical forms by reflection in two or more mirrors set at angles to each other; A continually changing pattern of shapes and colors.
Symmetry- Either a display of harmonious, beautiful proportion and balance, or the exact mathematical reflection of an image.
Wet-on-wet watercolor- The technique of painting wet watercolor paint on top of a wet surface.
Distribution
On the first day, students will be given newsprint to practice tracing. There will be a few stencils per table, which students will have to share. Students will be asked to write their names on their pictures. Once students have completed their sketches, half-sheets of watercolor paper and watercolor paint will be distributed for practice. After the students have practiced the wet-on-wet technique, final paper and watercolor paint will be distributed. Students will trace insects first onto the final paper with pencil, and will color in the insects with paint. When students are done painting, projects will be placed on the drying rack.
Work Period
Each period, students will be reminded of the task at hand, where they should be and what they should accomplish during the time allotted. The teacher will answer any questions before beginning the work period. Students are in charge of getting their work out from the work folder and beginning their work unless paintings from the drying rack are being handed back. Students are expected to continue working throughout the entire period.
Closure
The teacher will go over what should have been accomplished by the end of the class, and what will be expected of each student during their next meeting. The teacher will review where materials and projects should be put away, and the class will be dismissed.
Clean up
Students must place their projects on the drying rack or in their folders. One student from each table will be responsible for bringing the water up to the sink, and each student is in charge of returning their watercolor set to the sink.
Evaluation
Students will be evaluated based on their understanding of procedure. Students are expected to complete a preliminary sketch and create practice watercolor paintings before moving on to their final painting. The sketches should demonstrate ability in tracing and planning. Paintings created by the students should be made neatly, and students will be evaluated on how the materials are handled. Final paintings will be evaluated based on the student’s ability to use watercolor paint to achieve different desired effects, their choice of color in relation to their subject, and final composition.
Did the students…
Did the students successfully trace insects?
Did the students create a composition, conscious of the relationship between positive and negative space, balance, unity, movement, etc?
Did the students successfully use watercolor paint to fill in their shapes?
Did the students show experimentation and risk taking with color?
4th Grade, 3-4 Weeks
This unit provides students with the opportunity to study organic materials from nature and create images from their imagination, as well as make the connection between their own encounters with insects to the exotic insects depicted in the work of Christopher Marley. Students should be able to move on from this lesson and build upon this knowledge in more advanced watercolor paintings and drawn collages.
Relationship to Life
Tracing shapes to create a drawn collage is an important exercise for creating compositions. It provides a challenge for students to make decisions about positive and negative space relationships, and will force students to plan their compositions from the start of the project. Students should be able to create preliminary sketches, which demonstrate a strong understanding of composition, and shows the students ability to trace images carefully.
Children begin to become more concerned with expressing images in a realistic way. It is during this stage that children are most critical of themselves, and therefore, are usually unsatisfied with how their drawings turn out, because it is during this stage that children realize the difference between drawing for the sake of drawing and drawing to accurately represent something. Children become more concerned with details and specific characteristics that define gender, age, location, time, etc in an image. Children also want to “make art”, and are often frustrated with their inability to creatively and accurately portray an image or idea.
Themes start to come into play with the introduction of abstract thought. Children can portray both realistic and imaginary scenes. Gender-related themes often come into play: boys will tend to draw sports, cars, superheroes, and cartoon characters, while girls will draw animals, flowers, hearts, and fashion-oriented images.
Specificity in an image is important in describing age, gender, proportions, and definitive features, however children are now able to think abstractly.
Regression is a common theme in child art at this stage. If a child is unable to depict something the way they want, they often resort to stick figures or cartoon-like images to mask or compensate for their inability to draw realistically. Often times, children become so disconnected from the art making process due to their frustration that they begin to draw haphazardly, and details are often sketchy or ignored all together, (Simpson, 1998).
Progress is made in a child’s move away from drawing using frontal views only, and with their deeper understanding of perspective and depth in the picture plane. Horizon lines come into play, and children are aware of a foreground, middle ground and background.
Color is used in a more realistic way, however children begin to trade crayons and markers for pencils to allow for editing and corrections in their work. Pencils also allow for complete manipulation of the tool. This is important in this stage because children are concerned with perfection, and a material that is difficult to use or time consuming will only add to their frustration.
Problem/Activity Statement
Students are assigned to create a drawing using provided insect stencils to create an insect Kaleidoscope. Students are asked to plan their page using lines to help map out the placement of each insect. Students will solve creative problems by completing preliminary sketches and by practicing tracing the insects before moving on to the final drawing. Students will learn the importance of preparatory work and planning, as well as the need to make decisions and be willing to make changes or discard unsuccessful experiments.
Goals
Students Should…
Understand: How to produce an artwork that explores composition by creating artwork with a center of interest, repetition, and/or balance, and define and identify occurrences of balance, rhythm, repetition, variety and emphasis.
(MACF Standard: 2)
Know: The relationship between purpose, meaning and principles of design in an object. (MACF Standards: 2 and 6)
The art making processes necessary to design and create their object.
(MACF Standard: 4)
Be able to:
Use a variety of materials and media, for example, crayons, chalk, paint, clay, various kinds of papers, textiles, and yarns, and understand how to use them to produce different visual effects.
(MACF Standard: 1)
Explore and experiment with the use of color in dry and wet media.
(MACF Standard: 2)
Invent either a functional and/or expressive personal response.
(MCAF Standard: 3)
Objectives
Demonstrate an understanding of ways artists plan thematic compositions.
Analyze and apply thematic compositional approaches used by Christopher Marley.
Identify and use ideas and skills of Marley’s work to make a personal style in one’s own work.
Use a variety of techniques to apply the formal qualities of art.
Utilize Elements of Design: asymmetrical compositions, simplified shapes, bold and mixed colors, contrast between positive and negative space, and unity, balanced and rhythm throughout the work.
Instructional Concepts
“The pieces are created with careful attention to the flow of negative space, complimentary coloration, and the meticulous selection and preparation of each specimen. Colors are natural, as many are structural instead of pigmented, and are as durable as any color in the animal kingdom.”
“The Prism series is one of the most popular of my creations, Each piece is meant to be appreciated as both an unearthly kaleidoscope of color and a manifestation of the most strikingly adorned organisms on earth. There is a juxtaposition of clean, geometrically recurring shape and wild organism.”
Line can be used to invent forms.
Color can be changed by mixing.
Color can be used for emphasis in a composition.
Texture can be used to create surface variety.
Space can be achieved through the variation of size, shape and placement.
Balance can be achieved through the arrangement of line, shape, color, texture, and shape or form within a composition.
Emphasis can be achieved through outlining.
Unity can be achieved through the repetition of line, shape, color, texture, and space of form in a composition.
Rhythm can be achieved by varying the size of a line, color, texture, shape and form.
Previsualization and working from memory and imagination helps children develop their schema for drawing.
Introducing children to art develops their visual awareness and provides a springboard for personal image making.
Resources and Materials
Materials: Exemplars:
Sketch paper Teacher Exemplar
Watercolor paper Aesthetica, Christopher Marley
Pencils Fulgens Prism, Christopher Marley
Watercolor paint Lumens Prism, Christopher Marley
Paint brushes
Insect stencils
Rulers
Motivation
The teacher will have prepared one final watercolor painting, and will also show the kaleidoscope photographs by Christopher Marley to demonstrate what the works made with real insects look like. These exemplars will give students a foundation for their compositions and content. The teacher will engage the students in assembling composition and content of a kaleidoscope image based on Marley’s body of work. Students will choose insect shapes from the stencils provided, and strive to trace the image neatly. The teacher will then do a demonstration of different watercolor techniques, and students will be engaged by discussing what they thing the outcome will be while the teacher is painting. Students will then experiment with wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry watercolor techniques on their own work to achieve a desired effect.
Questions
Topic Questions:
Why are people interested in insects?
Does the collection and preservation of insects make them seem more special than the insects in our every-day environment?
How has the composition of these works altered the interpretation of the material used?
How has Marley used composition and color to create different moods in each one of his works?
Association questions:
Are the kaleidoscope images reminiscent of any other type of art you might have seen? Why do you think that is?
Why might people strive to preserve exotic, foreign and rare insects in artwork?
Visualization questions:
What advantages does working with real specimens give Christopher Marley that other processes do not?
How can negative space be manipulated to create rhythm and balance on a 2-D surface?
How might manipulation of color with watercolor paint help achieve the organic coloration seen in the specimens in Marley’s photographs?
Transition questions:
What Elements and Principles of Design are most important to remember when creating an image using stencils and watercolor?
Procedures
Demonstration
The teacher will first show master photographs and personal work to the class. The teacher will ask students to find similarities and differences between the works and discuss similarities and differences in technique, circumstance, composition, subject, and if these differences created success. The teacher will then discuss materials used and go over any unknown vocabulary. The teacher will follow this discussion with a demonstration of how to properly trace the insects and compose their image, and encourage students to practice first before making their final drawings. The teacher will then do a painting demonstration, showing students how to paint using wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry watercolor techniques.
Students will make preliminary sketches and render images using line only. When students’ drawings have been approved, they will recreate their compositions onto their final paper and fill in each shape, using watercolor.
Vocabulary:
Composition- How a picture is arranged. It is important to remember balance, unity, rhythm, and movement, and how positive and negative spaces interact when creating a composition in order to achieve an interesting, well-planned image.
Kaleidoscope- An optical instrument in which bits of glass are shown in continually changing symmetrical forms by reflection in two or more mirrors set at angles to each other; A continually changing pattern of shapes and colors.
Symmetry- Either a display of harmonious, beautiful proportion and balance, or the exact mathematical reflection of an image.
Wet-on-wet watercolor- The technique of painting wet watercolor paint on top of a wet surface.
Distribution
On the first day, students will be given newsprint to practice tracing. There will be a few stencils per table, which students will have to share. Students will be asked to write their names on their pictures. Once students have completed their sketches, half-sheets of watercolor paper and watercolor paint will be distributed for practice. After the students have practiced the wet-on-wet technique, final paper and watercolor paint will be distributed. Students will trace insects first onto the final paper with pencil, and will color in the insects with paint. When students are done painting, projects will be placed on the drying rack.
Work Period
Each period, students will be reminded of the task at hand, where they should be and what they should accomplish during the time allotted. The teacher will answer any questions before beginning the work period. Students are in charge of getting their work out from the work folder and beginning their work unless paintings from the drying rack are being handed back. Students are expected to continue working throughout the entire period.
Closure
The teacher will go over what should have been accomplished by the end of the class, and what will be expected of each student during their next meeting. The teacher will review where materials and projects should be put away, and the class will be dismissed.
Clean up
Students must place their projects on the drying rack or in their folders. One student from each table will be responsible for bringing the water up to the sink, and each student is in charge of returning their watercolor set to the sink.
Evaluation
Students will be evaluated based on their understanding of procedure. Students are expected to complete a preliminary sketch and create practice watercolor paintings before moving on to their final painting. The sketches should demonstrate ability in tracing and planning. Paintings created by the students should be made neatly, and students will be evaluated on how the materials are handled. Final paintings will be evaluated based on the student’s ability to use watercolor paint to achieve different desired effects, their choice of color in relation to their subject, and final composition.
Did the students…
Did the students successfully trace insects?
Did the students create a composition, conscious of the relationship between positive and negative space, balance, unity, movement, etc?
Did the students successfully use watercolor paint to fill in their shapes?
Did the students show experimentation and risk taking with color?