Teach Your Children Well

Isn’t it amazing when you begin teaching figure drawing, the figure’s arms appear to end at the waist, the head is larger than the torso, or the legs end where the knees should. That's art - right? I don’t let my students go out like that! We start with non-standard measurement. I have them measure the height of their head by standing in front of a piece of paper on the wall and then – measure each other to determine how many ‘heads’ length they are… and they say, “What are you up to now, Ms. Hill?!”

Next, I talk with them about proportions and the relationship between the size of the head and the body.  In a recent lesson, I tried something different. I asked the students to find standing figures in magazines, paste them into their sketchbooks. Next they used a piece of paper to determine the size of its head; then the torso; and finally the legs and arms. They seemed to get the idea of human proportions by comparing the images, and it helped them with their figure drawing. I believe that everyday students can draw once they connect the dots, lines and shapes. [smile]

Mural Arts: Art Ignites Change

Cooperative Learning | Syllabus Solved

What does one do when older students want to take responsibility for signing my class syllabus, but  don't read it to fully understand it? Well, I being the Jedi Master that I am, created an activity. The students would gain an understanding of my course and my expectations. "Contextural understanding, assessment and reflection in visual arts - an apprentice you will be! Math and cooperative learning you shall use! Pow! That's how my Lightsaber works.
I almost unconsciously integrate history, mathematics, science and literature daily in my visual art lessons. I firmly believe that one cannot separate the so-called "core subjects" from art. In this situation, I chose an artist whom the students could relate to -- Jean Michel Basquiat, he is perhaps one of the representative artists who made the transition from street art to canvas. I printed "Trumpet" from his website poster-sized. I broke down parts of the syllabus and pasted them on the back. Then, I drew puzzle shapes, and laminated the poster board for durability. Finally, I cut out the puzzle pieces. I wanted to observe the students working collaboratively, and research suggests that puzzles improve math, science and technology skills.  At last I had the satisfaction that I now know that the students really read my class syllabus.