Summative Projects

 

Expressive Self-portrait - Students will write about their public and private personalities (what they show others versus what they feel inside). Students will then select one of the personalities to express through facial expression for a close-up photograph. These photos will then be drawn by students on a variety of surfaces (paper, canvas, cardboard, vinyl records, etc) depending on what is available at the time. Students will then select a specific color harmony to add to the emotional effect of the portrait, and they will complete a painting that ties all of the concepts together. Projects will be graded on accuracy, use of color, painting technique, value, and effort.

 

Photojournalism & Painting - Students will obtain access to a digital camera and take photos around their locale using specific photojournalistic techniques. Photos will then be reviewed by students and teacher, and each student will select their best photo to turn into a painting. Value in the painting will remain the same as in the photo, but the colors will be changed to reflect the student's knowledge of specific color harmonies. Painting will be displayed alongside the original photo.

 

Poster Design - Students will select a current social or cultural topic and create an 11" x 17" poster that expresses their viewpoint on the issue. Posters should be designed with the goal of duplicating the artwork in black & white as well as color, and at various sizes.

 

Illustrated Interviews - Students will conduct an interview with an adult or peer. The students will then create illustrated posters of the interview, taking the time to illustrate the events described. Students will be shown pages from graphic novels to use for inspiration.

 

Children's Character Remix - Students will select a children's show character from a list. They will then re-imagine the character as a more grown-up character. They could take inspiration from horror films, dramas, or adventure characters. The idea is to create a more realistic, less idealized version of the character. Use the following site for inspiration: Rhys Cooper Art Gallery

 

Biographical Illustration - Students select a story from their own life and illustrate the events in the style of a graphic novel. Attention will be paid to the division of pages, the process of story telling through visual means, and ways of communicating various emotions.

 

Advertising Remix - Students will attempt to create an advertisement for an existing product. The ad should be a parody of the company's ads, and also should fit the aesthetic style of their existing ad work. The ads should bring in the concepts of humor, parody, and truth in advertising.

 

Create Your own Cartoon Character - Students will come up with their own cartoon character from scratch using techniques from the Character Design text. Students will develop the character, their personality, their background story, and an expression sheet. If technology is sufficient, students may end up animating their characters.

 

Two Artworks (Through the Blinds) - Students will create two different pieces of art with similar themes. These will be cut into thin strips and spaced out on a separate piece of paper, alternating from one to the other.

 

Same Phrase Times Three - Students will be given a random phrase on a small slip of paper. They are to develop three different illustrations for the phrase. Creativity is a must on this project. All three illustrations will be displayed together.

 

Wheatpaste Project - Students will develop high-contrast artwork to be photocopied. The art should fit into various categories: - Personal Logo - Human with head Replaced - Social/Political Statement - Abstract - Cartoon Character. Images will be photocopied 10 times each, and then cut out from their backing paper. The better-looking images will be wheatpasted up on a public display board.

 

Three Views (Same Object) - Students will illustrate the same object three different times from different angles. Some possibilities include macro-photos, microscope images, and rotations.

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Mapped Biography Series - Students will create portraits on maps that are relevant to key points in their lives. Portraits can be of students or family members, and must be drawn or painted on maps that represent the actual locations of events. Maps can be purchased at thrift stores for very little money. Finished series should include a minimum of three separate maps with an image on each. Will be graded on quality of the artwork and relevance of the map to the life story.

 

Toy Making - Students will create a character that can be made into a small toy. Students will then use sculpting clay to create small prototypes of their toy. Once the prototypes are created, students will create a mold. Students will then create castings of their toy and paint the finished result. Alternative options may include using food-safe molding material to create edible chocolate toys.

 

Public Art - Students will develop and propose a piece of public art. Students will complete a proposal sheet that includes such areas as concept, execution, material constraints, legal issues, artists statement, and location. Any proposals that include illegal aspects will be denied for credit. Once proposals are approved, students will begin their work and eventually install the work in public. Proof of completion will be required, either through photographs, class visits, or teacher witness. Students will be graded on their proposal, conceptual depth, craftsmanship, execution, and location selection as relevant to their work. See the work of Mark Jenkins, Banksy, Shepard Fairey, etc. for inspiration.

 

Silhouettes with Bands of Color - Students will create silhouette self-portraits in the style of Milton Glaser. Silhouettes may be created on vinyl records, cardboard, or illustration paper. Silhouette should be inked or painted along with bands of varying colors. Students should use their knowledge of color harmonies to make sure the colors chosen achieve a desired effect.

 

Concert Posters - Students will select a musician or band to create a concert poster for. Students will be required to observe a variety of poster styles prior to creating their posters. Each student will be required to develop a minimum of 10 thumbnail sketches before choosing a design to develop as their final poster. Attention will be paid to balance, color harmony, composition, and effective use of text.

 

Circus Posters - Students will create posters in the style of vintage circus advertisements. The posters should attempt to mimic the illustration style and look of vintage circus posters, but may include descriptions of modern-day acts as circus performers.

 

Collage Assignment - Students will be asked to bring at least two copies of the same magazine. Students will then search through these magazines and find images and text to cut out and use in a collage. The multiple copies enable students to explore the use of symmetry in their work. Final works will be assembled on cardboard or illustration paper.

 

Working With Urban Environments - Also known as "Double-Takes," this assignment has students working with their natural urban environment. This assignment is inspired by the work of street-artists Dan WItz and ROA. Students will create site-specific artwork that causes passers-by to "double-take" when they see it. Work should be as close to photo-realistic as possible, and should be designed with placement in mind. For ideas and inspiration, please click the following links: ROA.  Dan Witz

 

You Are What You Eat - Students keep a one-week food log, detailing what they eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Students are asked to photograph or save the containers that the food came in (such as plastic bags, chip bags, cereal boxes, etc.). Students will then create a self-image or self portrait that uses the foods and containers to build their own face or body. Final images should either be painted or colored using colored pencils (depending on supply levels).

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Art in the Style of Invader - Students will design & create an 8-bit tile mural based on 1980's video game iconography. Students will be responsible for purchasing all materials relating to the assignment. For a great tutorial on the process, read the step-by-step instructional post HERE. For examples of Invader's work, check out his website HERE.

 

Art on Junk - Students will be asked to find a piece of junk suitable for creating art on. These alternative surfaces should be cleaned prior to bringing them to school. Possible places to find such junk are alleys, dumpsters, the craigslist free section, or local thrift stores. Students should consider what the object is and how it will work in terms of a painting surface. Students will be asked to consider the emotions or implicit meanings of the object they select, and how it may relate to their art.

 

What is Freedom? - Students will be asked to define what freedom means to them. They will then gather as many images as possible to help illustrate their own personal concept of freedom.

 

What is Happiness? - Students will be asked to define what happiness means to them. They will then gather as many images as possible to help illustrate their own personal concept of happiness.

 

Advertisement for Products no Longer Made - Students will select a product that is no longer widely made or manufactured. They will then be tasked with creating an advertisement for that product in either the style of the time in which it was produced, or in the modern style. Students should pay attention to ads from either time period and get an idea of what goes into creating an ad in regards to font selection, color use, copy, etc.

 

Your Community 'Zine - Each class period will be instructed in the creation of their own zine. Every student will be responsible for both a written piece as well as an artistic piece for inclusion in the zine. The zine should be designed with photocopying in mind as the cheapest possible form of reproduction. Articles, artwork, and writing should focus on issues that are specific to the community in which the students live.

 

Connecting The Dots - Students will create illustrations of their favorite childhood toys. Students will then use their artwork to create connect-the-dots puzzles for people to complete, thus enabling anyone to re-create their artwork. Careful consideration has to be paid to the order in which one connects the dots.

 

Creating a Coloring Book - Students will select an image to draw in the style of a coloring book page. Careful attention must be paid to the line quality and compositional aspects of coloring book pages. All pages should then be photocopied and distributed to students (if possible) to take home for younger family members.

 

A Day In The Life (Of an Action Figure) - Students will bring in an action figure or doll from home. If they do not have one, they should visit a thrift store and purchase an inexpensive one. They will then pose the figure or doll in a variety of poses, illustrating it as it goes through a typical day as that student. Illustrations will then be arranged into a comic book style composition that helps to tell the story of a day in their life.

 

Draw Yourself (and your future self) as a Cartoon - Students will create a labeled illustration of themselves both now, and what they imagine they'll be like ten years in the future. See this link for references & examples.

 

Exquisite Corpse - Students will begin a drawing on a sheet of paper, but will limit themselves to working on only one half of the page. Students should be careful to extend some of the items from their drawing across the center of the page, but the lines should trail off without giving any indication of what the objects are when the paper is folded in half. This paper is then handed to another student who has not seen the image that was drawn. That student finishes off the drawing by continuing the lines that crossed the center of the page.

 

Old Book Drawing - Students will obtain a book from a thrift store. The older the book is, the better. Students will then open the book to a page near the middle of the book. Students will create an illustration directly on top of the text using ink, pencil, and watercolors.

 

Used envelope Drawing - Students will obtain an envelope that has been used and has a stamp on the front. Students will finish out the illustration from the stamp, and then can use creative ideas to complete out the remainder of the drawing on the envelope surface.

 

Experimental process Paintings - Students will create paintings using a variety of experimental processes. Items like glue, salt, plastic wrap, and paper towels will be used to assist students in achieving experimental textures in their work.

 

Art on Newspaper - Students will create artwork using old newspaper as their drawing surface. Students may work with abstraction or create visual illsutrations of the stories they are drawing over.

 

Astrological Sign Design - Students will create an artwork based on their astrological signs. Students will receive information on both Western & Chinese astrology as well as the symbolism associated with them. Students will then be shown examples of astrology-based artwork by artists such as Jeremy Fish. Students will complete a minimum of 10 thumbnail sketches, one or two refined designs, and a finished piece on aged cardboard. Final artwork will be full-color using the student's medium of choice (watercolor, colored pencil, graphite, inks, markers, acrylic paint, etc.).

 

Glass Bottle Painting - Students will create a painting on a discarded glass bottle using acrylic paints. Subject of the painting will be student-selected. Project should showcase students' abilities and skills gained through the coursework, including line, value, color, etc.

 

Discarded Wallpaper Painting - Students will create artwork on old discarded wallpaper scraps. Students will block-out areas of the wallpaper using acrylic paint or gesso, complete their pencil drawings on the blocked-out area, and then apply paint to the image.

 

Graphic Novel From a Film - Students will be shown a film in class. Film will be selected based on story progression and interest. Students will then determine the most important portions of the film that impact the story-telling. The film will be broken down into sections based on those events, and students will render drawings of the events and create graphic novels that tell the story contained in the film. If possible, students will be provided with template pages that help them to lay out the graphic novel format.

 

Reinterpretation of Album Cover - Students will obtain a record album cover (sleeve) and reinterpret it in their own style. Students may use any medium they choose in the completion of this project.

 

Artwork in the Style of Gabriel Moreno - Students will be shown several examples of the work of artist/illustrator Gabriel Moreno. They will then be asked to break down his style into distinct elements (line quality, composition, image selection, etc.). Students will then create their own artwork in his style paying close attention to the elements determined earlier. Examples

 

Predator & Prey - Students will select two animals that have a predator/prey relationship to each other. They will then combine them into one creature, making sure that both animals remain distinctly recognizable in some fashion.

 

Welcome To... - Students will be given a classic tourist-style postcard design for the city they reside in. Such postcard designs typically idealize the location in a way that is unrealistic to actual residents. The students will then illustrate the "real" city depicted within the lettering of the card.

 

Icon Remix - Students will be given a description of what makes an icon. Icons can be symbolic, human, fictional, etc. The project will then revolve around remixing the icon is such a way that it runs contrary to what the original icon stood for. Creativity is a must on this project. A variation is to mash-up two different icons, or to use symbols instead.

 

Personal Logo - Students will create a personal logo that expresses something about them. Logos should be designed through a process of thumbnail sketches, color tests, etc. Final logos should be inked, created in illustrator/photoshop, or stenciled.

 

Redacted Art - Students will create a nice piece of fine art portraiture. When finished, students will ink a "redacted" block over an essential portion of the image. The artwork must be created fully before the redacted portion is added. Students will be experimenting with the concepts of work being temporary, and conceptual aspects of artwork.

 

Hand-painted Signage - Students will create a piece of hand-painted signage on scrap-wood. The sign can be for a business, a family name, or something abstract.

 

Written Story Portrait - Students will create a written biography on a large piece of paper. After the entire page is filled with letters, the student will create a self-portrait that is drawn directly on top of the writing. Some words will end up hidden by shadows, enhancing the mysterious quality of the writing.

 

Eraser Drawings - Students will create a drawing using only their eraser on a graphite-covered piece of paper. Students will need to learn to work in reverse, from dark to light.

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Illustrations on Paper Plates - Students will illustrate an animal of their choice on the middle of a paper plate, using a color harmony. They will then begin filling the negative space around the animal with decorative elements including but not limited to skeletal imagery of the animal. See examples HERE.

 

State Mottoes - Students will create artistic designs that express the state motto of their state of choice. Examples

 

Combined Animal Drawings - Students will create drawings of animals through a series of experimental processes. Some techniques used will include combining two animals that rhyme into a single animal, drawing one animal for a set period of time and then switching animals, trading pictures of animals in a rotation, combining two animals that share a predator/prey relationship, etc. List of Rhyming Animals

 

Pattern-Fill Portraits - Students will create portraits of their choice, and all areas of value will be filled by point-line patterns. Some set-up is required (posterizing images in Photoshop, printing, etc). so a sign-up list is required in advance of the start of this project.

 

Interior Components - Students will create a drawing of something (human, animal, object, etc) and then surround it with drawings of the interior components of the subject (internal organs, components, etc.)

 

Team Mural - Students will create murals in small teams. Students will work no this project in lieu of another project, and will be selected for their maturity, integrity, and artistic talent. Subject and design of mural to be decided on by the team members with approval from teacher.

 

Violence Mapping Project - Students will create a design that can easily be reproduced in stencil form and sprayed in neighborhood locations that have seen violence. Each spray of the stencil can represent a victim or a loss of life. Stencils would be part of a larger effort to inform the public.

 

Layered Watercolors - Students will create watercolor paintings of various images on watercolor paper. These images will be done lightly, using washes of paint no darker than 40%. Once paint dries, students will create a pencil drawing on top of the paint, which will then be inked with black later. All pencil marks will be erased before project is complete. Students are also welcome to use white gel pens to further layer the imagery.

 

Three Emotions Triptych- Students will paint three self portraits in triptych format, each representing a different part of their personality through expression, color, etc. Students will be required to work from photographs or mirrors for their course material.

 

Scrap Wood Assemblage - Students will create artworks consisting of a series of assembled blocks of scrap wood, painted, drawn on, and put together. Students will be required to develop a theme