Center School x MCAD Lesson Plan Nature Portraiture

Grade: 7th - 11th Grade

Standard

Code: 9.1.2.5.1
Strand: 1. Artistic Foundations
Anchor Standard: Integrate the characteristics of the tools, materials and techniques of a selected media in original artworks to support artistic purposes.

First Day - Drawing

Overview:

Students will be working from life - pulling from nature based content to learn observation and slowing down within creating. They will learn the basics of measuring from life as well as linear drawing techniques.

Big Ideas:

How/what do you observe to make art?
Exercising eyes and creativity of recreating in art.
Using line to show depth and weight as opposed to shadows

Student Outcomes

Students will learn how to use measuring tools such as the relationary measuring of one object to another and pencil to eye gauging
Learn how to expand upon merely the visual, with using artistic licenses by picking what adds and hurts the composition
Learn how to use line to recreate life
Students will learn how to slow down within the process to better understand the subject and give confident line within creating

Prior Knowledge

Assess at the very beginning what are some experiences they have had before with drawing - assess how much I should get into the basics - assume I will have to start from the beginning
Prior knowledge of simple drawing and watercolor would benefit students but is not necessary

Examples of Artwork

Assessment

Once everyone is finished, everyone will walk around and see everyones creations.

After everyone is seated - I will ask them to talk in groups, right on the wall some questions for each of the students to answer - after that we will come together as a whole class and can talk about the process and what each group had to say. See if they are excited about painting over them the next day -

Some questions to put on the board or have as sheets to give to each group

Have each student spend at least 5 minutes talking about their drawing
- Composition
- Line
- Content
- The process with line and observation
- Frustrations and excitements
- Future painting

After they all answer we will come together as a whole class and see if anyone has any observations from the project being in the middle -

Materials

Plants or flowers
Pencils H - B
Erasers
Sharpeners
Drawing paper - maybe just 9” x 12”
Enough paper for practice sheets - sketch/warm up

Learning activities and timing

Class

( 90 minutes overall)

Introduce Myself - (1 minute)
- My name, pronouns
- Mention MCAD, state a couple little facts about my own practice, mention that we will be diving into some nature portraits :)
Have everyone go around the room say their name, pronouns, favorite medium, and favorite snack food (7 minutes)
Introduce the activity (10 minute)
- Show the example and point out our lovely models for the day - plants
- Bring out the material and show the steps that we will be going through with a little demonstrations fully 7 minutes be sure to assure we will give the steps after the demonstration
  - Start with looking, describing what composition I want to create (define)
  - using your fingers to create a rectangle - pick composition
  - First go in with a gesture of the portrait H pencil - plants have life lets be sure to give it that life. Be able to see the full piece right away
  - Show how to measure with the pencil
    - Arm stretched out - finger to the point of measure in front - one eye closed - then bring it to paper mark
  - Start putting and revising - show how the gell eraser works
  - Revise gesture with measurements and lines using one point and measuring out
    - Introduce line weight, density, light to dark, weight at the bottom of the portrait
  - This is where style and decisions of the arts comes into play
Then I will have them go to their chairs and start the process!! (45 minutes overall)
Review the steps - give a project sheet for reminders
- Start with looking for 2 minutes, using your fingers to create a rectangle - pick composition
- Move the seat to their liking aren't bound by any prior decisions
- First go in with a gesture (3 minutes) of the portrait H pencil - show in the air how quick it should be and to not be scared!! It should look like a scribble, instantly seeing the piece :)plants have life let's be sure to give it that life. Be able to see the full piece right away should be quick
- Measure and revise (20 minutes)
- Start to add decisions that clean up the drawing (10 minutes)
- Make some decisions that aren't necessarily front of you (10 minutes) that make the drawing have more of the essence
- Wrap up any loose ends for the painting the next day

Reflection (20 minute)
- Have everyone walk around the classroom 2 minutes
- Get into groups and have each individual get 5 minutes to discuss their work to their group
- What did they learn? What will they take away and what will they leave?
- After the groups are finished we will come together as a whole class and have each group say something about their projects !

(5 minute) of cleanup
Ask students to as a group put away all the material place it back in compartments
- Material
- Write name on back of drawings

While they clean up I will gather all the art work for the next days painting
- Have a portfolio prepared

Second Day - Painting

Overview:

Students will be working from life - pulling from nature based content to learn observation and slowing down within creating. They will learn the basics of color, mixing, brushes etc

Big Ideas:

How/what do you observe to make art?
Exercising eyes and creativity of recreating in art.
Using color to express the content