Fantasy Cityscapes

Lesson Title: Fantasy Cityscape
Big Idea: Dreams 

In this lesson, students learned how they could use line to manipulate a surface. Students took a look at the amazing achievements artists have made in creating the illusion of depth on a 2-d flat surface. They were exposed to a variety of images of chalk street artists who create the illusion of space on a flat road like so: 

Then, students learned one-point perspective. Students created a city-scape in one-point perspective worm's eye view.

Next, students learned about two-point perspective. They designed three boxes in two-point perspective.

Finally,  students used their knowledge of perspective to design a Fantasy Cityscape in their choice of one-point OR two-point perspective. Students learned all about Surrealism and how it represents the subconscious, using dreamlike imagery that isn't supposed to make sense. 

Students completed a Cityscape plan in which they designed their own city. They answered questions like where will your city be located? What will be the theme of your city? How can you make your city dreamlike (surrealistic)? 

Students were to add at least one building that was surrealistic such as a building made out of their favorite food item OR perhaps favorite sport such as a soccer ball or basketball building. 

Finally, students learned about the Warm Colors and Cool Colors and they were to color their city using mostly their choice of a Warm Color Scheme or Cool Color Scheme. 



To help students better understand how ART can be used to represent the subconscious, how art can represent our dreams, and how art doesn't always have to make sense- Students participated in Surrealistic art making activities such as an Exquisite Corpse and a Decalcomania. 


An Exquisite Corpse is a surrealist technique in which a group of students create a figure one part at a time. The first student begins with the head, then passes it to the next student without revealing what their drawing looks like. The complete drawing is not exposed until the final person draws the last part of the body, the feet. In the end, a figure that resembles surrealism is created in that it is dismembered and represents an image that is not meant to make sense.  The importance of the exquisite corpse is that it is a collaborative work of art and it suggests that each of its authors has something unconscious in common.

 Here are some of my students Exquisite Corpses~ (coming soon)

“Decalcomania” was a techique was used by Surrealists to create impromptu paintings controlled largely by chance. Much like a Rorschach Ink-Blot test, they would search for hidden imagery and develop it into a finished painting.

Here are some of my students Decalcomania's~ (coming soon)   


Finished Cityscapes~

Zentangles

Have you ever found yourself doodling away on the paper you're supposed to be taking notes on? Lost in random lines and scribbles that are maybe turning into flowers or animals etc..? Well Zentangle was created out of just this- something most of us would call a "doodle." Believe it or not, this simple repetition of lines, shapes, and patterns increases focus and to some is considered a form of meditation. The inventors of Zentangles hoped that those who experienced creating Zentangles could have such an experience. After taking a look at line, different kinds of line, shapes (geometric and organic) and pattern, Art I students got lost in their own meditation by completing a Zentangle design. 


After making two thumbnail sketches (one design in a geometric shape, one design in an organic shape or animal shape) Students began to draw their design on larger paper. To draw the outline of their shape, students were allowed pencils:

Students referenced their thumbnail sketch often as they completed their final design on large bristol paper in sharpie. They were allowed to change the pattern if there was something they did not like in their thumbnail sketch. However, the sketches were very valuable because they helped students have a choice of what shape they would like to use for their final project and they helped students understand the Zentangle process: 

The Zentangle theory is that it's easy to understand-even if you don't believe you are an artist! I found this to be a valuable beginning of the year project to help promote confidence in my students abilities. Students were challenged to create their design in sharpie marker- No erasers! Tihis is to help them see that there are no mistakes in art. Too often, we stop ourselves from drawing or creating art because we are afraid of messing up! Zentangles help us to see that there is nothing to fear.

Puzzle Art Installation Project

Art I students looked at the Puzzle Art Installation Collaborative Project run by artist Tim Kelly. Then, they were asked a series of questions about their favorite things i.e. favorite food, sport, season, hobbie, etc. After this, we discussed visual literacy- how you can say something without any words. Students discovered how they could represent themselves using visual symbols of things that they like. After this, each student designed a puzzle piece that represents them. Each puzzle piece starts out blank, but in the end, each one is unique- just like each one of us. The idea is that there are no extra pieces of the universe- we were all put here for a reason. By connecting all of our puzzle pieces together in my classroom- Art I students show each and every one of us that we all fit into the jigsaw puzzle of life.