Discovering Typography

My 7th grade students have been studying typography the last few days. I am always inspired by modern type and I thought that my students might be too. We watched a video that introduced the students to typography and how to use tracing paper, magazines and a nice sharp pencil to recreate typography in a "cloud" design. This exercise was a precursor to their next project which is a magazine lay out page. I am excited about the results to this project, I can't wait to see what they create for a magazine page.



Aaron De La Cruz

Every Friday my students and I explore a new artist. This past Friday the students and I watched a short video of Aaron De La Cruz painting a mural. The students and I talked about how the artist uses thick, black lines to create murals. My students also wrote in their sketchbooks a reflection about Aaron De La Cruz by either responding with a sentence or drawing a picture. The most exciting part of the artist study was when my students made the connection between Aaron's line and the types of lines they are  currently using to complete their Van Gogh Style landscapes!

Here are two student examples of the Van Gogh style line landscapes that we are working on.

More Visitors!

I had a nice visit from a parent today who spent that day with his child. Vernon, and his dad Vernon, had a great time in my class! Vernon Jr. contributed to the class discussion like an articulate young man and his father did a great job supporting me as a teacher in the classroom. An awesome shot of father and son working side by side!

 

I love having parents in the room, supporting their children! It made for an fantastic environment this morning!

Back to School Night

Last night was back to school night at Jefferson Academy Middle School. I had a nice turn out of caring, devoted parents. I asked the parents to write a goal they had for their child this year in art. Many of the goals were centered around their child being exposed to new and interesting things as well as their child gaining as much knowledge as possible. I have the goals hanging in the art room by the door.

An Exciting Classroom Visitor!

My principal made a fantastic connection with Dreamworks Films to have a animation film director come to speak to my students yesterday about art! Peter Ramsey, director of Rise of the Guardians, spoke with my students about making a career out of art. He expressed how important it is to stick with drawing and creating, even if it feels difficult at the moment. "Always go back to the difficult thing and try again" he said yesterday to my students.

Mr. Ramsey showed my students the animation film trailer for Rise of the Guardians and spoke with them about story boards. He showed the students how characters develop and how each frame and shot in a movie is mapped and planned out.

My students responded so well to the speaker. They asked fantastic questions and were amazingly behaved. I was so proud to be their teacher. I hope they took away as much inspiration as I did yesterday.

Here is a photo of Peter Ramsey talking to my students about character development. He also gave each of my student's a book; Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King, which his animation film is based on. He signed each copy for the students as well!

7th Grade Sketching

Here is an update of the first four days of the 7th grade using their new donated sketchbooks. There is a different prompt each day. Twice a week there is an observational sketch, which strengthens hand and eye coordination as well as visual perception. Two more times a week there is a Challenge! which prompts the students to answer a question with a drawing.

This student's sketch books page illustrates the last four prompts:

1. Eraser- Observational Drawing
2. Chair- Challenge! Draw something that you can push.
3. Treasure Chest- Challenge! Draw something realted to the ocean.
4. Toothbrush- Observational Drawing

Here are some more fantastic student sketchbook pages!

Donors Choose "A Sketchbook for Every Kid!"

I put together a Donor's Choose project over the summer for a class set of sketchbooks. My friends, family, and anonymous donors contributed over $450 to the cause and funded 100 sketchbooks for my students in under 48 hours! It was a wild success and I am so very thankful! I can't wait to upload images of what the students will be doing in their sketchbook every day!

Here is the first class designing the cover of their very own, professional sketchbooks!

Sketches for Homework

Jefferson Academy Middle School the students homework grade is worth 25% of their overall average. I have asked the students to choose one idea a night from a list of 149 sketching ideas. The students will use this idea to generate a five minute drawing. Here is a visual from one of my 7th grade students to illustrate the difference between a five minute and a two minute sketch.

He choose #98 Draw something that oozes.