Weekly Update: December 17-21

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!  
We (the kids and I both!) are so excited for winter break!  Today was the last day for both Quarter 2 8th grade classes as well as Term "C" 6th and 7th grade art classes.

6th Grade Art


In 6th grade art, we've spent the last week working on drawing techniques.  We learned how to shade using a variety of techniques: controlling pencil pressure, layering complementary colors, layering black pencil, and using hatching, crosshatching, stippling, and doodle line techniques.  Whoa that's a lot!  This week, students also turned in Sketchbook #3: a drawing of a wooden manikin in action.  Check them out on Artsonia!

7th Grade Art


I kind of feel like I say this every term, but man, this term went fast and was crazy busy!  We've been working furiously to finish up our black and white value self-portrait paintings (this photo was taken on Thursday afternoon, but they should be done by now!).  I have a fun plan to display these paintings with thick black construction paper mats that will really make the images pop!  So look forward to seeing a whole group of 7th graders' faces staring out at you from the hallways real soon!

8th Grade Art


We ended our 8th grade quarter with not enough time to make the usual paper sculpture project (a 3-dimensional star), so I improvised and created a super cool lesson on making your own pinwheels!  This way, we still did some experimental watercolor painting and used paper to create a 3-dimensional form.  The sticks for our pinwheels are made from pencils!  The best part is that the pinwheels really work!  Check them all out on our Artsonia gallery!

Eighth grade students also finished the quarter with one last drawing assignment: to design a program cover for the promotion ceremony at the end of the school year!  The best one is voted on by the 8th grade teachers and actually used at the event!  Woo hoo!

And of course, we ended the quarter with HOT CHOCOLATE in our handmade glazed clay mugs!  They're being brought home today, so be on the lookout!

Thanks for another great week - and have a great holiday!
-Mrs. L.

Weekly Update: December 10th - 14th

Next week is the last week before winter break - and the last week of art for ALL current classes!  Needless to say, we are SUPER BUSY trying to finish projects and get grades turned in!

6th Grade:


This week, we FINISHED our paper mache letter sculptures.  In the picture above, you can see them stacked up, waiting to be graded, photographed, and uploaded to Artsonia!  Also this week, we started our final sketchbook assignment: a wooden manikin drawing.  This drawing will be due next Thursday (Dec 20). Next week, we will work on various drawing skills and practice some new drawing techniques.  Each day will have a different focus until the end of the term.

7th Grade:


Seventh grade classes have now finished their graphite grid drawings (check them out in our Artsonia gallery here!) and we've begun a new final painting project: self portraits!  It'll be really short, and we'll be able to finish by the end of this week.  Unfortunately, we don't have time to complete a still life painting (as previous terms have done), but I think I like this alternate project even better!  We're still completing a painting unit, and we're still covering the concept of mixing tints and shades of paint colors.  Score!

Also, our second sketchbook assignment (a black and white op-art inspired design) was due on Friday, so look for those grades and another accompanying Artsonia exhibit real soon!

8th Grade:


Eighth grade students are finishing up EVERYTHING right now!  Our plaster animal "faux taxidermy" heads just got their hanging wires yesterday, and I just unloaded the final kiln firing for glaze today!  So, this means a lot of grading/photographing/uploading to Artsonia for me, but it also means that 8th grade students will have lots of fun projects to bring home real soon!  Awesome!

In Other News...


Thanks for another great week!
- Mrs. L.

Weekly Update: December 3-7

6th Grade:


Sixth grade has worked really hard on our paper mache sculptures, trying to finish them up!  This week, we finished the paper mache layers, added puffy paint texture to the front face, and began applying the base coat of acrylic paint.  Next week, we'll apply a second color wash to bring out the texture on the front.

In-between waiting for our layers of paint and paper mache to dry, we worked on our 1-point perspective room drawings, which were due today at the end of class.  Next week, we'll begin our third and final sketchbook assignment!  Time is flying by!

7th Grade:


Seventh grade classes had kind of a crazy week!  We lost about half of our class on Wednesday due to a KMO competition, and on Friday (today) there was a choir tour for choir students.  So, students worked hard during their in-class time to try and complete their grid drawing celebrity portraits, which will be "due" on Monday.  When I say "due," I mean that we will no longer spend any time in-class on this assignment, and that I'll begin grading the finished projects at that time.  If a student has not turned in the assignment, it will show up in the gradebook as a zero until I receive it.  All work needs to be turned in by December 21st (the last day of the term)... but I strongly suggest that students not wait until the last minute!  We'll be starting a new project on Monday, and work has a tendency to pile up if you let it wait!

Our sketchbook #2 assignment (Op-Art inspired drawing; see above) was also worked on in-class if/when students finished their grid drawing.  This drawing will be due on December 14th, and there will not be a sketchbook #3 this term due to time constraints.  We will, however, complete a short painting project in the next two weeks before break!

8th Grade:


8th grade students glazed their clay mugs this week!  It's always exciting to think about how they'll look when they're finally finished and we get to use them!  Our hot chocolate celebration will be on the last day of the quarter, December 21st.

Students have also begun to paint their plaster animal faux taxidermy heads with acrylic paint.  Hopefully, we'll have those finished next week!  Yayy!

In other news...
Students from health classes were learning about the skeletal system.  One group decided to turn their skeleton into me, "day of the dead" style.  Isn't it awesome?!  I especially love the facial designs and skully bow in my hair!



...and, I found this fun "art history" graphic while I was hunting around on Pinterest for art ideas:



Thanks for another great week!
-Mrs. L.

Weekly Update: Nov. 26-30

6th Grade 
This week was all about SCULPTURE!  We worked very hard this week constructing our block letters from cereal box cardboard.  These 3-D forms were stuffed with newspaper to keep the shapes sturdy.  Starting today, we began layering paper mache over the forms.  Next week, we'll finish the paper mache layers and add other finishing techniques.

In class, we are also working on a 1-point perspective room drawing, which will be due next week.

P.S. Check out our latest work on Artsonia!

7th Grade


On Monday, we printed out celebrity portraits for our grid drawing assignment.  Our final drawings will be 12"x16.5" black and white sketches drawn in graphite.  Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were spent working on the actual drawings.  We are using viewfinders to help us concentrate on the individual grid squares from our printouts, and blending stumps to blend and shade our graphite.

P.S. Check out our latest work on Artsonia!

8th Grade
This was pottery wheel week!  On Tuesday, we watched an instructional video all about the pottery wheel featuring Danielle "The Clay Lady."  Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were all wheel days, and students had an assigned rotation for taking turns.

On days that the students were not on the pottery wheel, they worked on sketchbook assignment #3.  The topic is "draw your greatest fear." (Yes, this is different from the one on the website - we changed it up this quarter!) The topic was inspired by Ms. Best's AP art portfolio project.  She talked to 8th grade art classes about course offerings in art at York HS, and showed off some of her work.

Sketchbook #3 is due next week on Wednesday.

In other news... 

I made myself into grumpy cat.  Enjoy.



Thanks for another great week!
-Mrs. L.

Holiday Gift Ideas: An Art Supply Shopping Guide!

Looking for an awesome holiday gift for your art-loving son or daughter?  How about some art supplies?!  Below is a list of art-related gift ideas for the art student in your life:

1. A graphite drawing set. This set by Cretacolor has pretty much everything you'll need: an eraser, a blending stump, 3 GraphitAquarell pencils, a Monolith Aquarell graphite pencil, two graphite sticks, a black pastel pencil, and one Nero pencil for deep black lines.

 

2. A really great set of colored pencils.  As a student, I always asked for Prismacolor pencils, but I've recently discovered Blick studio brand artist's colored pencils.  They're very comparable, and reasonably priced.  Perfect for the middle school student in your life.  Splurge and buy the 36, 48, or 72 pencil sets!  (We use the 24 pencil sets here at school.)

3. An awesome fancy sketchbook with "good" drawing paper is always a welcome gift.  I like this one from Canson.  I recommend the 9"x12" size, but there are many different ones to choose from!  Sometimes the tiny sizes are fun for travel.

4. If you really want portability with your artwork, consider a pack of Moleskine Cahier sketchbooks.  They're sold in packs of 3, and easy to carry around.  A few years ago, I participated in the Sketchbook project, and these were the books that were provided to us.  I used mine for collage, watercolor, colored pencil, marker, and graphite.  I was very pleased with the quality of the product.  And they're cute, so who doesn't like that?

 

5. For the collage enthusiast, a great exact-o and cutting mat set is key.  I like this set by Alvin, and have something very similar in my own art studio at home.  We also use these cutting mats in the classroom!

6. A set of artist's acrylic paints is perfect for a budding artist.  Acrylic paint (the good kind) can be fairly expensive, so a set like this would be a welcome gift.  I recommend the basic 12-color set, which contains
the most popular colors in 2 oz tubes, including Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna, Yellow Oxide, Naphthol Crimson, Cadmium Orange, Phthalo Green, Yellow Medium Azo, Cadmium Red Light, Ultramarine Blue, Titanium White, and Mars Black.

7. If you get nice paints, you've gotta have some brushes to go with it!  This set by Royal Langnickel is a good choice for a couple of reasons.  First, there is a good mix of small, medium, and large size brushes.  I happen to be a big fan of the "filbert" shape (like an upside-down letter "U"), so I was happy to see one of those in there.  Also, the special "soft grip" handle is nice to hold.

8. Now, if you get nice brushes, you've GOT to be able to keep them that way!  I'm all about buying high-quality supplies and taking care of them the right way to make them last.  We use The Master's Brush Cleaner in the art room to keep our brushes extra clean, but it also conditions the bristles and helps them to retain their shape.  Win!

9. The final step in keeping your paintbrushes nice is to use a brush cleaning tank.  It's basically a glass jar with a metal spring inside that helps separate the brush bristles and allows chunks of paint to settle to the bottom and not get smashed up into the ferrule (metal collar part) of the brush.  I have one at home that I use all the time, and I wish these were made in plastic so we could use them here at school, too.  Make your little artist feel fancy by buying them one of these and their brushes will stay extra nice for extra long because they've been cleaned properly.

...It was fun creating this list, since I got to window shop through the Blick store in order to compile it all!  Of course, if you can't decide, a gift card is always a good option - then your artist can decide for his/her self what to buy!

Happy Holidays!
-Mrs. L.