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From Ordinary to Extraordinary is appropriate for secondary students. The Setting Tells the Tale, Lesson Four, is appropriate for elementary students.
- Students will be able to use point of view on an object or the positioning of an object to create
drama or help tell a story.
- Students will be able to create a setting to increase drama or help tell a story.
Arizona Visual Arts Standards
- CREATE: Meanings & Purposes: PO 201: Explain purposeful use of subject matter, symbols and/or themes in his or her artwork.
- CREATE: Meanings & Purposes: PO 301: Demonstrate purposeful use of subject matter, symbols and/or themes in his or her artwork.
- CREATE: Quality: PO 201 & 301: Identify successful aspects of his or her own artwork and possible revisions.
Preview From Ordinary to Extraordinary PowerPoint.
If your students need help with basic shading, the How did they do that? PowerPoint in the Masters of Illusion secondary unit could be helpful.
If you are considering extending this drawing project into bookmaking, the Making My Own Book Power-Point in the Read Me a Picture unit presents several simple and complex bookmaking processes.
Resources and Supplies
- From Ordinary to Extraordinary PowerPoint
- sample ordinary objects
- 9- x 12-inch drawing paper
- fine-tip markers
- Color Options: watercolor, colored pencil, tissue paper and glue and other collage materials
- How did they do that? PowerPoint from the Masters of Illusion Secondary Unit
- Making My Own Book PowerPoint from the Read Me a Picture Unit
Review: Review the theme in life that “Each of us has a point of view that affects how we see and respond to our world” and the theme in art that “Artists manipulate the viewer’s point of view to create drama in their artwork.”
Also review the unit’s three key questions. Lessons One and Two focused on questions to help students better understand another artist’s work. Explain that in this lesson they will focus on versions of those questions to help them make decisions in their own artwork.
- What point of view did the artist choose for this artwork? (What point of view shall I choose for my artwork?)
- How has the artist positioned objects/characters within the setting of the artwork? (What object/character and setting shall I choose for my artwork?)
- How can an artist’s choices create drama or help tell a story?(How can I increase drama or tell a story in my artwork?)
Introduction: Display the first four slides of the From Ordinary to Extraordinary PowerPoint to remind students of how artists use point of view or position and setting to dramatize ordinary objects (tin cans, teapot and violin).
Review: Using a common object, such as a small stool or empty plastic bucket, demonstrate how the appearance for the object changes as you manipulate the viewer’s point of view and the object’s position. For example, you might hold the object above your head, at eye level, and at your waist describing how it looks different from each viewpoint. Also place the object on a table in different positions (standing normally, upside down, tipped at an angle, on its side, etc.) describing how its appearance changes.
Assignment: Explain to students that they are to demonstrate what they’ve learned by transforming an ordinary object into something extraordinary through their selection of point of view or object positioning and through their creation of a setting. Show slides 5-7 to explain steps in the assignment:
- Slide 5: Select an ordinary object.
- Slide 6: Select a point of view on your object and/ or
- Slide 7: Select the position of your object.
- Slide 8: Place your object in a setting and add some color to finish.
Brainstorm: Ask students to partner with one or two classmates to propose an ordinary object they would like to transform and brainstorm about points of view, positions or settings that could add drama or help tell a story with the object.
Step-By-Step Process: Show slides 9-13 to show in-process and completed students’ drawings that transformed an ordinary object (cup) into something extraordinary.
- Slide 9: Sketching an object from different points of view and positions.
- Slide 10: Creating a setting for the ordinary object.
- Slide 11: Adding some color.
- Slides 12 &13: Completed drawings that suggest stories.
Review of Process: Show slides 14-17 as an example of one student’s progression through the steps of the assignment as well as an example of the dramatic painting of pomegranates.
Idea Development: Ask students to bring to class a small, simple object with minimal surface decoration, or provide objects from school sources (boxes, jars, bowls, tennis balls, coffee cups, etc.). Ask students to take several minutes to discover their objects by just looking and observing them before doing any drawing. Ask each student to play with his/her object, handle it, turn it, explore and closely study it. Next, give students 15 or 20 minutes to explore their objects by making thumbnail sketches from as many points of view and positions as they can. Explain that students should be imagining ways they might tell a story with the object or dramatize it. Ask them to brainstorm a variety of real or imaginary settings (surroundings) or props they might include in a drawing to add excitement, mystery, or humor to their drawings.
Work Time: Ask students to choose a thumbnail sketch as the basis of a larger drawing to be sketched first with light lines to allow for revision. Next, to use fine felt marker to darken final lines. Then complete the drawing with some color (watercolor, colored pencil, tissue paper and glue or other collage materials).
In-Process Consultation: You may wish to approve each student’s choice of thumbnail or beginning drawing before s/he moves on to felt-tip pen or color work. You may wish to encourage small groups of students to share preliminary drawings and seek classmates’ feedback in process.
Presentation: Display completed drawings. Ask students to write a title or short story to submit with their
work. Lead a discussion with the following questions before sharing the students’ titles or stories.
- As a viewer, choose a classmate’s artwork that you think successfully transformed an ordinary object into something extraordinary. Propose a title for the drawing.
- Which drawings most effectively use the position of the object or the viewer’s point of view on the object to add drama or tell a story? Explain.
- Which drawings most effectively integrate the setting or surroundings of the object to add drama or tell a story? Explain.
- In turn, present your work and read your title or story to the class.
- What part of the process was most challenging for you? Did you succeed? How?
- If not, what might you try if faced with a similar problem in the future?
BOOKMAKING: Small groups of students might develop a story that uses the ordinary object in various settings involved in several events sequenced into a plot. They might work to illustrate and produce a book. See Read Me a Picture online unit for various simple to complex bookmaking processes.
OBJECTIVE 1: Students will be able to use point of view on an object or the positioning of an object to create drama or help tell a story.
- Exceeds Expectations: Either the unusual position of the ordinary object or the viewer’s unusual point of view on it clearly reinforces the title of the work or enhances the story written about it.
- Meets Expectations: Either the unusual position of the ordinary object or the viewer’s unusual point of view on it is relates in some way to the title of the work or story written about it.
- Approaches Expectations: The object is either positioned in an unusual way or is seen from an unusual point of view.
- Fails to Meet Expectations: The ordinary object is shown in its most typical position and near eye level.
OBJECTIVE 2: Students will be able to create a setting to increase drama or help tell a story.
- Exceeds Expectations: The setting (or surroundings) of the ordinary object clearly reinforces the title of the work or enhances the story written about the drawing.
- Meets Expectations: The setting of the ordinary object is related in some way to the title of the work or story written about the drawing.
- Approaches Expectations: The ordinary object is shown within a setting (surroundings).
- Fails to Meet Expectations: The ordinary object is shown without a setting (surroundings).