About Middle School Art
Middle School Art consists of projects that improve upon each student’s knowledge of the Elements of Art and Principles of Design. This class exposes students to various artists, techniques, and functions of art in society. Students have the opportunity to master artistic techniques through a variety of media.
- MS Art Update – December 2015
Middle School art students are continuing to create drawings using one-point perspective. They have moved from creating small sketches to creating large, 12”x18” drawings, to which they are adding shading, color and texture. They are making a lot of progress, but will still be working on these artworks through the end of December.
- MS Art Update – November 2015
In the Middle School Base Art classes, students have begun learning how to draw using One Point Mathematical Perspective. We examined some artworks from the 1300s through the 1500s, seeing how they changed from before Mathematical Perspective was rediscovered and codified, to after. Students began exercises to practice one point perspective, and will eventually make a larger drawing to demonstrate the use of perspective.
- MS Art Update – October 2015
Over the past few weeks, Middle School students have taught each other about all of the Elements of Art and Principles of Design. Using the information that they learned, they will each make an accordian book of all the Elements and Principles, which they will be able to refer to throughout the school year.
- MS Art – Clay Sculptures Inspired by Song Dynasty – May 2015
In conjunction with a Social Studies unit about China, middle school art students learned about the Qingming scroll of the Song Dynasty. In art class, they discussed the principles of calligraphy and painting in Chinese art, and how a scroll such as this one would have been used and looked at. (Although museums often display a scroll completely open, a person would have examined the scroll a small section at a time.)
Students then looked at sculptures of the Song Dynasty and made their own clay sculptures, inspired by those they saw in class. Most students created animals or mythological creatures. After sculpting their air dry clay and allowing it to dry, each student painted their sculpture with tempera paint.
- MS Art – Zentangle Animals – December 2014
Based on what they discovered while creating Zentangles, Middle School Art students drew Zentangle animals. As with the smaller-format Zentangles, students drew an animal on large paper using pencils, then divided that animal into sections. Students then filled each section with patterns, using fine point permanent markers. Finally, if time allowed, they painted their animal using watercolor paints.
- MS Art – Papier-Mâché Animal Heads – May 2014
In Middle School Art, students explored 3-D art through papier-mâché. They began by making 3-view (top, side and front view) drawings of an animal, mixed beast or imaginary creature of their choice. They followed that by using newspaper and masking tape to craft an armature for their beast. Next, they covered their sculpture with strips of newspaper coated in paste, and finished by applying a coat of paint. Some students opted to create a naturalistic looking creature, while others preferred a fantastical approach. This was a messy, but fun, project.
- MS Art Update – October 2013
In Middle School, students are in the process of drawing portraits of people using the traditional oval shaped face with standard proportions. Soon they will be asking critical questions about individual and unique facial proportions and drawing self-portraits using mirrors. We will then compare and contrast the first drawing with the second. Finally, we will look at average proportions of the body and investigate ways to make interesting figure drawings. They’ll be able to use that information in an upcoming Social Studies assignment.
- September 2013
Hello, Honey Creek families and friends. I am delighted to be on staff this year as the new art teacher. I earned my Post-Baccalaureate teaching certificate in Visual Arts Education from Eastern Michigan University and have spent as much time in the classrooms of Honey Creek as possible since then. I have already had a long relationship with Honey Creek, and as I’ve told all my students, Honey Creek is my favorite school. I’ve already really enjoyed working with all of your kids. I am looking forward to a wonderful year with your students, including investigating art history, writing about and discussing students’ own art and the art of others, and making art. If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail me at firstname.lastname@example.org.