Unusual Mediums for Usual Subjects

Portrait drawing...ugh.
Most students have this reaction when they learn of our unit on portraits because they feel incapable when it comes to drawing a human face realistically. So...we practice...and practice some more. We draw together, we draw with YouTube videos and we use step-by-step drawing portraits tutorials. Never mind the fact that most students have practiced portraits one way or another since 3rd grade. Still, it's not a favorite subject of most kids. Even when I mix up the mediums we use, students are still timid and unsure of their work.

This quarter, I was reintroduced to the work of Cheeming Boey. Although his cup drawings have been around for a while, I felt like his work was being pinned liked crazy lately and the more I dug into researching him, the more I wanted to connect his style and medium choices to our portrait unit. Videos showcasing his work distinctly encompass the 8 Studio Habits of Mind, and I had to share with his process with 8th grade art students.

Great videos of Boey here and here.

We began these works with sketching entire portraits using the typical method (head shape first, draw lines to mark the middle of the face, add eyes, etc). However, once we felt OK with drawing portraits in the typical way, we moved on to starting with just one eye. Boey mentions in his interviews that he doesn't necessary start with the large shapes first. We decided to do that same. We began with a detailed eye on the cup and then rest of the portrait (what we could fit anyway) fell into place.
A bordered band completed the top of the cup. We found some great inspiration here. 
So much fun...

The stands were created with a dowel and a small wooden circle to act as the base.  We basically punched holes in the cups and strung them on. Tissue paper adds a pop of color.

Come back soon to check out our next installment of "unusual materials for usual subjects"- Picasso Pop Can Portraits!

Picasso Portraits (tooling foil edition)

Picasso Portraits are an 8th grade lesson we've done a number of times here at BMS. We start with practicing realistic portraits by looking at facial proportions and do a couple of "draw together" activities. Typically, I will draw and project on my Ladibug doc cam and students will follow along with me.  I also show a number of YouTube demo videos on specific parts like eyes and noses. One of my favorites for a realistic eye=>>>>  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ9Hpp8JygIc

After we feel comfortable with drawing a realistic face,  we move on to creating a portrait done in the Cubist style. I spend lots of time emphasizing the fact that a Cubist work shows multiple views in one artwork.  Again, we practice together before we start the final work.

This quarter, the project was created on metal tooling foil. We drew a final copy and then that image was embossed on the foil using a ball-point pen. Color Sharpies were used to show emphasis, pattern, gradation of color as well as texture though the embossing of the metal.

Students were also asked to mount the foil on a piece of distressed cardboard for display. We made small wooden stands from scraps from the tech department.

A twist on an old favorite!