Final Projects-Student Choice-One of Three

For the final project of the year, I presented three different art forms for students to choose from. On three successive days, I did a brief introduction and quick guided practice that allowed them to experience the steps and techniques to complete one of the following: 1-one point perspective landscape, 2-mandala, or 3-op art. I felt this selection provided for both a variety of interests as well as varied skill levels.

For the One Point Perspective project, I explained that not all people like the mathematical precision of this drawing technique. However, if a student chooses to do this project it's very important to follow all the rules of perspective to create a convincing two dimensional drawing that looks like the image could exist in a three dimensional space. Using a ruler, we started with the basics of a horizon line and vanishing point, and built some structures in perspective. To add to the illusion, we included the effects of atmosphere on objects as they "fade into the distance".

For the Mandala project, we found the center of a square by using diagonal lines, corner to corner. Only one line was drawn completely and this line was also used with a protractor to divide the circle into 45 degree wedges. Additional tools used were a ruler and compass. A design was created in one wedge and then using a tracing paper transfer method, was copied into the rest of the wedges. The finished design was outlined in black permanent marker and completed with colored pencil.

For the Op Art project, students 'fractured' the first initial of either their first or last name. Using various text generating software on either a computer or iPad, we chose a chunky, bold font to work with. Then we made it as large as we could through a combination of point size and zooming in, until it filled the space of our drawing paper. Placing the paper on the screen, students were able to trace the outline of the letter. Letter positioning, parallel vs. tilted, was a design choice. Next came fracturing with the straight edge of the ruler. Lines crossed from one edge of the paper to another edge, with careful positioning so the intersections didn't create extremely tiny shapes. With a set of two complementary colored pencils, and starting in one corner of the paper, students filled alternating shapes with solid color. The trick is to realize that the letter is no longer one shape because it's been fractured! Can you spot the letters?