Sketchbook Introduction: Part II
October 4, 2019 and October 11, 2019
Project Description:
During this class, we will be teaching students the importance of using a sketchbook to develop ideas and think through their own creative process. This is important because keeping track of their ideas can help students grow as artists, it can help them understand where they started and where they are now. This is something that is important to start at a young age because that can help them grow throughout their artistic development. We will also introduce the Wonder Lab teachers by sharing our artwork.
Essential Understanding:
Artists and designers use sketchbooks as part of their creative process to think through and develop their ideas.
Learning Target:
After the introduction, students will be able to generate ideas for their sketchbook cover, by talking in groups about their ideas, and then beginning to work. After discussion, students will be able to understand why artists and designers use sketchbooks in their creative process, as measured through their contributions to the discussion.
Key Concepts:
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Students will explore how to generate ideas by talking about them to others and by writing them down.
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Students will use observation skills to start to connect the artist to the art they make.
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After students think through their ideas, they will be able to choose and work with a medium or a variety of mediums to create their cover.
Skills:
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Ideation
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Collaboration
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Reflection
Tell me the story
“They are having a party, this is the DJ, This guy had his rocket shoes kick in at the wrong time, they malfunctioned”
What are these little creatures right here?
“Those are electric bugs and they are trying to stop the party with their man-eating fly trap”
“Your sketches are very detailed as well. Did it help to sketch the story before you drew it on the cover?”
“Yeah and I’m going to add color to the cover with colored pencil”
What worked well for this art experience? Why?:
For this art experience, it worked really well to have students reconsider what they were thinking about for their sketchbook in the last class. This was important because it allowed for students to add or revise their previous ideas. Oftentimes artists think about their ideas for weeks, months, even years, before they finish a piece. Artists are constantly changing and revising their ideas, because that allows for them to further develop what they were originally thinking about. When students are given the opportunity to do this as well, their already meaningful ideas develop and become more meaningful. In this lesson students developed their ideas successfully, and added to their previous ideas in a way that allowed for their previous ideas to become stronger.
What didn't work well for this art experience? Why?:
Similarly to the previous lesson, we gave examples of our sketchbook covers that we revised and added to. This didn't work well because students started to take our ideas and copy them. I had geometric shapes on my sketchbook cover, and a lot of students decided to copy almost the exact pattern I had drawn. While this doesn't necessarily mean that students aren't making meaningful art, having students develop their own ideas allows for much more meaningful creation of art.
What would you do differently? Why?
In connection with the aspect that didn't go well in our lesson, I think it would have been better to have another ideation sheet during this class, to get students thinking about how they might add to or revise their sketchbook cover without having specific examples. For this part of the project the questions could ask what did I want to but was not able to finish last class?, How can I expand on that idea now?, What new colors might I be able to add?, How can I explore texture on my cover?, Could I add something with texture?, etc.