2017 CAEA Workshop Presenter/Instructor Conference Lesson Plan
Email completed form to Linda Stevenson [email protected] on or before August 24, 2017.
Workshop Title: Beyond the Stick Figure: 5-Pt. Figures!
Name of Presenter: Mary Ann Davis
Workshop Grade Level and Audience Type (check one or more in each column)
Grade Level Audience Type x TK-5 x Single Subject Visual Arts Teachers x 6-8 Art, Media, Entertainment Teachers (CTE) x 9-12 x Multiple Subject Classroom Teachers x Students with x University Special Needs Other: Administrators
Museum Pre-Service Other:
Workshop Academic Standards Connections Check and list the specific standard(s) for each type of standards directly addressed in your workshop.
Type of Standards Specific Standards x CA Visual Arts Content 4, 2.5 Use accurate proportions to create an expressive portrait, Standards figure drawing or painting 5, 2.2 Create gesture and contour observational drawings 9-12 Proficient, 2.4 Review and refine observational drawing skills New National Visual Arts HS--Accomplished Standards VA:Cr2.1.IIa Through experimentation, practice, and persistence, demonstrate acquisition of skills and knowledge in a chosen art form.
1 Type of Standards Specific Standards
CA Content Literacy for Technical Subjects - Writing CA Content Literacy for Technical Subjects - Reading CA English Language Development Standards
21St Century Skills Use communication for a variety of purposes [e.g., to inform, instruct, motivate and persuade]
Workshop Lesson Learning Objectives/Goals/Essential Understandings: Students will develop spatial observation skills that create ease in drawing more human realistic figures. These drawing skills then can be used as a tool to create more lifelike human sculptures.
PART I – 5-pt Figure Vocabulary: animate—to appear to have life or movement articulate—to have moving joints foreshortening—to reduce or distort for the purpose of creating the illusion of 3-dimensional space as perceived by the human eye. horizon line-- In 'real life', the horizon is where the land (or sea) and sky meet. In painting perspective, it's the level your eyes are at, an imaginary line to which things recede.
Materials: Students: drawing paper, graphite pencils. Magazines (skateboarding, dance, sports, etc.) Teacher: overhead projector or document camera, or whiteboard
Motivation: Q: If most people were asked to draw a human figure, what would they draw? (a stick figure!) Model being a stick figure to demonstrate its limitations.
Procedure: (Step-by-step instructions or outline of workshop)
2 In landscape position, have students draw a horizon line approximately 1/3 from the top of their paper. Pay homage to the stick figure by putting it on a pedestal (stick figure has always been there when we needed it <3) Model how bodies can move (ask students to move their bodies) and ask how their bodies are different than a stick figure (our bodies articulate—we have joints.) Demonstrate drawing the 5-pt figure by looking at a photo of a figure in action from a magazine photo and have students draw along, step-by-step.
o Draw an angled head (if it’s angled) This is the first point of the 5-pt figure o Notice and draw the direction of the spine o In relation to the spine, draw dots where the hands and feet are located (the other 4 points) o With your bent arm or leg, ask students how they would describe that shape as a letter of the alphabet (an “L” or a “V”. sometimes a capital “I”) o Demonstrate practicing invisibly at first then connecting the hand and feet dots to the body (advanced HS and college students can also look for shoulder and hip direction and put those lines in place.) o Feet can be added last, noting their direction. o For fun, have students redraw the original 5 points and spine and then reverse some of the “V”s to see the difference in the figure. (Note that at this point, I usually stand up on a sturdy elevated surface and model in some simple poses.) o Distribute magazines and have students practice drawing figures. o Have them also include props in their drawings. o Break students into groups of 5 or 6 and have them take turns modeling while others quickly draw their 5 points and turn them into figures.
Assessment and/or Evaluation of Learning: Quick check: After some practice, survey students (thumb votes are good) to ask students if they are more confident with drawing an animated, lifelike figure. The response is usually impressive.
Check for understanding by assigning the task of returning the next day with 10 more 5-point figures, drawn from family and friends they ask to pose.
PART 2—Foil Figure
Materials: (Needed for lesson--paper, paint, etc.) 18” square of heavy duty aluminum foil. (note that folds in the foil will tear easily in a straight line—scissors are not needed) 3 Motivation: Precede this lesson with the 5-pt figure lesson and explain that their figures will now become 3- dimensional.
Procedure: o Make tears in the aluminum foil in the following pattern: . the first tears are along the top edge, dividing the top edge into 1/3s, tearing 1/3 of the way toward the middle of the foil . on the bottom edge, tear the foil at the 1/2 of the way across, also 1/3 of the way toward the middle of the foil.
. gently gather the middle piece on the top edge into a ball shape for the head of the figure . hold the foil at the sides and walk your fingers toward each other, until one hand can hold this compressed area, which will become the waist or torso. . gently compress the remaining 4 parts to become the arms and legs. . notice the resemblance to the stick figure! . now, articulate the figure, adding joints, bending the spine, tilting the head, etc. . details can be added with additional foil.
Assessment and/or Evaluation of Learning: Success is determined by the creation of a lifelike, non-stick-like figure.
Extensions: (Follow-up lessons, connections to the performing arts, and other core subjects) 5-pt FIGURES: o Add clothing and facial features o Explain the concept of “foreshortening” and learn to trust what your eyes see when drawing. o MS, HS, College--5-pt Figures develop observation skills to more easily grasp the concept of gesture drawing to quickly surmise the direction and energy of the figure being drawn.
FOIL FIGURES: o Students can work together in small groups to illustrate a concept, life skill, period of history, or social justice issue.
4 o Students can write stories about their figure from their point of view and students can also participate in group presentations.
Adaptions or Modifications for Students with Special Needs: o If the student is having difficulty drawing the figures, the 5 points can be pre-drawn and “V” lines lightly drawn, allowing students to trace the figure to get a feel for how the figure is structured. Eventually, pre-draw draw only the points, before having students draw the entire figure themselves. They can also draw the 5 points on top of a magazine photo before drawing it on their paper.
You may also send photos, diagrams, etc., to be posted with your lesson plans. Please make sure to name the image or file with your name, 2017CAEAWorkshop. Thank you!
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