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Repoussé Storytelling
INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION
Name: Rebecca Peabody
Grades: Middle School; 6th, 7th, & 8th grade
Class Size: 20 students
Length of Class Period: 50 minutes, 4 times/week
Lesson Topic & Description: Telling stories using a
modernized approach to an ancient metalworking technique
STAGE 1- DESIRED RESULTS
A. Enduring Understanding
Abstract Foil Repoussé using
blue ink by a high school student

Artists can reinvent ancient art making techniques with modern tools.

Artists tell stories using symbols and design.

Art making can communicate the commonalities among cultures
B. Essential Questions

In what ways can artists revive ancient traditions of craft?

How can artists tell stories without using text?

What can works of art tell us about a society, culture, era or community?
C. Goals/Standards
Massachusetts Frameworks covered:

1. Methods, materials and techniques. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the
methods, materials and techniques unique to the visual arts.

2. Elements and principles of design. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the
elements and principles of design.

6. Purposes of the arts. Students will describe the purposes for which works of
dance, music, theatre, visual arts and architecture were and are created, and, when
appropriate, interpret their meanings.
Rebecca Peabody
December 1st, 2010
Lesson Plan 02: Cross Cultural Connections: Repoussé Storytelling
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
7. Roles of artists in communities. Students will describe the roles of artists,
patrons, cultural organizations, and arts institutions in societies of the past and
present.
D. Learning Objectives

Students will investigate ancient metalsmithing techniques from history.

Students will examine images of historical works and the way that different
cultures told stories through repoussé.

Students will demonstrate creative thinking skills to visually interpret stories.

Students will identify how to burnish aluminum foil with steel wool and ink to
create lighter and darker areas in the design.
STAGE 2 – ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE
A. Performance Tasks as Evidence
The students will be creating small scale repoussé designs. The finished product will be a
5” x 7” three dimensional work of art. The cardboard will be covered with heavy duty
aluminum foil, burnished, inked, and burnished again. Using the knowledge that they
gained from observing historical repoussé works, the students should have depicted a
story with raised lines beneath the foil and areas of both light and darks.
“Dead Fish” Foil Repoussé, 2010
Rebecca Peabody
December 1st, 2010
Lesson Plan 02: Cross Cultural Connections: Repoussé Storytelling
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B. Other Evidence/ Continuum of Assessment Strategies

Students will show evidence of knowledge gained through examining historical
metal works.

Students will depict a story within their images that has some kind of personal or
cultural meaning to them.

Students will produce a completed glue drawing at the end of the first class.

Students will produce a completed repoussé; foiled, burnished, inked, and
burnished again; at the end of the second class.

Students will use class time effectively and complete work on time.

Student’s designs will show evidence of knowledge of the principles of design.
C. Criteria

Did the student finish his/her repoussé in a timely manner?

Did the student depict a story of some sort in his/her work of art?

Did the student
remember to burnish
the foil before and after
applying the ink?

Does the student’s
design contain both
dark and light areas?

Did the student
incorporate any of the elements of design in his/her work?

Did the student gain inspiration or technical knowledge from any of the examples
shown without copying them?

Did the student use class time effectively and put effort into their work?
Rebecca Peabody
December 1st, 2010
Lesson Plan 02: Cross Cultural Connections: Repoussé Storytelling
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STAGE 3 – LEARNING PLAN
A. Materials and Equipment
Art Materials

Elmer’s glue (if modifying for HS students, hot glue can be used to save time)

Rubber cement

Scissors

Pencils

Erasers

India Ink

Masking tape

Heavy duty aluminum foil

Tissues (or paper towels)

Steel wool

Cardboard scraps (old boxes work!)

Newspaper
B. Vocabulary & Definitions

Repoussé – method of decorating metals in which parts of the design are raised in
relief from the back or the inside of the article by means of hammers and punches.

Storytelling – the telling of stories, through writing, word, or art.

Burnish – to polish a surface by friction.

Raised Line –.in art, a design technique where line detail is raised in threedimensional form.
Rebecca Peabody
December 1st, 2010
Lesson Plan 02: Cross Cultural Connections: Repoussé Storytelling
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C. Visual Image Resources
Statue of Liberty
Mask of Tutankhamen
Ancient Greek Vase
Showing recognizable objects that use repoussé can help the students make real world
connections to the technique. The Statue of Liberty and the Mask of Tutankhamen are
great examples. Historical objects from different parts of the world and different time
periods can help show the timelessness of the craft and its importance in telling stories
from history.
D. Text, Media, & Web Resources
Web Resources
"Aluminum Foil Crafts." Aluminum Foil. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. <http://aluminumfoil.alexanderhiggins.com/aluminum-foil-crafts.aspx>.
C, Laurie. "Works- Oak Family." Laurie C., Copper Repousse Artist. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.
<http://www.laurieartist.com/WORKS-OAKFAMILY.html>.
Herrin, Andrea. "Lesson Plans: Glue Line Foil Relief." Teachers.Net. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.
<http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/1001.html>.
"Repoussé (metalwork)." Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.
<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/498439/repousse>.
"Repousse Tools and Techniques." Repoussé Tools. 2003. Web. 01 Dec. 2010.
<http://repoussetools.com/>.
Rebecca Peabody
December 1st, 2010
Lesson Plan 02: Cross Cultural Connections: Repoussé Storytelling
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Tehrani, Amenah. "Lesson Plans: Islamic Foil Art." Teachers.Net. Web. 20 Nov. 2010.
<http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/1817.html>.
Book Resources
Cherry, John. Goldsmiths. Toronto: University of Toronto, 1992. Print.
Coulter, Lane, and Maurice Dixon. New Mexican Tinwork, 1840-1940. Albuquerque: University
of New Mexico, 1990. Print.
Oliver, Andrew, and Kurt Luckner. Silver For The Gods. Toledo: Toledo Museum of Art, 1977.
Print.
Wulff, Hans E. "Metalworking Crafts." The Traditional Crafts of Persia. Cambridge: MIT, 1966.
1-73. Print.
E. Instruction
Day One:

The teacher will introduce the lesson by showing historical examples of repoussé
work from around the world.
o Ancient Greece, Medieval Europe, New Mexico, and the Middle East
have lots of examples of repoussé metal work.
o The Statue of Liberty and the Mask of Tutankhamen can be shown to
create recognition.

Handouts can be made with step by step instructions and images from web and
book resources. These handouts should be passed out after introducing the
technique.

The teacher will have the students gather around a table for demonstration of
technique.

The teacher will demonstrate how to draw a simple line drawing on a piece of
cardboard with pencil.

The teacher will then demonstrate how to trace the graphite lines with Elmer’s
glue. Explain that this must dry over night.
Rebecca Peabody
December 1st, 2010
Lesson Plan 02: Cross Cultural Connections: Repoussé Storytelling
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
The teacher will send the students back to their seats with 5” x 7” pieces of
cardboard and pencils. They will have been instructed to visually represent a
story; from their minds, from their childhood, or from history.

While the students are working, the teacher will walk around providing words of
encouragement as well as instructional pointers. Make sure the students are not
getting too detail oriented, as this will be difficult to trace with thick Elmer’s glue
lines.

The teacher will check the student’s drawings before giving them permission and
supplies to move on to the next step; tracing with glue.

The teacher will continue to
move around the classroom
and provide support and help
to the students while they are
tracing the drawing with glue.

The teacher will instruct
students to put their finished
glue drawings on the drying
rack to dry until the next class.
Day Two:

The teacher will review the repoussé technique with the students. Ask them if
they can remember what technique they’re doing and what cultures they’ve seen
example images from.

The teacher will call the students up to the demonstration table to show them the
next steps. Encourage the students to check their designs (when they receive them
after the demo) to make sure the glue dried the way they’d like it to. If their
design needs touch ups, they should make them now.
o Perhaps the teacher can help these students with their touch ups using a
hot glue gun so they will not be behind.

The teacher will demonstrate how to apply rubber cement to the cardboard and
glue design before covering it with foil.
Rebecca Peabody
December 1st, 2010
Lesson Plan 02: Cross Cultural Connections: Repoussé Storytelling
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
The teacher will demonstrate how to
cover the dried glue drawing with
heavy duty aluminum foil, dull side
down & shiny side up. Using the finger,
firmly and gently push the aluminum
foil into the crevices around the glue
lines and flatten it over the image so the
glue lines show.

The teacher will demonstrate how to use masking tape to tape down the aluminum
foil on the back of the cardboard.

The teacher will then demonstrate how to burnish. The teacher will explain the
definition of this word, to polish a surface using friction. Explain to the student to
be gentle when burnishing so as not to rip tears in the aluminum foil.

The teacher will instruct students to
place newspaper under their designs
before moving on to the next step. The
teacher will then demonstrate how to rub
ink over the image using a tissue or
paper towel. The ink will need a couple
minutes to dry before moving to the next
step.

The teacher will demonstrate how to burnish the inked image and create lighter
and darker areas by burnishing more or less in a specific area.

The teacher will then send the students back to their seats with their glue designs,
rubber cement, aluminum foil, steel wool, ink, and tissues.

The teacher will move around the classroom and provide support and help to the
students while they are burnishing and inking their designs.
F. Learning Activities
Day One:

Students will participate in discussion about the historical examples of repoussé
while the teacher is showing them.
Rebecca Peabody
December 1st, 2010
Lesson Plan 02: Cross Cultural Connections: Repoussé Storytelling
9

Students will gather around demonstration table and watch while the teacher
demonstrates the glue tracing technique.

Students will complete a line drawing on cardboard depicting a story.

Students will show their drawing to the teacher in order to get confirmation to
move on to the next step.

Students will trace their drawing with Elmer’s glue.

Students will place the glue drawing on the drying rack to dry until the next class
period.
Day Two:

Students will participate in a review of the repoussé technique and the historical
objects they saw the class before.

Students will observe demonstration of foil burnishing and inking techniques by
the teacher.

Students will check their glue drawings for inconsistencies. If any areas need
touch ups they will seek the teacher’s help for glue gun touch ups. This will keep
them from falling behind a day.

Students will cover their cardboard glue drawing with rubber cement and then
cover with aluminum foil, dull side down. They will use masking tape to secure
the foil to the back of the cardboard.

Students will use their finger to gently push the foil tightly down around the
raised glue lines.

Students will use steel wool to burnish their image. They will then place
newspaper under the work and rub ink over it with a tissue.

Students will burnish the image a second time after the ink has dried to create
areas of dark and light.
Rebecca Peabody
December 1st, 2010
Lesson Plan 02: Cross Cultural Connections: Repoussé Storytelling