Art II Unit
(10th-12th grade)
Object Project
Theme
Through a series of exercises and projects, students will learn to see things in different ways and
explore different forms of graphic expression in a variety of medias.
Goals
Students will be able to expand the way they think about graphically expressing an object.
Students will feel comfortable using a variety of medias.
Students will learn to appreciate different styles of art.
Concepts
Artists make multiple versions of one concept to find the best solutions.
Artist use a variety of medias.
Artists use different styles of art to express one subject in different ways.
Adaptations for Diverse Learners
Focus on the goal: Students will feel comfortable using a variety of medias.
Give a shorter or different list of projects ideas:
Pick 2-3 projects from list:
•Make a pointillist version of the object with pen
•Make a full-color version using colored pencils or watercolors
•Do a version with “heightened color” — whatever that means to you
•Make a rubber stamp – stamp it out
•Or any other ideas approved by the teacher
Key Words
• Contour line- outline, outside shape
• Viewpoint- The position from which something is being observed; a particular attitude or way of
considering a matter
• Media- an agency or means of doing something. In art: pencil, marker, paint etc.
• Contrast- The state of being strikingly different from something else. Ex: white and black have a
high contrast.
• Pop art- Art based on modern popular culture and the mass media
• Realism- representing a person, thing, or situation accurately or in a way that is true to life;
representing familiar things as hey actually are.
• Impressionism- A movement in painting characterized by a concern with depicting the visual
impression of the moment especially in terms of the shifting effect of light and color.
• Collage- a form of art in which various materials are arranged and stuck to a backing.
• Still life- a painting or drawing of an arrangement of objects
• Abstract art- art that does not attempt to represent external, recognizable reality but seeks to
achieve its effect using shapes, forms, colors, and textures
Art History/Cultural Exemplars
Video of unique art materials:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4QH35MLKbo
Franz Marc
Yellow Cow, 1911
Oil Paint
4’ 7” x 6’ 2” (1.40 m x 1.89 m)
Theo van Doesburg:
Composition (The Cow), c.1917
Pencil on Paper
4 5/8” x 6 1/4” (11.7 x 15.9)
Composition (The Cow), c.1917
Pencil on Paper
4 5/8” x 6 1/4” (11.7 x 15.9)
Composition (The Cow), c.1917
Gouache, Oil, and Charcoal on Paper
15 5/8” x 22 3/4” (39.7 x 57.7 cm)
Composition VIII (The Cow), c. 1917
Oil on Canvas
14 3/4 x 25” (37.5 x 63.5 cm)
Georgia O’Keefe
Cow’s Skull with Calico Roses, 1931
Oil on Canvas
36 x 24” (91.4 x 61 cm)
Marcia Baldwin
Happy Cows
Paint
Roman Yakovliev
Unknown
Digital
Cornell
Untitled
Ink
Aesthetics/Criticism
Five open-ended questions about the elements and principles
1. How does the size of an object in your work effect the message that it sends?
2. How can color change the mood of an artwork?
3. What elements and principles did you think made the biggest difference in how you
depicted your object?
4. Which piece do you think emphasizes the object the best, how is it emphasized?
5. Which piece used line in an interesting way, how is it used?
Five open-ended questions about the subject matter
1. How can the materials or media used in an artwork change how a subject is perceived?
2. How many ways can your object be depicted/perceived?
3. Why is it important to try making multiple versions of one subject/concept?
4. Which piece do you think is the most straight forward depiction of an object and why?
5. Which piece do you think is the most unique depiction of an object and why?
Art Making Materials
Student choice object, paper, pencils, charcoal
Student choice media
Canvas, acrylic paint, and brushes
Evaluation
Observing student behaviors
• How successful were students in using a variety of media?
• How successful were students in generating several difference depictions of one object?
• At what level were students engaged in exploring media and techniques and in creating the
final product?
Assessing art projects
• At what level did the products reflect fulfillment of each criterion?
• Did products demonstrate that expected levels of skill development, problem solving, and
personal interpretation had been met?
Determining whether unit goals were met
• Did behaviors and products demonstrate attainment of productive goals (development of
skills, visual problem solving, and use of media, techniques, and art elements to convey
intended effects)?
• Did oral discussions demonstrate students’ understanding of concepts and information
presented within critical, aesthetic, and historical domains?
Scope and Sequence
Day 1
Each student will pick an object
With pencil and paper:
- Draw object (60 seconds)
- Draw object without looking at your paper (60 seconds)
- Pick a different viewpoint and draw object in (3 minutes)
- Draw object without looking at the object (3 minutes)
- Simplify object into geometric shapes (7-10 minutes)
- Draw the tiniest possible image that still allows you to make out the object. Keep trying until
you draw one so small you can’t make out the object. (7-10 minutes)
Discuss why quick exercises like these help us get to know the object we are drawing to then improve
our drawing skills.
Day 2 & 3
- Contour drawing warm up (day 2)
- Two day Charcoal drawing of object
Day 4-12
- Show Video of unique materials
- Pick 2-3 projects from list:
• Draw everything except the object
• Make a pointillist version of the object
• Try making a high contrast rendering of the object. Eliminate all gray tones and emphasize
zones that are either black or white; use no single lines and no shading.
• Make a full-color version using colored pencils or watercolors
• Render the object through a glued assemblage of found objects.
• Do a version with “heightened color” — whatever that means to you
• Make a rubber stamp – stamp it out
• Show an emotion through a drawing/painting of your object.
• Find a way to portray the object on a sheet of paper without using any standard art materials
• Or any other ideas approved by the teacher
Day 6 (or after first choice project)
- Show historical/cultural exemplars of cows
- Talk about exemplars and different styles of art.
- Students will continue to work on choice projects.
Day 13-22
Final object painting: Using acrylic on canvas- Open choice project as long as the object is used in
the composition somehow either literally or conceptually.
Day 23
Critique
Break out Session
Day 6
47 minutes
I. Goal:
To gain knowledge of a variety of art styles.
Develop an understanding of how art elements
and principles influence the style of a piece.
II. Objectives:
After a guided dialogue about the different
styles of the cultural exemplars, students will
be able to use the same vocabulary of the
elements and principles in critiques of their own
and others work.
After seeing examples of different styles of art,
students will be able to incorporate one of those
styles into their choice projects.
III. Standards:
Nebraska K-12 FA 12.2.3.b: Formulate a
rationale addressing use of elements and
principles in a work of art
FA 12.2.3.d: Critique and defend how aesthetic
choices impact the visual image and/or
intended message.
IV. Procedure:
A. Set / Hook:
Students know to come in and get their work
out.
B. Transition:
Your first choice projects are turning out well,
but before you start your second one, I want to
show you some examples of the different styles
you could try.
C. Main Lesson:
Show art history/cultural exemplars:
Theo van Doesburg:
Composition (The Cow), c.1917
Pencil on Paper
4 5/8” x 6 1/4” (11.7 x 15.9)
Composition (The Cow), c.1917
Pencil on Paper
4 5/8” x 6 1/4” (11.7 x 15.9)
Composition (The Cow), c.1917
Gouache, Oil, and Charcoal on Paper
15 5/8” x 22 3/4” (39.7 x 57.7 cm)
Composition VIII (The Cow), c. 1918
Oil on Canvas
14 3/4 x 25” (37.5 x 63.5 cm)
T: “These works by Doesburg shows his
method to get from realistic to abstraction. What
elements of art does he utilize to get from the
first drawing to the fourth?”
S: “He breaks the cow into shapes.”
S: “He uses color in the last two.”
Marcia Baldwin
Happy Cows
Paint
T: “I would describe this painting as
impressionistic. Notice how loose the artist kept
her brush strokes, but it’s not abstract because
the two cows are in realistic proportion. What
art element is emphasized in this piece and how
does it affect the overall mood of this piece?”
S: “She used really bright fun colors”
S: “It makes me happy!”
T: “What’s another way we can describe “bright
fun colors”?”…
S: “high intensity colors”
Georgia O’Keefe
Cow’s Skull with Calico Roses, 1931
Oil on Canvas
36 x 24” (91.4 x 61 cm)
T: “O’Keefe’s is a drastically different painting
isn’t it? Using elements and principles, describe
some of the differences.”
S: “There’s not much color.”
S: “You can’t see individual brush strokes. It has
a smooth texture.”
T: “What do you feel the mood of this piece is?
How did O’Keefe create that mood?”
S: “It seems sad because it’s just the skull of
the cow…”
S: “I think it’s kind of peaceful. The flowers
make it seem less sad and the colors are calm.”
S: “Repetition is a principle!”
T: What does this one piece tell about the
subject of cows that the others didn’t show?”
S: It looks like they are traveling in a herd. The
others only depicted one or two cows.”
(30 minutes)
Roman Yakovliev
Unknown
Digital
- If you’re still working on your first choice
project continue to work on that. Otherwise start
brainstorming ideas for your second project,
keeping in mind the examples of different styles
we just looked at.
(12 minutes)
T: “This work is different then all the others
because it is made digitally. What few elements
and principles did this artist use to depict a
cow?”
S: “The shape of a cow.”
S: “A pattern of dots.”
S: “They different patterns create different
values.”
T: “Since it’s only black and white what principle
is there high “blank” of?”
S: “High contrast.”
Franz Marc
Yellow Cow, 1911
Oil Paint
4’ 7” x 6’ 2” (1.40 m x 1.89 m)
T: “What are your initial thoughts of this piece?”
S: “The colors are a little weird.”
S: “I think it’s exciting. The cow isn’t just
standing there like in the other pictures.”
T: “Good. What principle would you use to say
that exact thing?”
S: “There’s movement!”
T: “This one would be considered Surrealistic.
Notice how the foreground and background
are hard to distinguish, shapes and colors are
unrealistic. Surrealism often shows dream-like
images.”
Cornell
Untitled
Ink
T: “What elements and principles were used in
this printmaking piece?”
S: “Color and shape.”
S: “It’s not a true pattern, but there’s a bunch of
them.”
D. Transition:
As I’ve been walking around I’m seeing some
great new ideas.
E. Conclusion:
- Before we clean up for the day, let’s share
some of the ideas you have for choice projects.
(3 minutes)
- Clean up
(2 minutes)
V. Assessment:
Were students able to answer questions using
the elements and principles of art?
Did looking at these examples seem to help
students think of new ideas for their work?
VI. Assignment:
If they need to bring materials or work outside
of class on choice projects they should do so,
otherwise no assignment.
Grading Rubric
Object Project
(Choice Projects and Final Project)
Advanced
(A+)
Used a different
type of media
and/or styles in
every project.
Proficient
(A)
Used a variety of
medias and/or
styles throughout
the projects.
Basic
(B-C)
Used a couple
different medias
and/or styles
throughout
projects.
Below Basic
(D-F)
Only used one
media and/or
style for all
projects.
Willingness to
try new things
Student was
eager to try new
medias,
techniques, and
styles.
Student was
willing to try
new medias,
techniques, and
styles.
Student was
hesitant to try
new medias,
techniques, and
styles.
Student did not
try new medias,
techniques, and
styles.
Unique
depictions of
object
Student thought
of unique ways
to depict the
object. One or
more may have
been abstract or
conceptual.
Student thought
of unique ways
to depict the
object. The ideas
are not cliché
Student thought
of at least one
unique way to
depict the object.
Student just
showed the
object how it
appears with no
attempt at a
creative or
stylistic
depiction.
Most pieces have
a clean finished
appearance.
Nothing appears
rushed.
One piece has a
clean finished
appearance.
Most pieces
seem rushed.
None of the
pieces seem
finished. It all
seems messy and
rushed.
Variety of
media and
styles
Craftsmanship All pieces have a
clean finished
appearance.
Nothing appears
rushed.
Student Project Example
1st Day Drawing Exercises:
Choice Projects:
Final Painting: