Curriculum Standards __Art 300, 8th Grade___________________
1st Six Weeks
Overview of Art Elements: Line, Shape, Space, Value, Color, Texture,
and Form
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Explain and identify through examples in the environment and artworks
Students will identify visible elements in the classroom
Overview of Design Principles: Balance, Unity, Emphasis, Variety,
Contrast, Pattern, and Proportion
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Explain through examples in the environment and artworks
Students will identify visible principles in the classroom.
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Project:
o Students will construct a portfolio and create a design that combines chosen
Elements and Principles.
o Group students by design principle and have each group design a poster that
exemplifies their principle. Each group presents their poster to the rest of the
class and explains how their design illustrates the principle.
Art Criticism
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Practice the four levels of Art Criticism when examining artworks.
Foresman, Art, page 9
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Describe
Analyze
Interpret
Judge
Contour Drawing
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Explain and discuss contour drawing, using student and fine art examples.
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Discuss the difference between Blind, Modified, and Look Contour.
o Blind – Never look at the drawing or lift up the drawing instrument
(excellent practice for eye-hand coordination)
http://drawsketch.about.com/cs/drawinglessons/a/contourblind.htm
o Modified – Look at the paper only when you fill lost, but stop drawing while
you look.
o Look – Look and draw freely
Projects:
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Do blind contour drawings of objects in the room.
o Draw inside a paper bag or cover the drawing paper with another sheet.
o Create a Mono-print from the drawing by rolling out a thin lay of ink on a
tray and laying the drawing face-up in the ink. Re-draw the lines and pull
the print.
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Modified Contour, Student Portraits
o On an 18 x 24 inch sheet of paper the students will create 3 overlapping
contour drawings of their classmates. In the areas that overlap and the
background, the students will fill in the areas with texture rubbings and
then ink the contour lines with a sharpie marker.
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Look Contour
o On an 18 x 24 inch sheet of paper the students will create a contour
drawing of a figure. When complete, ink the contour lines and develop the
negative space with repeated lines using a highlight marker. Fill in the
space with 3 or mores lines that echo the shape (cross contour).
Gesture Drawing
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Explain, discuss, demonstrate and show examples of gesture drawings.
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Projects
o Find photographs of animals or people in action. Create gesture drawings
of the figures. Optional: Assemble the gesture drawings into a collage,
using varying colors of paper as a background. Text information can be
added to the composition.
o Use gesture drawing as a warm-up activity. Keep a gesture journal of
drawings. Could be used as a daily warm-up activity.
Drawing for Form: Value and Foreshortening
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Explain, discuss, and show examples of value and foreshortening.
The Lamentation over the Dead Christ, Mantegna, 1480
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Use a graph to explain foreshortening, show the students a large line graph such
as those used in elementary classrooms to demonstrate lettering. Measure the
consistent spacing between the lines and the graph itself. Angle the graph and
observe how the spacing appears to get closer and the height of the graph
appears shorter. Note the appearance of the width at the top and bottom.
Extend: Do this again with a figure drawing in the graph.
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Projects:
o Create a value scale with both a sectioned and a non-sectioned scale. The
non-sectioned area will be a continuous gradation.
o Students will draw and shade a Styrofoam cup, emphasizing the values and
foreshortening observe. Draw the cup both standing up and laying down,
note the change in foreshortening.
o Students will draw and shade a section of adding machine tape, emphasizing
where and how they see the edges and the value. Extend the project: Add a
fantasy scene to the drawing such as animals or characters working or
playing on the tape, the tape as a ribbon on a package, a streamer during a
celebration, a landform, an architectural element…
2nd Six Week’s
Facial Proportions
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Examine the proportions of the face
Demonstrate the facial proportions as you draw and divide the space. Have the
students follow along. Option: Use enlarged graph paper
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Projects:
o Students will create a portrait of their personal hero stressing facial
proportions. Photographs of their personal hero will be used to observe
characteristic changes in the ideal proportions. Make a Xerox copy of the
photograph and have the students draw lines across at the bottom of the
nose, across the middle of the eyes, etc.
o Students will create a self-portrait using the same procedures as above or by
looking at their image in a mirror.
Shading the Face
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Example the values found in facial portraits
Explain and demonstrate how to shade the features of the face.
Demonstrate how values found in facial features can be analyzed as basic
shapes of overlapping circles and ovals with appropriate shaded of the curves.
Projects:
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Students will practice shading facial features with guided instruction and
independent practice. Several varying features could be drawn and shaded on a
single page or composed into a booklet.
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Students will draw and shade a portrait or self-portrait.
Figure Proportions
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Explain figure proportions and identify through examples
Demonstrate figure proportions by drawing them on a lines paper, have the
students follow along
Illustrate foreshortening of the figure
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Projects:
o Students will draw simple proportional figures in basic shapes both standing
erect and in action. Apply foreshortening to the figures in action.
o Students will create a figure drawing from a live model using correct
proportions, value, and foreshortening.
o Changing Point of View: Ask one student to model in the center of the room
and arrange the rest of the class around the model. Students will start a
figure drawing of the model. Students will stop after a few moments and
move to their neighbor’s drawing and add to their drawing. Repeat the
process until students have rotated around the room and have worked with
the drawings from various points of view.
Color Wheel and Color Properties
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Explain the Elements of a Color Wheel. Explain and demonstrate how colors are
mixed from the primary colors.
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Demonstrate how simple algebra expressions can be used to explain color
mixing. Examples:
o Green = 1 part Blue + 1 part Yellow or G = B + Y
o Yellow Green = 1 part Blue + 3 parts Yellow or YG = B + 3(Y) or YG=
G(B+Y)+2Y
Projects:
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Ask the students to wear clothing in one of the colors of the color wheel on a set
date. Have the students then group themselves in a human color wheel.
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Creative Color Wheels:
o Create a color wheel using an idiom as inspiration. Ex. “A Leopard Can't
Change His Spots” - Students will draw a leopard with spots and arrange the
spots in the colors of the color wheel. “All In the Same Boat” – Figures or
objects in a boat according to the color wheel.
o An Illustrated Color Wheel – Students will create illustrated drawings of
objects that fit the color in their wheel. The illustrations will be colored with
different properties (tint, tone, and shade) of the color.
Color Schemes: Complementary, Analogous, Monochromatic,
Warm/Cool, Split Complement
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Explain and Show Examples of Color Schemes. Ask the students to name some
color schemes associated with holidays or used by sport teams. Ex. Red and
Green for Christmas, Monochromatic Reds for Valentine’s Day, school colors,
sport teams, etc.
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See the Complement – Cut out a circle in a saturated color. Place it on a sheet
of white paper off to the side. Tell the students to stare at the color without
looking away or blinking. Count slowly to 10 while the students stare. At 10 tell
the student to look at the blank white space and in a moment they will see the
color’s complement.
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Projects
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Modular Design
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On a 3” x 3” square draw an interesting asymmetrical design. All lines must be touching or
run off the side of the square. Place an X in the upper left hand corner
Holding the design against a window or light board, trace the lines on the back.
Draw a grid of 3” squares on a piece of 12’ x 18’ paper. Diagram the squares as followed:
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A
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Using carbon paper trace the original design (X in the upper left corner) to square A in the left
corner. Flip the design over and trace the design in the B square to the right. Continue the
process tracing the original drawing in the A squares and the reverse (back) in the B squares.
Be careful not to rotate your square as you do this. Just flip it over.
In the C-D row the design is turned one-quarter counter clockwise turn (X in the lower left
corner) and traced with the carbon paper to the C square on the left. Continue the same
process used in the A-B row…front, back
In the E-F row turn the design again one quarter counter clockwise turn (X in the lower right)
and repeat the steps in rows A-B and C-D.
In the last row, G-H, turn the square again one quarter counter clockwise turn (X in the upper
right) and repeat the same process.
Go over all the lines, the traced design and the grid, with a black flair.
Carefully erase any pencil lines that still show.
Using your pencil, lightly outline a foreground design. The majority of the design should be a
contiguous (touching) shape.
Paint the foreground area with two analogous colors, alternating the colors from shape to
shape without painting over the black lines.
Paint the rest of the page (background area) with the complements of the colors used in the
foreground. Again, alternate the colors from shape to shape being carefully not to paint over
the black lines.
Go over the lines again with the flair to clean up the design.
3rd Six Weeks
Art Styles: Realistic and Abstract
 Examine and discuss the differences and characteristics of Realistic and Abstract
Artistic Styles
 Research the changing styles of Pablo Picasso
http://www.abcgallery.com/P/picasso/picasso.html
 Explore the links between art and historical/cultural events: “What does
Guernica depict?”
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Picasso, Science and Charity, 1897
Picasso, Jacqueline Rocque, 1954
Picasso, Guernica, 1937
Picasso, Jacqueline with Flowers, 1954
 Projects
o Students draw or paint a diptych of a still-life or portrait in realistic and
abstract styles.
o Students will cut apart varying photographic images of a person’s face and
rearrange selected parts into one portrait. Varying angles and sizes should
be used. Optional: Use the composition as a study for a painting.
Careers in Art
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Brainstorm art careers with your students, create a list.
Ask each student or pairs of students to choose a career from the list. You may
want to eliminate options as they choose.
Student research their chosen career. Use a computer lab and/or reference
books.
Create a check list of characteristics or descriptors:
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How do you get ready (education, apprentice…)
What is the job like? What will you do?
What is the average pay?
How many jobs are there?
What’s the future for that career?
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Have the students report to their classmates about their career.