8th GradeOutlined below is a sampling of projects that are part of my eighth grade curriculum. While I try to fit as much as possible into this 9 week course, student pace, weather, and testing schedules may prevent us from completing every project listed below. Projects are not necessarily in the order we will complete them.
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Project Descriptions
2 PT. PERSPECTIVE
Students learn to create depth in their picture through the use of perspective. Two vanishing points guide students when drawing their buildings and windows. Depth is created as the structures get smaller as they move closer to the vanishing points.
GRID ENLARGEMENT PORTRAIT
Students learned to take a complex image and break it down into smaller more manageable pieces using a grid to isolate individual sections. This technique especially helps beginning artists with proportions showing them how to draw what they see and not what they think they should "see" in a portrait.
POINTALIST LANDSCAPE
Students learn about the life and art of Georges Seurat in this unit. Students will create an impressionist landscape focusing on the effects of sunlight and movement rather than the highly realistic scenes expected by the French Academy during Seurat's lifetime. Seurat's technique of pointalism will be emphasized using dots of color to create a vibrant, shimmering effect through the use of color.
EXPRESSIVE PORTRAITS
After the strict use of a grid and exploration of color in our pointalist project, we will take what we have learned from these two studio ventures to work big and bold with a final expressive self portrait.
CLAY BUILDINGS
Students utilize the slab handbuilding technique when creating these structures. Students follow a general pattern to begin their clay buildings, but are then challenged to add their own individual style, design and details to create a unique building with interest on all four sides. Craftsmanship is essential as they roll, cut, and fasten walls and decorations together. Students further the detail with their painting of these structures after they have been fired in the kiln.
EGG DRAWING
Mark Kistler, host of the Imagination Station, helps introduce shading techniques with a fun egg cartoon in his award winning series. After his 20 minute tutorial, students expand on their start adding twenty cartoon eggs to the original three created with the video. Each egg needs to be original with their own personality, contain shading for volume, and have a cast shadow. Overlapping the eggs and adding a simple setting is also encouraged for maximum points.
NicoTEAM Poster Contest
The NicoTEAM poster contest is an annual tobacco prevention education event for area schools in grades 6-8. Students are tasked to design posters that address the risks of tobacco and its effects on overall health. A special page provides additional information about this event at the top of the home page. Crestwood has dominated in this event scooping up over half the awards for multiple years. Definitely worth a look!
COMIC COVER DESIGN
Students concentrate on body proportions and action poses to create an original superhero (or villain) for this assignment. Their comic cover needs to have a title (usually their character's name), edition number, price, background, and most important, their character in an action pose. A slogan describing their hero/villain's power is also required. Correct proportions, craftsmanship, and detail are all important elements for success with this project.
Students learn to create depth in their picture through the use of perspective. Two vanishing points guide students when drawing their buildings and windows. Depth is created as the structures get smaller as they move closer to the vanishing points.
GRID ENLARGEMENT PORTRAIT
Students learned to take a complex image and break it down into smaller more manageable pieces using a grid to isolate individual sections. This technique especially helps beginning artists with proportions showing them how to draw what they see and not what they think they should "see" in a portrait.
POINTALIST LANDSCAPE
Students learn about the life and art of Georges Seurat in this unit. Students will create an impressionist landscape focusing on the effects of sunlight and movement rather than the highly realistic scenes expected by the French Academy during Seurat's lifetime. Seurat's technique of pointalism will be emphasized using dots of color to create a vibrant, shimmering effect through the use of color.
EXPRESSIVE PORTRAITS
After the strict use of a grid and exploration of color in our pointalist project, we will take what we have learned from these two studio ventures to work big and bold with a final expressive self portrait.
CLAY BUILDINGS
Students utilize the slab handbuilding technique when creating these structures. Students follow a general pattern to begin their clay buildings, but are then challenged to add their own individual style, design and details to create a unique building with interest on all four sides. Craftsmanship is essential as they roll, cut, and fasten walls and decorations together. Students further the detail with their painting of these structures after they have been fired in the kiln.
EGG DRAWING
Mark Kistler, host of the Imagination Station, helps introduce shading techniques with a fun egg cartoon in his award winning series. After his 20 minute tutorial, students expand on their start adding twenty cartoon eggs to the original three created with the video. Each egg needs to be original with their own personality, contain shading for volume, and have a cast shadow. Overlapping the eggs and adding a simple setting is also encouraged for maximum points.
NicoTEAM Poster Contest
The NicoTEAM poster contest is an annual tobacco prevention education event for area schools in grades 6-8. Students are tasked to design posters that address the risks of tobacco and its effects on overall health. A special page provides additional information about this event at the top of the home page. Crestwood has dominated in this event scooping up over half the awards for multiple years. Definitely worth a look!
COMIC COVER DESIGN
Students concentrate on body proportions and action poses to create an original superhero (or villain) for this assignment. Their comic cover needs to have a title (usually their character's name), edition number, price, background, and most important, their character in an action pose. A slogan describing their hero/villain's power is also required. Correct proportions, craftsmanship, and detail are all important elements for success with this project.