Term 3 session 7

Major teaching component this morning. Using geometric shapes borrowed from the maths resources we revisited drawing 3D shapes by finding angle of each line. This is done by holding the pencil or drawing instrument at arms length, closing one eye and lining the pencil up with the focus line on the object. By putting the pencil straight down on the paper without changing the angle it gives a pretty close line.

The children had to look closely at the shadows and light. By turning off the classroom lights the nature light coming through the windows made the shadows and light more obvious on the objects.

During this activity we used different media: charcoal, charcoal and water, graphite pencil and rubbing back, indian ink applied with a stick and indian ink and thin white paint applied with a brush.

The learning of shapes, shadow, light and the different media are building the tools required for the children to create their own composition.

Planning the composition:
The criteria:
The slit view finder must be used (no whole objects are to be drawn, only parts of things)
The media must be a combination of charcoal, charcoal and water, graphite pencil and rubbing back, indian ink applied with a stick or indian ink and thin white paint applied with a brush.
A completed artwork will be A2 size.
The composition will be made up of a series smaller images put together like a collage.

The subject is up to the children as is the format is their own design.

We started the process by writing things that interested them, it could be anything.
Next we chose two things from the list that exited them most.

Another brainstorm to write everything possible pertaining to that topic, item or thing.
We repeated the process with the second most exciting thing.

Next they had to chose the least favourite on the initial list, it could also be the one they thought would be the hardest to do. Same process used as above.

After choosing the list they were most excited about (and yes some changed to the least favourite because they had initially thought it too hard) the children had to start drawing a few images from memory. This task help them to realise their next step in the process.
To conclude this session they made a list of things they need to being next week,
objects and photos many.

The children left the room buzzing about what they were going to do.

Making costumes continues

The students are well into making their costumes. It is very important to sit down and reassess the progress made at the beginning of each session. This helps focus the students and they are able to set plans and goals for work to achieve in the session. This part of the day has focused the students and reduced them jumping from one thing to another and/or not completing parts of the costume. Likewise at the end of the day they write a reflection on their performance (did they achieve their goals), the problems they en-counted and how they solved them.

Confidence is growing when using the sewing machine, hand sewing and gluing. The students are now helping each other with advice on how to do things, reinforcing boxes, sewing flowers, weaving and doing paper mache.

The work goes on...

Session 3 Trash to Fashion

The children have had a number of sessions using a range of materials to make impromptu costumes; always with great laughter and team work.

We had a session on how to draw a person using the formula of 7 parts. This was in preparation for doing concept drawings, drawing the costume on a model.
My reasoning is that if they know the dimensions of the body and draw their model to the correct size (near enough anyway), the costume design will be more in proposition.

At the beginning of the next session it came to light that several of the children were feeling unsure and thinking the whole process was too hard. We talked about how when new learning is taking place it is very hard and often you want to give up because it is very uncomfortable. Just by reassuring the children that this feeling was normal and they needed to work through gave them courage and all stayed on task right through the day.

The next step was to brainstorm the things one would find in the environment of the themes (space, Wonderland or the garden). After recording a good list of things and creatures, the children chose two creatures and did a quick sketch of how they envisaged the creatures looked. After this a choice of creature had to be made to develop more extensively.

Concept drawing were started. It was amazing the problem solving and thinking that flowed. The children, for the first time really started considering the materials they needed and how those materials would look on the costume.

Many children found it very helpful to work through this process. They had all preconceived ideas of their costume and suddenly the ideas changed and really creative ideas began to develop. In several personal reflects at the end of the day children stated they learned that it is okay to change your mind.