Friday Flash: A Sketchbook Assignment

For this assignment, we're going to concentrate on the decoration of our sketchbooks in two main parts: the front cover, and the inside cover. It's a simple assignment, but something to give some real thought to. I think sometimes it's often the hardest thing about a sketchbook.

The inside cover is equally difficult, at least for me. When I open my sketchbook, I want to have something special to look at, and by nature, it wouldn't be just a sketch. Here are two examples of my sketchbooks for you all:

My teaching sketchbook has a quote related to teaching in it. 

"If we treat people as they are, we make them worse.

If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them

become what they are capable of becoming."

-Gothe

This cover was actually inspired by the random ephemera  I was given at the workshop I started it at.

The inside of this sketchbook is actually a sort-of dedication to my best high school sketchbook. It may look simple, but it is meaningful to me.

I know that isn't a ton of examples, but it is a starting point. Just remember: Your sketchbook is all about YOU. Here's a list of some ideas:

• Use gesso to white out the cover, and work on top of that.
• Use text, quotes, lyrics, anything that's special or important to you.
• Collage- cover parts or the whole thing.
• Use stickers!
• Use Japanese paper tape.
• Paint is always a friend!

Decorating your cover can help you shape the theme of your sketchbook, and simply get it started. The hardest thing to do is start, you know!

If you decide to decorate a sketchbook, send us a link to your masterpiece!

Sketchbooks

If you're starting this summer looking for some art inspiration, the best place you can start is in a sketchbook. 

Sketchbooks are an important tool for any artist. They create a collected place for your ideas, whether written, sketched, doodled, drawn, painted, collaged...ANYTHING! A sketchbook is a great place to work over a summer to keep your skills sharp, and the ideas flowing.

If we're going to talk about sketchbooks, I want to talk about different kinds, and yes, there are quite a few! Sketchbooks come in many different shapes, sizes, and paper types. It is important to figure out what kind of media you will be using in a sketchbook before purchasing one. You don't want to have sketch paper if you will be working with a lot of wet media, layers, collage, etc.

Here are some examples of different sketchbooks I have:

I just started this hardbacked sketchbook!

This sketchbook is 9"x12", (a popular sketchbook size) hardcover, and bound like a hardback book. It contains simple sketchbook paper. I like to use a lot of different kinds of media in my sketchbooks (mixed media), and I get around some of the sketch-paper pitfalls by gluing pages together to strengthen them. I have used these types of sketchbooks before, and the paper really is pretty resilient in the hardback sketchbooks because they are typically more expensive, and have better quality paper.
Brand: Alternatives Art, Strathmore also makes these

Puchased: JoAnn Fabrics, $13. You can typically find them in Art/Craft stores.

I love the square shape of this one, a gift from my husband.

This sketchbook is a unique square shape, and 8"x8". I haven't tried a lot of wet media in it, but this particular sketchbook is pretty special. I use it to test out weekly sketchbook assignments, and teaching ideas. It's a great way to demonstrate adapting other artists styles and ideas into the assignments without copying. 

Brand: Flexi Sketch

Purchased: Borders, $10 but I have seen these carried in art supply stores.

This is a great watercolor sketchbook.

This sketchbook has really interesting dimensions to work with (6"x9"), and is filled with heavy duty watercolor pages. I don't work very often with this, but it has really nice paper, and it easily portable. Pair it up with portable watercolors, and you are good to sketch outside en plein air.

Brand: Canson

Purchased: I honestly don't remember, but probably more expensive than a traditional sketchbook due to the watercolor paper.

I love the reptile texture of these!

This is part of Strathmore's new series of "Visual Journal" sketchbooks that come in multiple sizes and kinds. Mine is a "mixed media" sketchbook, and it great for collaging and inks. They have quite a few different kinds from sketch to bristol, and even watercolor! I know some artists really dislike spiral binding on their sketchbooks, but I have found it makes them easier to work in because you can isolate pages more easily. Give the spiral binding a try!

Brand: Strathmore Visual Journal

Purchased: Price varies with size, but expect to spend $6-$15 You can find the medium size at Michaels, but try art stores for the full range.

A non-traditional sketchbook.

Ok, this one is kind of a cheat- I don't plan to make this a sketchbook, but you can make an altered book into a sketchbook easily. This is actually a creative example of what paper companies make as samples to send out to clients. It is full of different kinds of paper, and great for experimenting. I used gesso on the cover to white out the company name, and plan to go back in with some embellishments. The lesson here is that a sketchbook doesn't have to be a sketchbook!

Brand: None

Purchased: Free, given to me from my internship teacher.

I hope this has given you a better idea of what's out there. When you choose your sketchbook, make sure you look at everything offered. You can get sketchbooks made from recycled paper, and many other kinds of paper. Just know Drawing paper is better than Sketch paper- if you are looking to use more than just pencil, go for drawing paper.

Was this helpful? Let me know!

June: Goodbye School, Hello Summer!

For the month of June, I thought it might be nice to focus on some of the things that we will inevitably encounter at the end of the year. Therefore, Marvelous Monday Medium, Wednesday's Weekly Whiz, and Friday Flash will center around the transition into summer.

Be on the lookout for posts about storing your stuff, what to do with all of those doodles ( I know you have some!), and keeping up with your art during the summer.

Summer is an excellent time to reflect on the past year, go out and experience new things, and take time to reconnect with yourself. I hope you have some fun things planned. If you don't, maybe this will help you to figure something out :)

What are you up to this summer? How will you use this time as a chance to grow?

Graduation

Why do I keep skipping posts, you ask? Well, yesterday was a very special day! One of my seniors invited me to graduation.

When I was in high school, I did not attend my graduation, so this was also my very first high school graduation ever. It was a really great experience, and as all the photos flashed across the Jumbotron (is that really what they're called?) I found myself reflecting on how proud I was of all the seniors I had had in my classes. It was really moving to know that I played a part in that, however small it was, and that with a lot of them, I knew what their plans for the future were.

A firefighter, attending art colleges in different states, moving away from home for the first time, working towards a family dental practice with local student artwork hanging in the hallways, returning to their home far, far away, and so many more dreams that they shared with me. That's pretty special when you think about it.

Graduation was also a concrete example of the support system these students had. Teachers, parents, siblings, friends, and family all cheering for each grad when their name was called. And it felt really good to sit quietly, and congratulate each one that walked on stage in a little whisper.

"Great Job." "You did it!"

It also made me want to be there for all my future students. There's that magic of saying goodbye, hugs, and quiet reflection that makes you feel a bittersweet kind of goodness. You know those students, you'll miss those students, but maybe some day they'll come back and visit. Maybe something you told them will drift through their minds right when they need it, and, just for a moment they'll smile and remember being in your classroom.

I wish all of the seniors who are graduating this year the absolute best in the next steps in their lives. What an exciting time for you: the road is opening up, and there are so many things you are going to learn! 

Memorial Day

I am taking this Monday off from Blogging. I hope you all have enjoyed your memorial day!

Thank you to all the men and women who are off protecting our country at this very moment. I could not imagine doing what you do.

How did you spend Memorial Day?

Paper Paintings Lesson, Part 2

If you haven't read Part I about Paper Paintings yet, do that first.

Alright, at this point you and your students should have:

• A preliminary sketch
• Sketch/ Underpainting on cardboard, matboard, or other substrate
• Enough colored scraps of painted paper for the entire class (organized in some way)
• Elmers BLUE LABEL GLUE ALL glue (the black will reconstitute if it comes into contact with any water) and brushes that can be ruined (*Note: you don't have to plan to throw all brushes away with good clean-up procedures, just don't use your best brushes).

 Once students and supplies are ready, they can begin painting with paper! The concept here is simple, but should be modeled for younger students: the goal is to find similar colors and tones in the painted papers to their original underpainting. This is the reasoning behind having as many different tones within each color as possible.

When they apply the paper, they must coat both sides in the glue, or make sure to apply glue to the area they are covering on their underpainting. There should be enough glue for the paper to stick, but no large globs of glue left on the surface.They should then coat the top of the paper with glue as well.

A good rule of thumb when you begin to apply the painted paper is to follow the shape of the object- for example, if you were trying to "paint" a beach ball you would follow the curve of the sphere. This is the most important part of the technique to model to all students.

It is worth noting that this is a time-consuming project. Be sure to give students enough time to work, and help them not to rush. They should be using small pieces of painted paper to cover areas, and making sure to apply the glue to the front and back of the painted paper. Younger students could work more simply, either drawing larger, or working on a smaller substrate. Level of detail expected should be modeled for all students.

Once the pieces are finished, students should coat them in one final layer of the glue. Gel medium or varnish can also be used, but cost of these mediums is significantly higher. I would also assume you could use shellac, but you would have to keep the area well-ventilated (therefore its probably not worth the trouble).

As mentioned in part one, the media could very well cause the pieces to warp, so try painting a layer of glue on the back after they have dried. This may or may not work, though, so please send a comment my way if you try it!

 Well, that's all for this tutorial. Feel free to post additional ideas, questions, or anything else you like in the comments section! Hope you enjoyed it :)

Keeping Busy

Sorry that there's no Friday Flash today. This week has been busier than I had expected. Wednesday night I actually stayed up rather late working on a sewing project. For those that know me personally, I am normally not a night person! I was just so full of creative energy that I didn't feel tired!

I wanted to touch on the idea of creative energy this evening. I know I feel better motivated and more successful in my artistic endeavors when I tap into my creative energy. I've also found that the best way to tap into that energy is to simply start working when the ideas pop into my head, instead of putting it off to do other things. I have been working harder not to put things off when inspiration strikes. This helps me to stay focused, and create an end-result that I am proud of.

The hardest thing to do with any project is start.

I wish you all luck on your current projects, whether they be art related or anything else! Stay tuned tomorrow for the second part of Paper Painting. :)

Paper Paintings Lesson, Part 1

Having attended the workshop given by Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson this past Saturday, I am inspired to do more collaging in this style.

For a bit of background, collage is usually defined by the application of paper in a thoughtful way to a substrate (what the art is created on- paper, cardboard, wood, etc.). Collage is NOT the same as decoupage. Decoupage traditionally covers the surface of any object, without a lot of artistic thought (though I am not saying it is not creative). Collage is an artistic medium. I like to think of it as the next step after decoupage.

I really enjoyed learning Nelson's approach to collage, and the idea of the "paper painting." She truly treats the application of paper to her pieces like painting, and achieves a very unique effect.  Everyone at the workshop achieved different results in their pieces, and I believe everyone was successful. Unfortunately, I forgot my phone, so I don't have any images of the other teachers' pieces, just mine.

 (One of Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson's pieces. I feel this really demonstrates what a paper painting is.)

For this post I want to outline the basic steps in this process. I don't claim to have pioneered this, but want to share a student-friendly version of the process.

As with any project, students should start with an image and sketch it out. We sketched directly onto our substrate, in the teachers' case, a piece of wood. For students, you can use almost anything. We were informed that cardboard was good, and matboard could also work, but both will warp due to the amount of media used in the pieces.

 (the original image: my dog, Skipper and the sketch on the wooden board)

 
(Note: I have heard that once the front is dry (on any student work, not just paper paintings) you can brush glue on the back and let it dry, and it will straighten out some. I have not personally tried this, so I can't guarantee it, but if anyone does try it before I do, let me know how it turns out! courtneypla [at] gmail [dot] com.)

It is a good idea for students to create an under-painting of their piece. (In this case, you could have them use a past painting assignment, or have them create a new painting.) The under-painting gives them an idea of where their colors will be laid when they start working with the papers. These under-paintings should be a loose quality: make sure students aren't overworking them, otherwise they might be timid about putting the paper over top.

(Here is my underpainting. I used just enough color/ value to indicate where I want the paper-painted tones to go)

The next step is preparing the paper for the final pieces. Elizabeth informed us that she does this in large "batches" of every color, giving thought to colors that will largely be used in the piece while also creating a full spectrum. The creation of the painted paper is a lot of fun, but followed some basic guidelines:

• Never use watercolors to paint your paper- they will bleed when coated (Test tempera and other water-soluble paints for bleeding before use).
• Use Acrylic paints to paint the paper. They will not bleed.
• Use stamps to create tone-on-tone texture effects. The benefits: tone-on-tone keeps the paper interesting, but not distracting. (You could have students make eraser stamps in a lesson before this, and have those to use for other projects like this.)
• Make every color you can!
• Use all different kinds of papers. Some of my favorites? Maps, anything with handwriting on it, old homework, book pages (yes, you will have to destroy books), art papers, any papers in need of recycling, paper grocery bags.

When you are ready to paint the papers, the paints will need to be thinned out with water. Students can paint the papers, and then work on top of the painted pages with stamps, brayers, anything that creates a texture on the page. As stated above, keep it tone-on-tone. Students can recycle works that they were unhappy with as well.

Once the papers are dry, they should be torn into smallish pieces, and sorted by color. (I would separate by color and set up a group of bags for each table with K-8; high schoolers can either make their own and trade with friends, or work with one communal supply.) Now the students are ready to start Part II: Paper Painting!

Stay tuned for Paper Painting, Part II!

MMM: Fluid Acrylics

A big part of our Saturday workshop was the use of Fluid Acrylics, specifically the Golden brand. Therefore I wanted to introduce this fantastic profession medium.

I have had my Fluid Acrylics for several years, and I love working with them more than traditional Acrylic paints. Why? Because of their unique characteristics.

There are two major brands that carry Fluid Acrylics: Liquitex and Golden. Both companies produce a variety of acrylics paints, mediums, and varnishes. I have used both, but as stated above, I prefer Golden Fluid Acrylics. They have a more fluid consistency and seem to mix more successfully with water than their Liquitex counterparts.

(images: Liquitex image, via the Liquitex website, Golden image via in2art.com)

According to the Golden Website, 

"Fluid Acrylics are highly intense, permanent acrylic colors with a consistency similar to heavy cream. Produced from lightfast pigments, not dyes, they offer very strong colors with very thin consistencies...Unlike mixtures of heavy-bodied paints and water which produce weak color and films by dilution, Fluid Acrylics contain high pigment levels suspended in an acrylic polymer vehicle. The result offers fine dispersion, high tinting strength, durability, flexibility and good adhesion."

 What does this mean? They are not nearly as thick as regular/ heavy bodied acrylics, and mix like a dream. Because of the high amounts of pigment, they mix really well with water and other acrylic mediums. A little bit goes a LONG way. On a personal note, I believe that they are much easier to mix, too.

You can use Fluid Acrylics on anything you could use regular acrylics on. I will recommend that if you are painting on canvas, make sure you prime it really well. These paints are expensive, and you don't want the canvas to soak them up. I have used them in a lot of my work, and have never been disappointed.

Another great point about fluid acrylics is that you can get metallic colors. I have several by golden: a yellow-gold, a true gold, copper, and a micacious iron oxide. These cover really well, and I love the quality of the pigments.

Last point: They are a must have for mixed media! Fluid Acrylics cover really well, and most are transparent making them good substitutes for glazes. You can layer a lot without building up a lot of surface, which is ideal for a lot of altered books and mixed media sketch books. I like using them with stencils, stamps, brayers, and other simple printmaking tools.

Both Liquitex and Golden Fluid Acrylics are available at Michaels (hello, 40% off coupon!). You can buy just the Liquitex brand at JoAnn Fabrics, and there are many online sources to purchase from. I originally bought a starter set, and a few additional colors to get me started, which would be my recommendation if you have never tried the medium before. These are an amazing medium to use with Advanced students, but they are expensive, so probably not within reach for some of our budgets.

I urge you to give this medium a try. If you already use Fluid Acrylics, what do you think of them? Would you recommend them to other practicing artists/ students?

*Note: I was not compensated for this review, I just really like working with Golden Acrylics in general. Everyone has their preference, and I actually do use both brands.

No Marvelous Monday Medium Today

Today ended up being busier than I thought it would be, so instead of talking about a specific medium I am telling you to go check out the work of Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson.

(A "paper painting" of Nelson's. She mixes painting and collage for a nice effect.)

I am very lucky to be attending a workshop given by this talented artist on Saturday, from 9-3. I can't wait to work along side other teachers! I will be working on some of the "homework" we were given this week. That means this week has a sort-of theme!

(I love her use of color in every piece!)

Elizabeth is a local artist, and it's interesting how my internship teacher came to know about her. She had a student in her class that babysat for the artist, so the student introduced my teacher to the work. Mrs. Nelson actually came in and did a demonstration for the AP students of her technique.

(I love birch trees, and the use of music sheets to create the unique bark texture in this piece.)

As her technique requires unique papers, I plan to paint up some of my own for the workshop. We are also supposed to sketch out our image and do an underpainting. After watching the DVD put out by Nelson, it seems like the underpainting acts as two things: A road map for the paper pieces, and a means to leave some painted effects in the pieces.

(The visibility of the wood panel as the background is a nice touch. I also like the clever use of stamps.)

Needless to say, I am very interested to see how all of our final pieces turn out on Saturday. Check back in for updates on my "homework" on Wednesday.

What are you doing this week?

A first: FRIDAY FLASH

This Friday's Friday Flash is a new twist on the traditional portrait assignment. It was originally inspired by two of my AP students.

After explaining that she was looking for "those shaped wooden things that you can paint on" (shaped wooden plaques), I was able to say "Oh yeah, I have a bag of those at home. I'll bring them in tomorrow." The bag of them was produced, and several of the plaques disappeared into the depths of their portfolios. Two of the girls started painting right away, inspiring the lesson.

(A portrait of my student's best friend. The two will be attending separate colleges, so her shirt says "King" for the college she will be attending.)

I started the lesson off by introducing students to the historical context of portrait miniatures.

Resources: Artists and Ancestors, Wikipedia Entry

As the students were more advanced, I did not create a handout. I showed them my examples, and instructed them to create mini portraits of other people (not self portraits). 

(These are my examples, two matching pieces. One is a self portrait, the other is my husband.)

For my pieces, I used small shaped wooden plaques. You can purchase them at JoAnn or Michaels and I am sure any other hobby/ craft store in your area. I checked the prices, and the smaller shapes are $0.69 a piece.

(This is a simple composition. The student used acrylics, and put a few coats of gesso over the plaque.)

In order to use the plaques, they must first be primed with Gesso. I ended up using fluid acrylics on my pieces, as watercolor would not adhere to the surface, but it seemed that several coats of gesso made it possible to use watercolors.

We were also very fortunate to have had a box of frames donated, so many of the students used watercolor paper instead. 

 (This is a great example of AP students using the project as a catalyst for their concentration pieces. The piece on the left highlights the eyes, which happened to be the student's concentration. In the piece on the right, the student has used a bike tire as a halo-like shape for his concentration, bikes.)

Even if you don't have the resources to purchase plaques or frames for students, you can still use watercolor for this assignment, just have them create a frame for the piece instead. It could be painted or a separate collaged piece.

(If you ignore the picture frames, these two pieces could have easily been complete with just the watercolor paper (right) and paper with a mat board frame (left) )

This lesson was very open-ended, which worked well for the advanced students. I will be putting together a more structured handout that could be used for other levels/ ages, which I will post at a later time.

I hope this helps to bring you some inspiration! What do you think of the project?

Internship is over...

Now that I have finished my senior internship, I have a TON of material to share on this blog, and that is really exciting! It also means I am graduating, and am officially A TEACHER! Also very exciting.

These facts aside, I have been giving a lot of thought to this blog; namely its organization. When I think about what I want to share here, I was able to come up with some basic plans:

1. Set a schedule of sorts to keep posting organized and on topic.
2. Choose topics that will be helpful to students and teachers alike.
3. Share lesson plans and examples of student work.
4. At some point bring in some guest posters, especially for elementary level lessons.

With these things in mind I would like to reveal my plans for posting:

Marvelous Monday Medium

Share a medium or technique.

Wednesday's Weekly Whiz

Share a contemporary artist, and some basic lesson ideas to go with their work.  

Friday Flash

Share a lesson plan/ idea.

I am going to try my best to keep to this schedule, and the silly names: I really do enjoy alliteration. What would you like to see?

Spring Break

Spring break is here, and that means it's time for some reflection, catch-up, and relaxation.

I think as a student I never quite understood that teachers looked forward to breaks as much as we did: it was their JOB, and my parents had JOBS and they didn't get breaks... However, teaching is a different animal. We have busy times, and busier times. I feel there is a need for time off, and that it's important to take at least some of that time to reflect on the general state of the classroom.

Chances are your grades just went in too, so how are the students doing? 

I will be taking time to reflect on this question, and how I can alter my approach to teaching to better benefit my students. The one thing I have been thinking about lately is making sure students are really learning about art while creating it.

Remember...

 

(image via Onesidezero)

Even as we are showing our students work by other artists, and basing projects around them, it's always good to remember to keep to our own unique styles. It's up to the art teacher to teach the difference between "borrowing" and straight-up copying. There are numerous motifs that have been repeated in the art world for centuries. The motifs are safe to use and reuse, but we want to make them our own not simple knock-offs of someone else's work.

Remember: your artwork doesn't have to look or be "perfect". Copying someone else's work or style isn't going to help you to become a better artist, practicing drawing from life (a lot) will.

Now Twitter Enabled

You can find me on twitter @plateaches. I'm not sure yet how I am going to utilize the twitter service, but I felt that this was a good time to get signed up and comfortable with the technology.