November Extra Credit: Wyland Art Contest

November's Extra Credit assignment is creating designs for the 2018 Wyland National Art Challenge.  You can begin by creating a design in your sketchbook and share it with so I can give you suggestions and advice based on what I know about the contest then you can  flesh it our with color and complete it.  We will take all the final images and talk about our favorite designs then choose one for our personal entry or a collaborative mural which we will enter at the end of November.

National Art Honor Society: Museum of Modern Art

In National Art Honor Society today we will hand out permission slips for our upcoming field trip to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in NYC.  The trip will take place during the school day 8am-4pm on Tuesday November 20, the week of Thanksgiving.  The museum is the home to some of the world's most famous art such as Vincent Van Gogh's Stary Night and Salvador Dali's Persistence of Memory so we'll discuss the relevance and history of the art the week before our trip.

Happy Halloween!

AP Art: Figure Drawing Week

In AP Art class it's Figure Drawing Week so each day we will bring in student models to pose and we'll be drawing and painting from life in different media.  This includes Halloween so we'll have figures in costume Wednesday.

Its figure #drawing week in #APart class in @SCSD_HSE, we have an open door 6th period on #Halloween so if you have a fun costume come in & model & we’ll share some the student #art! pic.twitter.com/uyyuJ4qel5

— Tim Needles (@timneedles) October 30, 2018

Digital Media: Video Game Design

In Digital Media we are working on creating and coding our Video Game Designs for the upcoming Scholastic art and writing awards, below are the requirements and the game is due this Friday November 2 and the final entry for extra credit is due to be uploaded by Tuesday, December 4, 2018.

Video Game Design

Category Description

An interactive media experience that makes use of gameplay and digital media (e.g., visual art, sound design, digital storytelling, etc.). This category also includes conceptual designs of playable games.

Special Instructions

• Video Game Design submissions must be playable games or conceptual designs of playable games.
• Conceptual designs include, but are not limited to, character designs, game scripts, gameplay diagrams, or any combination of those.
• Students may create playable games using the software or coding language of their choice. Some examples of these are: Scratch, Flash, Ren’py, Game Salad, Unity, and Game Maker.
• Alternatively, students may submit playable games in another platform where the final game can be played by the judges on a browser or a PC without the purchase of any proprietary software or having to register for a private community.

Submissions

• If you are submitting a playable game, you can upload one file (.exe, .zip, .rar, or .swf). You must also enter a 250-500 word gameplay summary in the provided text editor and a gameplay video of your game being played no longer than 5 minutes in length.
• If you are submitting conceptual designs, you can upload up to eight images and/or text documents. We highly recommend that you enter a description of your concept and its parts in the field provided on the upload page. This will ensure jurors can understand your work during judging.

Collaboration

Video Game Design submissions can include up to 5 collaborators. A collaborative Video Game Design entry should only be registered ONCE for judging: choose one student to create an account and upload the work -- this student can then identify up to four collaborators on the Edit Info page.
If the other collaborators are not listed when the work is submitted they will not be eligible to receive an Award.  For students using SCRATCH here's a really helpful forum with some help in creating and coding the game: SCRATCH FORUM

And if you're trying to make a game on code.org then you can use this tutorial below:

Challenge Day Reflection

This week I had the opportunity to attend Challenge Day once again and it was a terrific experience.  We are going to follow-up the program by inviting everyone who participated to write how they will be the change on our Art Honor Society Challenge Day mural.  Think about what the experience was like for you and try to state how you will change then share it and be accountable to follow through on that change this year.

An amazing, cathartic experience with @ChallengeDay this week @SCSD_HSE it was an honor getting the chance to connect & share with so many students & teachers, I invite everyone to share how they will #BeTheChange & write it on our #ArtHonorSociety mural next week! pic.twitter.com/6RC3Ytiz7j

— Tim Needles (@timneedles) October 26, 2018

Challenge Day allowed us all to connect and understand each other better and reminded us of the importance of empathy as we learned about some of the different issues many of of deal with.  Below is a short reflective video about some of the program highlights from this year.

We had another terrific experience with @ChallengeDay this year @SCSD_HSE, words can’t quite describe the process but here’s a quick reflection video of some of the most memorable moments this year! #BeTheChange pic.twitter.com/NM4NCelmxf

— Tim Needles (@timneedles) October 26, 2018

Challenge Day

This week I will be out of classes from Monday - Thursday for Challenge Day so I will see many of you there.  Everyone else will continue working on their projects in class and I'll check in if I can!

Digital Media: 8 Bit Animation

In digital media we are stepping away from coding for a bit to learn the basics of Animation. We will use the PISKEL program to create an original character that we can later use when we create a video game. We will animate our character using the frames tool and create a short looping 8bit animation.  After the character is created copy it to a new sprite and create a moving background like the example above.

National Art and Media Art Honor Society: Mural Week

We took the VR Image above last week in National Art and Media Art Honor Society and the live view-able version is below.  This week we will be preparing for Mural Week next week when we will finish the Challenge Day mural and begin working on the Art and classroom mural.  Members will work together to come up with designs and next week we will start painting!

2018 National Art Honor Society - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

Studio Art: Drawing Terms

Now that we have completed the sketchbook week implementing the new drawing terms we learned in Studio Art we will now formally go over all the terms using the Drawing Terms QUIZLET.  Make an account and add into the Studio Art 2018 class then we will use quizlet in class to review for the quiz on Friday.

Film: The Screenplay

This week in class we will learn how to format and write a screenplay. The video above gives us the basic formula and we'll use the free CELTX program to create a demo screen play in class.

Digital Media: Coding Terminology & Vocabulary

In the first month of school we learned about Photoshop, green screen, coding, and augmented reality and this week we will review the new terms on coding we learned for a quiz this Friday.  We will be using the class Quizlet below to review and it can be accessed at home to study. Here's the direct link to the Coding Quizlet, make sure you study bu doing the: Learn, Match, and Test options by Thursday:

• Digital Media Art: Coding

AP Art: SCAD Visit

 Today we have a representative from SCAD coming to Smithtown East to talk about their program and review AP Art portfolios.  Here's a few photos from one of my recent trips to Savannah where I took a tour of the art school while attending the educators workshop.  We have a number of students attending SCAD along with tons of alumni over the years but if you want to get a taste yourself look into their summer student programs: SCAD summer

National Art Honor Society- Mural Week

In Art Honor Society this week we will work on our Challenge Day Project by painting the mural in the hallway as well as working on the ART and classroom murals.  We will also prepare for our upcoming fall field trip and nominate officers for the society.

AP Art: Young Arts

October's extra credit assignment for AP Art class is to create and submit art work for the Young Arts contest. There are a number of categories and in the video above you can see some of the winning work from a previous year.  The contest comes with a $10,000 scholorshio and a number of other perks.

Film: Creating an animated GIF in Photoshop

In Film class our 3rd animation challenge is creating an animated GIF in Photoshop.  The video above shows the basics.  Create a 6-12 frame animation using different layers then open a timeline to convert them to animation frames.  Next make any adjustments then publish and share it with me along with the other 3 challenges by Friday.  Below is a more advanced animation example if you wish to take it further.

Studio Art: Sketchbook Work

This week we will begin working on our Sketchbook designs following a different prompt each day (listed below).  You can see some of my sketchbook advice and practice on the Sharing Our Notebooks Blog and we'll also look at how other students and some famous artists used their sketchbooks.  We'll be learning about the Sketchbook Project (example- The Telephone Game) as well as a few new drawing terms during this assignment.  Remember that our first quiz is next Friday on the terms, you can study on our Quizlet here: Art Class Quizlet.

• Words/Geometric Shapes
• Portraits
• Asymmetrical Balance
• Analogous Color

Studio Art: Inktober 1-5

In Studio art we are completing our Inktober 2018 prompts 1-5 today, below are a few samples I created in class and tomorrow we'll take a look at yours and critique them.

Rewire Conference

Friday and Saturday I was out in New Jersey attending the Rewire Conference where I was also a featured presenter.  I had the chance to share some of the creative mindfulness techniques we do in class with teachers from around the world!  Below are some of the resources that I shared.

In addition to those resources I mentioned a number of other tools, ideas, and apps that might be useful in the 5 sessions that I presented so below are some of those resources:

Choir! Choir! Choir!- Canadian open musical choir
Japan Society- Educational Study Tour
1SE app- 1 Second Everyday Video App
Morphi- 3D design & printing app/program
Improv exercises- improv encyclopedia

And here are some of my arts integration resources that I touched on in the sessions:

Arts Integration: Engaging with Creativity

It was a fantastic educational experience and I had a chance to connect with many terrific educators over the weekend.  The experience at Rewire was amazing and I credit that to the people as the organizers, presenters, and attendees all brought a enthusiasm and excitement which remained present all weekend!

Thanks @timneedles for an awesome presentation. Looking forward to getting the band together again! "DON'T STOP BELIEVIN!" @thing_4_art @april_janicki @CPrice5580 @lizvondee #TigerStrong #WeB4Me #rewire @OnCourseK12 pic.twitter.com/KHKlQfhe22

— Jamie (@jworrell0508) October 5, 2018

I also had a chance to attend some great sessions including Don Wettrick's talk on his work with Genius Hour and here are some of my sketchnotes from his talk.

Great learning new strategies for #geniushour #innovation with @DonWettrick at #Rewire this morning! Remember that “Everything boils down to trust!” pic.twitter.com/uGy0Rrt788

— Tim Needles (@timneedles) October 6, 2018

Thanks to Glen Robbins and Barry Saide as well as the OnCourse K12 Systems and everyone at Tabernacle Schools for all the help and art teacher Mrs. Bartleson, whose room I occupied for the weekend!

Studio Art: Inktober

In Studio Art class we are working on the first 5 themes of the Inktober challenge in class.  After the first 5 you can continue the illustrations for the month as our next extra credit assignment, you can share it on social media using hashtag #inktober and #inktober2018.  The first 5 are listed below with the rest of the month and they'll be completed and graded on Tuesday.



And if you need it in French here you go:

Film: Pilot episodes

We are learning the basics of how to write a pilot episode and starting with the basic premise and characters.  Above is a short video with a few tips before we start and linked here is also a intro to a college course on the subject.  We'll be building the pilot over the first quarter as we learn the elements of film and television.

Digital Media: Digital Drawing

In Digital Media we are learning the basics of Digital Drawing with a self portrait in Photoshop.  The drawing should be completed by Wednesday and then we'll be adding layers and digital manipulations.  Make sure you save these images as Photoshop files as we need to continue to preserve the layers until we are finished.

Shanti Peace Poster Contest

The Shanti Peace Poster Contest is due tomorrow so any students that want to submit work can bring it down to me today so we can add the necessary information and submit the work.  Remember there are prizes for each grade level in addition to extra credit for students in classes where this wasn't given as an assignment!

Pep Rally

Today is the Pep Rally so we will have shortened classes that are each filled with spirit... (oh and also quizes and art) Happy Friday everyone!

National art and Media Art Honor Society

Today is the first full meeting of the National art and Media Art Honor Society  We will be discussing the events we have planned for the year and the trips we will be taking each season.  Everyone is welcome to attend!

Studio Art: Zentangle Patterns

In Studio Art we learned 15 new Zentangle Patterns that can be used for our Zentangle drawing in class (you can see them in the video above). Today we will finish them up and begin our final piece.

AP Art: Assignment 1- Rafael Lozano Hemmer

We looked at the work of artist Rafael Lozano Hemmer and his work at the MAC Museum in class and the first AP breadth assignment was to choose a theme of aspect of his work and create an art piece based on it. The work is due on October 1 but feel free to bring it in this week so we can give feedback if necessary.

Digital Media: Digital Drawing and Photoshop Basics

In Digital Media class we are going to learn the basics of digital drawing with a Wacom tablet and stylus and here's some inspiration.  We'll be working in Photoshop learning some new tools and terminology as well and here's a link to the class quizlet with the terms to study for our first quiz on Friday.

Film: Examining Television Pilots

In Film we are examining television pilots to learn how they work so we can create one so today we'll take a look at a few different formats to compare and contrast.  Well look at both old and new show to see how the share the who, what, where, and how in the first 15 minutes of the show.

Studio Art: Zentangle

In studio art we are going to learn to various Zentangle techniques this week for our first big project next week.  Below are some of the tangle patterns we'll be using to create our sketchbook piece. 

We will fill the page completely with different patterns for a complete piece that will be graded Friday.  Next week we will draw an animal or statement and Zentangle it like the example below.

Extra Credit: Embracing Our Differences

Our first Extra Credit assignment this year is the Embracing Our Differences contest.  Create work in any media that is HORIZONTAL and fits the theme of "enriching lives through diversity and inclusion."  The work is due by October 14 so it can be delivered by October 15 to the contest.

Digital Media: Dot Day Augmented Reality

In Digital Media we will celebrate Dot Day today by creating original Augmented Reality drawings on Photoshop.  Each student will create an intricate "dot" that represents the spirit of Peter Reynolds children's book The Dot.  Creating a dot is not really the challenge, it's more creating a original and inventive dot that represents you.  Make sure you sign it and we'll create a short film of all our dots to share with the elementary students and social media. 

Studio Art: Illustration Friday- Anonymous

It's the end of our second week so in Studio Art classes we'll take on another Illustration Friday challenge, this week's theme is: Anonymous.  Create an illustration that fits the theme using the full page in color or black and white using any media!
Anonymous

Digital Media: Green Screen Self Portraits

In Digital Media our first assignment is to take a green screen self portrait and use the chroma key technique in Photoshop to create an original Green Screen Self Portrait like the example above from class.  We'll be sharing all the images on Monday as we transition to our next project, an introduction to code!

Film: Virtual Reality Film and Photography

Film Class - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

In our Film and Video class we are learning a bit about how Virtual Reality Film and Photography works by experimenting with a Theda Camera this week. Check out the interactive photograph above from Wednesdays class.

Studio Art: Illustration Friday

In our Studio Art class we dedicate each Friday of the first semester to creative drawing based on a thematic prompt which we term: Illustration Friday.  The first prompt will be reflective- the first week of school.  Create a full page drawing illustrating your experience in color.

Welcome to the First Day of School 2018

Welcome to the First Day of School 2018! I'm Mr. Needles and this is our class blog, this year I'm teaching:

• AP Studio Art
• Film and Video
• Studio Art
• Digital Media
• Computer Art & Design

Today and tomorrow we'll be going over some of the basic and the class projects and expectations but we are going to begin class today by creating!

We'll also take a look at the art and media art honor societies and what they do, here's a look at one of our previous years events and activities!

2018-2019 AP Summer Assignments

Summer Assignments:

All assignments can be done in any medium, technique and style you desire but should be entirely original (do not use other people’s pictures, characters, or content in any way) and fit the AP Test you are planning on taking (Drawing, 2D, or 3D).  Part I and II should be shared before August 1 if you want feedback and Part III can be shared when school begins.

Part I: Breadth Assignments:

These assignments will be critiqued during the first weeks of classes and later graded. You can share them with me via social media over the summer for feedback twitter/instagram to @timneedles with #NeedlesClass or email tneedles@smithtown.k12.ny.us.

1. A Mixed-Media Portrait – Create a portrait using various media in monochrome or in color. Feel free to use any medium you desire (ink, collage, newspaper, paint, & other mixed media) and as many media as you like. The style may be handled in any way you wish: realistic, abstract, expressive, impressionistic or cubistic, etc. This portrait should reveal something significant about the model. Hands, torso and face are important features and should be included in the work. Try an unusual surface. The portrait may be done on any flat smooth unbreakable surface such as cardboard, mural paper, plywood, masonite, plexiglass, homasote board, etc.

2. Mise En Scene- Read the definition below and create a work that has a theme of mise en scene in some way. 

[mee zahn sen] noun French. 1. the process of setting a stage, with regard to placement of actors, scenery, properties, etc. 2. the stage setting or scenery of a play 3. surroundings; environment.

3. Man vs. Nature- Create a work showing the contrast between man vs nature. This can be through a narrow or wide lens and it can be literal or figurative. Try to stay away from the cliché imagery and find a unique, personal take on a very ancient theme.

4. Inspiration- Take a look at this list of 100 Artists from Art 21, choose any artist and create a piece responding to (not copying or in their style) their work. The list includes everyone from artist who use traditional media such as: Cindy Sherman and Richard Serra to artist like: Ai Weiwei, Marina Abramović, and Laurie Anderson who do performance pieces. Video clips are available for each artist on the website so do a bit of research, find something in one of the artists that you connect to and create a piece on it.  Make sure you include the artists name who the inspiration came from on the back.

5: A Day In Your Life - Choose a moment from your everyday life and express it visually using any media. This can be a moment that’s memorable or very average, reoccurring or just a moment you remember. Try to use media that helps illustrate the moment and think about your perspective vs. others when creating the imagery.

Part II: Choice Assignments:

Create a series of 65 works (about 1 piece a day during the summer).  Feel free to experiment creatively and use different media, the subject matter is also your choice but I'd suggest that you both work from life and you imagination.  If you get stuck and are at a loss for what to do I suggest using creative promts such as my own #TERPart or some of my favorites like JJCommunity for photography and Illustration Friday for drawing or #31nights which can work for anything!

If you use a sketchbook that would mean 65 pages or if it's photography that would mean 65 images. This work shows process so not every piece would be totally completed but rather a resource to pull from for ideas and creative experiments in the future.

Part III: Shanti Peace Poster Contest

Create a 8"x10' horizontal poster design for the Shanti Peace Poster Contest, the theme this year is GANDHI you are free to use quotes if you wish but make sure the work is original. There is now a winner and a cash prize for each grade level, here's a link to the some winning Smithtown designs from past year's: 2011 Peace Poster

Summer Break

As we approach the summer break I want to encourage all of you to continue creating and sharing in any way you want!  As I hope you've learned the arts are a terrific outlet and that are numerous benefits to expressing yourself so keep the process rolling.  Feel free to share with me on social media and I'm still available as a resource if you have questions about materials, art, artists, or anything else so have a terrific and creative summer- have fun!

Wrapping Up The School Year

Tomorrow is the last day of classes and seniors will be out of many classes for the senior barbeque so be sure to check your final grades today and make sure all your assignments are submitted because I won't be able to track you down during finals.  Today is also the final exam in digital media class so make sure to use our class quizlet to study.

Last Week of School

It's our Last Week of School so be sure to prepare for the final exam in Digital Media and Film class and make sure all of you final assignments are in for all classes.

Digital Media: Final Review and Final Robotics Project

Before our last project we are going to take a short final exam reviewing the vocabulary and technology we used in class, use the class quizlet to study: DIGITAL MEDIA FINAL.  The test will be on Monday.  Our last project will be on robotics using the Finch and the Ozobot.