Studio Art: Folding Origami Cranes

Now that we designed origami paper we will learn hoe to fold the Paper Origami Crane in Studio Art class like the demo I created above. Below is the step by step tutorial video showing how to create them that can be paused and repeated in case you have any issues.



The paper crane is an important symbol in Japan strengthened by the story of Sadako and the 1000 paper cranes from after World War II. In our continued relationship with japan we have created a 100 paper cranes each year in class and gifted them to Japan each year since my first visit in 2009.

I have even given Sadako's brother himself cranes that are housed at the Hiroshima war memorial in Japan (pictured above) as well as the school district of Fukushima where the terrible 2011 tsunami and nuclear meltdown occured and our cranes are housed in city hall.  Below is the story of Sadako is you are unfamiliar with it.

National Art Honor Society- Yearbook Page and Sketchbook Project

In today's National Art Honor Society we will complete our Yearbook Club Page Designs and continue working on the video reflection.  The NAHS club page is pictured above and the Media Art page is almost complete. We will also put the finishing touches on the Sketchbook Project 2019, there are 4 pages left to complete and we need to create the index for Saturday.  We will also continue working on our murals and prepare for the next field trips.

Computer Art: Creating A Scratch Video Game

In Computer Art class we are going to learn how to create and code a simple video game with original characters in Scratch.  You can use a web tutorial or code on your own.  It uses the same blockly coding language as we used on code.org and you can create aspects of the game in Photoshop and Piskel as well.  It'll be due at the end of class on Monday April 1 and Tuesday we'll try out each other's games and review them using a rubric.

Studio Art: Gelli Printing with Stencils

In Studio Art we have been exploring the Gelli Printing process and we are now incorporating hand-cut stencils into the work.  Two final prints are due due tomorrow, Wednesday March 26 for a grade and then we will learn about our next printmaking assignment.  Below is a great example from Florence Turnour's blog.

Art Honor Society: 2019 Sketchbook Project

Working with the @SCSD_HSE National #ArtHonorSociety students to finish #drawing & #painting our 2019 #SketchbookProject for Brooklyn #Art Library, our theme is #Songs We Love, here’s a preview! pic.twitter.com/8nkMMLacXN

— Tim Needles (@timneedles) March 22, 2019

We are more than halfway done with our Art Honor Society 2019 Sketchbook Project, above is a preview of some of the pages.  Remember everyone needs to be ready to finish their pages quickly because the Sketchbook is due next weekend!

Digital Media: Rotoscoping

In Digital Media class we will learn the basics of Rotoscoping this week using both digital and traditional tools.  We'll begin today by collaboratively stroboscoping Edweard Muybridge's serial photographs that led the way to the creation of film in the 1800's.

Each student in class will trace a different frame from the photograph above and we'll unite the frames into one larger animation. Above is the example from my classroom demonstration.  This will be due on Monday and we'll see in class how the frames are combined.  Below is a short explanation of what rotoscoping is and how the process developed.

This process is still used in films, often as a special effect in movies like Guardians of The Galaxy (Rocket Racoon), here's a list of a few examples. After the collaborative introduction we'll work together once again to create a longer piece like the example from the TED logo by students below.

Here's some more information about this process from the TEDx blog: What is Rotoscoping It also has some great examples from history of the process, one of the first examples by animator Max Fleischer who created the process in 1915 below.

Studio Art: Gelli Printing

In Studio Art we are beginning our printmaking unit with Gelli mono-printing.  We'll begin by creating interesting stencils to use- they can be random organic or geometric shapes or more specific imagery.



We will then create a series of 2 mono-prints that relate to each other, in the art world this is called a diptych.  Their are a number of different techniques and methods but each student should create 2 prints for Tuesday using their stencils.



After creating our first 2 monoprints using stencils in Studio Art class  we will take monoprinting to the next level by adding drawing and layer masks.

You can draw first then print over it like the example above and below using a photograph or you can layer prints like the examples below but I'd suggest experimenting with prints before making a final print.

NAEA Conference Reflection

It was another fun learning experience this year at the National Art Education Association National Conference in Boston!

There were some fun and creative new materials I learned about from the expo floor such as the honeycomb student art exhibit above and I love working hands-on so the Blick booth is always interesting.

Above is the Blick hands-on fabric printmaking project I did, we used the easy carve prints on fabric then cut and glued them adding some decorative elements with fabric paint markers.  You can get a glimpse of the process below.

I also had a chance to visit the MFA Boston Art Museum after hours which was free with our conference badge to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit which was fantastic.

I haven't been to the museum since my days attending college in Boston so I loved seeing the new renovations and how they incorporated the building's exterior into the design as seen below with their cafe and the large Chihuly sculpture, they have an amazing collection!

The keynote talks were some of the best I've ever seen at an NAEA conference and ever one I attended was inspiring and interesting.  Artist Amy Sherald started it off in style discussing her work and its connection to the portraiture throughout history and she also gave some insights into her process painting the official first lady portrait for Michelle Obama.

There were also great keynotes from Peter H Reynolds and Dr. Howard Gardner, I tweeted out some of my takeaways from those talks as they happend this weekend as seen below.

My favorite takeaway from @DrHowardGardner’s #keynote: “It may be true that going into the #arts will improve math scores but we all know that nobody goes into art to improve #math scores, they go into it because they #love it and they love to use their minds.” #NAEA19 pic.twitter.com/l6TSaE8FwN

— Tim Needles (@timneedles) March 16, 2019

I also attended some meetings as a member of the National Art Honor Society board and the Art Ed Tech interest group board which were productive.  We're working together to plan some exciting new future projects in both groups that should be wonderful.

On Saturday I taught a workshop on collaborative murals with Don Masse, a terrific educator from San Diego, CA who also does murals with students.  One of the collaborative murals we painted with educators in the workshop can be seen above at the top of the post and below.

Finally, as the event wrapped up I made sure to stop by MIT to visit the Frank Gehry designed Stata Center and check out the innovations in Cambridge.

It was a very fast but very fulfilling weekend and as always one of the biggest highlights was getting to connect with some of my art education colleagues and friends from groups like AET, #K12artchat, and NYSATA!

Heading to Boston for the NAEA Conference

Today is my last day in class this week as I'll be heading to Boston for the NAEA Art Educators Conference.  We will be continuing work on our Youth Art Month artist portrait and quote assignment while I'm away.  Have a great week and enjoy St. Patrick's Day!

Digital Media: Digitally Illustrated Artist Portrait and Quote

To close out our short film project we will review some of the post-production terms using QUIZLET (learn, match and test) and we'll have a quiz when I return from the Art Educators conference next week. Next we'll be moving on to digital drawing on the wacom tablet.

This week we will learn about digital drawing using the Wacom tablet and Adobe Photoshop. We'll begin with a fairly simple drawing that will allow us to explore the possibilities of using these tools. Next each student will draw a portrait of a famous living artist in celebration of Youth Art Month with a quote from that artist. The artist's were assigned below so you will have to find a large, high quality image of the artist and create a detailed tracing on a new layer in Photoshop. We will do this step by step together in class but the first step is finding a good, high quality, large image to work from and formatting it in Photoshop with a 300 resolution and a medium size (around 8"). Above and below are two examples of this project from previous years when we covered important figures in technology and writing.

When you begin the drawing make sure you are on the layer (not the background), that you save frequently, and that you are working with a color not found in the image- it helps to zoom in while drawing as well. After making the drawing we add background colors, add a quote from the artist and small frame then add a #Needlesclass watermark to share on social media. The final project will be due at the end of class on Wednesday March 20

Digital Media Period 2

Thoreau- Barry McGee
Kylie- Sebastião Salgado
Kaylynn- Yayoi Kusama
David- Scott Snibbe
Vincent- Robert Frank
Daniel- Liu Bolin
Thomas F- David Salle
Tim- Chuck Close
Ethan- Yoko Ono
CJ- Swoon
Skylar- Shepard Fairey
Aileen- Lauren Greenfield
Michael- Gregory Crewdson
Salvatore- Jim Campbell
Thomas M- Marina Abramovic
Dylan- Wayne White
Gonzalo- José Parlá
Kyle- Jon Burgerman
Jesse- Vuk Ćosić
Sean- Marilyn Minter
Jacob- David Hockney

Digital Media Period 4
Carly- David Hockney
Cailey- Marilyn Minter
Payton- Vuk Ćosić
Mark- Jon Burgerman
Madelyn- Gregory Crewdson
Kevin- Shepard Fairey
Timothy- José Parlá
Mitch- Yoko Ono
Benedetto- David Salle
Joseph- Liu Bolin
Jenna- Robert Frank
William- Swoon
Srikar- Scott Snibbe
Kenneth- Banksy
Matthew- Ai Weiwei
Naeem- Sebastião Salgado
Alexander- Jim Campbell
James McA- Marina Abramovic
James McD- Barry McGee
Justin- Andy Goldsworthy
Abigail- Yayoi Kusama
Nicholas- Kaws
Emily- Wayne White
Joseph- Annie Leibovitz
Kerrick- Chuck Close

Computer Art Period 8

Joseph- Wayne Thiebaud

Juan- RETNA

Anya- David Lynch

Robert- Elizabeth Peyton

Keegan- Jasper Johns

Kyle- Ai Weiwei

Michael- William Wegman

Spencer- Cindy Sherman

Gregory- John Baldessari

Benjamin- Anish Kapoor

Liam- Andy Goldsworthy

Aidan- Jenny Holzer

Jack- Julian Schnabel

Art Honor Society- Yearbook Page Design

Even though we will not be meeting in Art Honor Society this week as I will be in Boston for the NAEA conference we will be working on designing our Yearbook Page Design for both honor societies so be sure to share photos from our meetings and events this year!

International Women’s Day

Today is International Women’s Day and Google is celebrating with some Google Doodles based on Artists we learned about in class.  Here's a look at Frida Kahlo and Yoko Ono's quotes from the piece which is on the Google homepage today.

Computer Art: Virtual Reality Camera

Smithtown East Pep Rally 2018 - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

In Computer Art class we are learning the basics of the camera and exposures before taking on our experimentation with the Theta Virtual Reality Camera on Monday. Review the QUIZLET terms for a short quiz on Tuesday and design a VR image which includes the class in an interesting way. Above is an example, the VR image that I took at the Pep Rally.

Heckscher Museum LI Best Show

Work is due this week for the 2019 Heckscher Museum LI Best Show.  The example above is from Lindsey who based her watercolor painting on Robert Swain Gifford's A Decorative Notion from 1880 pictured below.

Studio Art: Illustrate A Song

In Studio Art and Art Honor Society we are Illustrating A Song like the examples designed by Nour Tohme, a Paris, France based graphic designer and illustrator.  Choose any song and draw it out on a full page in color, the final design is due on Thursday and we'll critique them on Friday.  Extra points for students that can illustrate and communicate the song without using any words!

Digital Media- Pre-production

Today we have our quiz on pre-production so we'll take a look at part of the pre-production process of the hit television series, The Office. Here's two short clips that will give us some insight on the process.
 
We'll also take a look at some of the interviews I've done with the cast including Creed Bratton (who played Creed on the show).

March: Late Arrival Snow Day

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We'll start off March today we'll have a late start due to the snow but in Digital Media classes we'll be check the footage for our short, short film while reviewing the Quizlet for our quiz tomorrow and in Studio Art we'll be continuing work on our textured self portrait project.  In Computer Art we'l be looking at our new 3D printer and continuing work on our Google Doodle.

Digital Media: Short, Short Film Footage

Today we are beginning to film our short, short films so here's 2 award winning 1 minute films for inspiration. The example above EDGE OF SEVENTEEN fits the lesson perfectly and has a great twist if you pay close attention, the film below, THE END, is more technical and requires more acting but a smart, complete short. The footage for your is due on Monday and we'll be having a short quiz on the film pre-production terms we learned on QUIZLET.

AP Art: AP Checks

All AP Art students should have received the course bulletin and should have submitted payment to Mr. Aleci's office.  Checks should be made out to Smithtown Central School District for $94.

National Art Honor Society: The Sketchbook Project 2019

Today in National Art Honor Society we will be working on creating piece for our 2019 Sketchbook Project which is based on illustrations of some of our favorite songs.  I just visited the sketchbooks at the Brooklyn art Gallery to drop off my Tiny Sketchbook Project and for an opening of the Encyclopedia Project where one of my paintings was on display, always fun!

Studio Art: Designing Self Portraits with Pattern

We are going to revision self-portraits but this time we are going to work to incorporate design elements to create a composition using pattern, texture, and shape.  In this work you should explore creating contrast with patterns and you should work with both realism and some element of abstraction.  The example above is from a student and the one below is one of my own.  You can create interesting patterns out of anything: line, type, shapes, ect.

The master of this mix of realism and textured patterns is artist Gustav Klimt was an Austrian symbolist painter and well known for famous paintings such as The Kiss and the Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I.

The portrait painting, one in a small series one of which was recently owned by Oprah, is now on view in NYC's Neue Gallery for free.  It is now often better known as the "Woman in Gold" after the recent film starring Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds based on it's history, the trailer is below.

Digital Media: The Short, Short Film Project

We are beginning the film process to create our Short, Short Film Project in Digital Media by learning how to storyboard.  Below are some examples and some information about storyboards and there is also a template on Google Classroom. The storyboard is due tomorrow and then we'll discuss the next steps of filming and editing.

We are learning some film pre-production and cinematography basics such as the 3 basic shots above which you should incorporate into your film. Consider the different angles and perspective's we might want to use into your short film based on the examples we watched in class. Here's a link to some additional examples: Film Studies 101: The 30 Camera Shots Every Film Fan Needs To Know.  We'll also learn about the jobs and terminology involved in film pre-production and have a short quiz on Friday.

Above is a professional classic example of a storyboard from Star Wars that contains the establishing shot as well as many of the basic shots we learned.  The short profile below shows a bit about how a storyboard artist works and what they actually do.  We have had a few Smithtown alumni go on to becomes storyboard artists on big television and film projects like Rick and Morty and Archer.

Studio Art: Film Poster Design for a Best Picture Oscar Nominee

In Studio Art we are continuing our design unit with an original Film Poster Design for one of the Best Picture Oscar Nominees.  Choose any of the films nominated for Best Picture that we saw the previews of on Monday and create a new original design.  Below are a list of the films again:

1. Black Panther
2. BlacKkKlansman
3. Bohemian Rhapsody
4. The Favourite
5. Green Book
6. Roma
7. A Star Is Born
8. Vice

Welcome back from winter vacation!

Welcome back from winter vacation! In digital media we'll discuss some of the Oscar winners from last nights ceremony as they relate to our ongoing film and animation projects in digital media and computer art classes.

Last Day of Class

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Today is the last day before our winter vacation so make sure all assignments are up to date and submitted! Have a terrific vacation!

Art Honor Society: Happy Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day to all members of the Art Honor Society! Today we'll have a one hour meeting and work on the Sketchbook Project, the Vans Custom Culture Contest, and the Japan Society student exchange!

Here's the link to the NAHS handbook and scholarships:  2018-2019 Handbook 

Studio Art: Book Jacket Re-design

In Studio Art we will learn about 2 important contemporary designers: Chip Kidd and David Carson. Then we will create designs using the information we learned about the process with a book jacket. We will each re-design a jacket for our favorite book using the design principals we learned and the advice each of the designers gave on respecting the audience's intellect and legibility's interaction with communication.

The Harry Potter dust jacket book cover above by Kathie Bayne is a good example of what basics should be included and what a finished design looks like.  You can choose any book you like to redesign as long as it's in the school library.  Below is an additional TED talk by Chip Kidd in which he discusses designing books for authors like Charles Schultz, David Sedaris, and David Rakoff.

Dgital Media: Animation

In digital media class we are learning the basics of animation and focusing on Frank & Ollie's Twelve Basic Principles of Animation.  We watched the video above showing how of the the rule of animation applies and what happens when you don't follow the rules.  We will now incorporate the learning into our animation challenges.  The squash & stretch challenge can be done digitally on Piskel and it's due Friday along with your alphabet animation morph.

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Computer Art: 3D Art Disk Remix

Introducing high school Computer Art students to #3Dprinting with a #remix challenge: creating new & interchangeable re-designs of @MorphiApp’s modular #art disks pic.twitter.com/JMxXEM3g6r

— Tim Needles (@timneedles) February 8, 2019

In Computer Art class we started learning about 3D design and printing be doing a Art Disk Remix based on a design created by Morphi. Above are some of the initial 3D prints of student designs. Today we will learn some of the terminology using our class Quizlet.  We will continue reviewing them today and play Quizlet Live together as a class to prepare for the quiz on Wednesday.

Studio Art: Illustrated haiku poems

We learned about the basics of typography and design in class and now it's time to bring a creative approach to what we learned and pair them together as we learn a bit about Japanese culture.  The image above of the Holstee Manifesto is a great example of great type design and the image below is an example of what we are doing, creating an original illustrated haiku poem.

Haiku poems are 3 lines consisting of 5 syllables on the 1st line, 7 syllables on the 2nd line, and 5 syllables on the 3rd and final line.  We will write 5 haiku poems then choose our favorite to illustrate.  We'll also be learning a little more about Japanese culture and schools with examples from my travels and discuss our student exchange program with the Japan Society.  Below is an example of the traditional Japanese haiku illustrated.

In the TED talk below Billy, who was a two-term U.S. Poet Laureate, explains the project and how his poems were animated for the Sundance Channel.