We held out annual Pep Rally on Friday and here are some of the highlights that I edited together, there were some really impressive student performances.#SmithtownEast #spiritWeek concluded today with our #peprally, its always fun & impressive to see the students showcase their skills at @SCSD_HSE! #EastIsBeast! pic.twitter.com/tHLR9bPpdH— Tim Needles (@timneedles) October 19, 2019
Monday, October 21, 2019
Pep Rally 2019
Friday, October 18, 2019
NASA's All Female Spacewalk Today
Today is NASA's All Female Spacewalk so we will stream in it class while we work on our water conservation projects, our sketch notes are due at the beginning of class on Monday.
LIVE NOW: Tune in to watch the first #AllWomanSpacewalk in human history! 👩🏻🚀— NASA (@NASA) October 18, 2019
Starting at approximately 7:50am ET, @Astro_Christina & @Astro_Jessica venture into the vacuum of space to replace a failed power controller. Watch: https://t.co/2SIb9YXlRh
Thursday, October 17, 2019
National Art Honor Society
We will be celebrating spirit week this week by working on our Wyland mural, Spooky Hallways, and T-shirt designs as well as voting for the Media Art Honor Society president and VP.
Labels:
National Art Honor Society,
spirit week
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Digital Media: Water Conservation
We will be collaborating with Smithtown West HS, Wyland, and National Geographic on a series of projects supporting water conservation. We will begin by researching water conservation and animals that are effected locally and globally in order to create art such as mural designs. We watched some of the National Geographic video resources and will will incorporate the National Geographic framework in our work. In our research we should answer the following questions using sketchnotes (answer the 3 questions and draw at least 3 related animals):
1. Why is there a need for water conservation (on Long Island, nationally, and globally)
2. What water conservation efforts are occurring on Long Island and what can we do to make an impact personally?
3. What aquatic life is impacted by the water issues locally (and globally)?
I'm working with my #art classes in a collaboration with @WylandORG, @NatGeoEducation, local artists & science teachers in my district like @williamsocnwld to explore ways to use our #creativity to help educate our community about water conservation! #K12Artchat #AspireLead pic.twitter.com/gYXWEY8pJM— Tim Needles (@timneedles) October 11, 2019
Labels:
National Geographic,
water conservation,
Wyland
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Digital Media: YAM Flag Due Today
This week we created 3' x 5' flag designs for Youth Art Month in March addressing the theme of Take A Journey Through Art which are due today. Before you submit your final design be sure to self-assess and reflect on the work using the rubric below before handing it in for a grade and to the competition. Use the following checklist to know if you are ready to self-assess:
- Is the theme “Take A Journey Through Art” clear in the work?
- Did you include the name of our state (New York) in the design?
- Did you include the current Youth Art Month YAM logo?
- Did you make sure that any Lettering or logo is ¼” from the border?
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Insight Education Conference, Manville NJ
Columbus Day weekend I presenting on STEAM learning at the Insight Education Conference in Manville NJ and shared some insights and projects from my upcoming ISTE book. We learned a fun and engaging interdisciplinary augmented reality project and discussed how to support the STEAM mindset to encourage creativity, critical thinking, and innovation!
It was great getting to connect with so many terrific educators and work with them over the weekend- below are the resources for the presentation.
Labels:
Insight Education Conference,
Manville NJ
Friday, October 11, 2019
Digital Media: Digital Self Portrait Drawing
last week we learned some techniques in Adobe Photoshop to create digital self portrait drawings and this week we will create a layered background incorporating type and other images to give our portraits a unique sense of our personality.
Add some colors to the base drawing and incorporate any handwritten or computer created type or drawing elements to your image. The examples here from students in class show the early stage of the process.
Add some colors to the base drawing and incorporate any handwritten or computer created type or drawing elements to your image. The examples here from students in class show the early stage of the process.
Thursday, October 10, 2019
National Art Honor Society
Today the National Art Honor Society will meet to vote on our new president and organize out field trips, induction, and upcoming art shows including the NAHS juried show at NAEA headquarters. We are discussing going to see the new MOMA Museum in NYC as well as seeing the highline and the new Kusama gallery exhibit.
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
AP Art: United Nations Sustainable Global Goals
We began the school year in AP Art and drawing class by participating in the Goals Project. We collaborated with classes around the world to learn about the United Nations Sustainable Global Goals. We talked with students around the world, each of which focused on a different goal and worked together to create a project.
Here's a look at the stop-motion animation we created together to represent our goal, Global Goal 17 Partnerships for the Goals. Each student in class created a hand-painted puzzle piece and we created the animation with a voice over to illustrate the goal. The GIF above shows a clip of our final film which will be posted online.
Digital Media: Using Virtual Reality for Training
We will soon be exploring Virtual Reality in class so I thought I'd share this article on how it's being used now for employee training with a number of companies.
Monday, October 7, 2019
Digital Media: YAM Flag Design Contest
This week we are creating 3' x 5' flag designs for Youth Art Month in March addressing the theme of Take a Journey through Art which will be due Friday 10/11. Your submission should address the following questions:
- Is the theme “Take a Journey through Art” clear in the work?
- Did you include the name of our state (New York) in the design?
- Did you include the current Youth Art Month YAM logo?
- Did you make sure that any Lettering or logo is ¼” from the border?
The winning entry will be made into a full size flag and hung at the Art Educators annual convention. The student will win YAM prizes and the class will receive free art supplies. Above is an example of the winning entry from our class 2 years ago. Below is the logo that you should incorperate into the work.

When you are finished with the work, use this rubric to self assess you piece before you hand it into Google Classroom to make sure it has all of the necessary elements. Feel free to make any changes to improve your grade before you hand it in.
Friday, October 4, 2019
NY Comic Con 2019
This weekend is NY Comic Con and there are a number of great art and media panels and events happening locally. If you are attending, make sure to take some pictures and share some of the pertinent information that relates to what we are doing in class! I will see you there!
Thursday, October 3, 2019
Wyland National Art Challenge
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AP Art: Heckscher Portfolio Nights
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Wednesday, October 2, 2019
AP Art: College Board Payment
Payment for the AP Art exams is due by October 11th, 2019. The following are the fees due for the exams:
- All regular AP Exams , excluding AP Seminar & AP Capstone will cost $94.00
Monday, September 30, 2019
Extra Credit: Inktober
The October extra credit is to participate in Inktober! Below are the daily prompts and if you complete a full week I'll count it as extra credit. Above is a short video letting you know the basics but you can draw in any media based on the prompts for credit and be sure to share you work with the hashtag #INKTOBER19
Friday, September 27, 2019
Studio Art: Anti-Cyberbullying Poster Contest

Our illustration Friday this week is to create a poster design for Suffolk County’s Anti-Cyberbullying Campaign, submit an 8 1⁄2” x 11” poster, containing original content, reflecting, in words and/or images, the child’s perception of cyberbullying and its impact. The poster must be postmarked no later than Friday, October 11, 2019, and must include, on the back: the name, address and phone number of the child artist, as well as the name and address of the
school and the name of the art teacher. Poster submissions must be sent to:
Roderick A. Pearson,
Executive Director, Suffolk County Youth Bureau
100 Veterans Memorial Hwy.
P.O. Box 6100, Hauppauge, NY 11788.
The Anti-Cyberbullying Campaign Committee will select 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners from the
elementary, middle and high school age categories. Winners will be notified by Friday, November 1,
2019, and will receive their award at a ceremony to be held on Thursday, November 14, at 6:00 PM at the William Rogers Legislative Building at 725 Veterans Memorial Hwy, Smithtown, NY 11787.
In addition, winning posters will be displayed in the lobby of the County Executive’s office at H. Lee
Denison Building during the month of November 2019, in recognition of Bully Prevention month.
Challenge Day Week
This week I participated with many of you in Challenge Day and found it to be a terrific experience. For anyone who might be interested here's the link to Challenge Day shirts and accessories- Challenge Day Shop
I'd also invite everyone who participated this year or previously to stop down anytime next week to model the positive message and write how they will "Be The Change" on our mural outside my classroom in 157. I also highly recommend Brené Brown' s TED talk on the Power of Vulnerability for some encouragement in continuing to "drop the water line" and share!
Friday, September 20, 2019
AP Art- Class Assignment 1: Chronicle
Chronicle- Take a part of your life (anything from a single 24 hour day, to a week, to a longer period like a year of your life) and make an art piece representing that period of time and your personal geography. You can incorporate text, make it like a visual journal. or it can be more abstract but be creative, be personal, and do not simply document, elevate the work to art.
Here are two examples for inspiration: Above is an example of a piece I made for the Sketchbook Project which documents a day in NYC and where I traveled. Below is an example from designer and artist Paula Scher who creates maps of the world with text as she sees it, this example is of a tsunami.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
National Art & Media Art Honor Society
Today is the first meeting of the National Art & Media Art Honor Society in room 157 at 2-3pm. We will discuss our plans for the year and our upcoming induction ceremony and art show. Our first field trip of the year will be in October/November to NYC.
All are welcome to join but to be formally inducted you need to have a B or above in art and complete 10 hours on community art service (painting murals, volunteering, designing our zen garden ect.)
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Digital Media: Welcome to Coding
In Digital Media class we will begin to learn the basics of Coding this week using code.org and we'll do a few short coding assignments each week to build our skills this month. We will also be having our first quiz this Friday so be sure to study the Quizlet before our first game of Quizlet Live!

We Will begin with the 4 MINECRAFT code tutorials which will be due on Tuesday, September 24
Labels:
Digital Media: Welcome to Coding,
quizlet
Monday, September 16, 2019
Studio Art: Augmented Reality Dot Drawing
Now that we have completed out Augmented Reality Dot Drawing we will be photographing them in augmented reality and sharing them to celebrate Dot Day. Upload a fun AR photograph of your dot in our Google Classroom page for a final grade by Tuesday.Had fun this week celebrating @peterhreynolds #DotDay by creating #AugmentedReality dot #drawings in class! Next step is to build our own #AR designs in @MorphiApp & take some #creative photographs! #dotday2019 #K12ArtChat pic.twitter.com/bCrPfkfGEv— Tim Needles (@timneedles) September 14, 2019
Friday, September 13, 2019
Drawing: Global Goals Project
Our class is participating in the Global Goals project and we will be focused on the UN sustainable
development Global Goal 17: Partnerships. We learned a bit about the goal and will continue to research it to
discuss our drawn animation project idea. we will each create a drawing to incorporate into the project today!
development Global Goal 17: Partnerships. We learned a bit about the goal and will continue to research it to
discuss our drawn animation project idea. we will each create a drawing to incorporate into the project today!
Thursday, September 12, 2019
National Art and Media Art Honor Society
The National Art and Media Art Honor Society will meet in room 161 on Thursday September 19, everyone who's in or taken art classes is invited to attend! We have a number of projects and field trips planned for this year as well as scholarships and contests. The video above from a few years ago will give you a better idea of who we are and what we do!
Digital Media: Digital Drawing and Photoshop Basics
In Digital Media class we are learning the basics of digital drawing and illustration in working in Photoshop. We will be learning some new tools and terminology so here's a link to the class quizlet with the terms to study for our first quiz on Friday September 20. Here are two inspiring and very different examples of digital illustrations in action.
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Remembering September 11
Today is the 18th anniversary of the September 11 attacks so well take a moment to look at two short films from StoryCorps animated by The Rauch Brothers of two very personal stories from that day. The first about John and Joe Vigiano (a firefighter from West Islip and a police officer from Medford) and the second about Michael Trinidad (who worked at Cantor Fitzgerald).
I had a chance to visit the memorial and see the tribute in light in lower Manhattan from Brooklyn on the 15th anniversary which was meaningful as I was teaching the morning of September 11 and some of the students I taught lost parents that day.
Labels:
911,
Remembering September 11,
storycorps
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Digital Media: Chroma Key/Green Screen Basics

In Digital Media class we will be learning the basics of using Chroma Key aka Green Screen in class.
We'll begin by taking images of Spiderman and compositing a background and removing the green screen to add a cityscape. Once you've cleaned up the image you can add other elements then submit it on Google Classroom.
Monday, September 9, 2019
AP Art: Whitney Biennial
The Whitney Biennial is currently on view in NYC from May 17–Sep 22, 2019 with artists using innovative techniques such as Ellie Ga's storytelling slideshow and Robert Bittenbender's sculptures. we'll discuss some of the work in class as we explore new art this week.
Labels:
Ellie Ga,
NYC,
Robert Bittenbender,
Whitney Biennial
Friday, September 6, 2019
AP Art: Extra Credit- Young Arts Contest
Our first AP Art extra credit assignment is to apply to the Young Arts contest by September 30. It has multiple categories including: fine art, design, & photography. A small portfolio of work is required and there are multiple $10,000 cash scholarships available as well as a trip to Miami to work with a well-known artist mentor for a week!
Here's an example of the music winners recording a 1 minute song in Miami as part of the program.
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Digital Media: Augmented Reality Dot Drawings
This week we will create art celebrating Peter Reynolds classic children's book "The Dot" using augmented reality and Adobe Photoshop. We will create our own dots in each class. We will share some of our work on social media to celebrate the book's theme of how anyone can create art. Below is a dot I created first period as an example today. In media classes we'll be creating dots using augmented reality that appear virtual like the example I did below using the Quiver app on my smart phone.
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Welcome Back To School
Welcome back to school, we are going to start be reviewing the class and creating a short collaborative project this week.
Monday, June 17, 2019
School's Out For Summer
Have a terrific summer everyone and congrats to all the graduating seniors, best of luck!
Thursday, June 13, 2019
Art Honor Society: Final Meeting
Today is the Final Meeting for the officers of National Art and Media Art Honor Society and it'll be a short planning session for next year and a reflection of this year.Closing the books on another great year with the @SCSD_HSE National #ArtHonorSociety this week, looking forward to next year! pic.twitter.com/PQH7ZS0Oqo— Tim Needles (@timneedles) June 13, 2019
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
Studio in Digital Media: Final Exam
Today is our final exam in Studio in Digital Media and Studio in Art class be sure to study!!!
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
Final Exam Tomorrow
Tomorrow is the final exam in Studio in Art and Studio in Digital Media class. Again, it is a comprehensive test to show what you've learned this year. You can review the test using the class Quizlet's below:
Studio in Art: https://quizlet.com/142508104/studio-art-final-review-flash-cards/
Studio in Digital Media: https://quizlet.com/212316845/learn
Monday, June 10, 2019
Last Week of Classes
This is our Last Week of Classes so make sure all assignments are submitted and everything is up to date by Wednesday!! Lets do this!
Friday, June 7, 2019
Extra Credit: Bowseat Ocean Awarness Contest

Our final Extra Credit of the year is the Bowseat Ocean Awarness Contest which need to be submitted for a grade by Thursday June 13, 2019. You will need to create an art work based on the he 2019 theme, Presence of Future and submit it online at: bowseat.org/participate for full credit.
Presence of Future Create a piece about a coastal/marine species, place, or system in 2019 that will be threatened, altered, or lost due to climate change. From organism to ecosystem, what are the impacts of climate change on our ocean? What do you want future generations to know about marine life in 2019? What can you create that will raise awareness now for your chosen subject? Climate change requires that we think about the past, present, and future simultaneously. Because of earlier human actions, our ocean is facing real and imminent threats today; our every action—or inaction—now impacts the future of our communities and our blue planet. The effects of climate change are not something that will happen to faraway generations—it is happening now; it is happening to us. What do we stand to lose? What can we gain from learning from our past and taking steps now to create a sustainable and just future?
Here are the awards Gold Award $1,500
Silver Award $1,000
Bronze Award $500
Honorable Mention $250

Review the Theme The Ocean Awareness Contest theme changes every year. Be sure to review the description of the 2019 theme, Presence of Future, before starting your piece. Submissions are judged based on how well they address the annual theme. Read the Rules This is an international contest open to students ages 11-18. Make sure you read all of the Contest rules, submission requirements, and other details before you get started.
Do Your Research & Get Inspired We have many resources on our website to help you get started on your submission, including tips and inspiration, resources for learning more about climate change impacts on our ocean, links to organizations working on climate change, and much more! Visit bowseat.org/resources/forstudents
Thursday, June 6, 2019
AP Art: Summer Assignment 2019-2020
AP ART SUMMER ASSIGNMENT 2019
Listed below are the AP Art summer assignments due the first
week of class. Please email an image of the work in progress
before August 10th, 2019 to receive feedback. These are strictly
2-D assignments and should be complete with a foreground,
mid- ground, and background.
week of class. Please email an image of the work in progress
before August 10th, 2019 to receive feedback. These are strictly
2-D assignments and should be complete with a foreground,
mid- ground, and background.
Assignment #1: 1. Self Portrait (without showing your face)
The important thing here is to reveal something about yourself
without using your face. In fact, you need not use any part of
your body at all in this assignment. Instead, you are challenged
to portray who you are in some alternative way. What image
can you create or invent that would tell us something about
you - your personality, your interests, your character, your
inclinations, your talents, your passions, your obsessions,
your desires, your needs, your likes and dislikes, your
essence?
without using your face. In fact, you need not use any part of
your body at all in this assignment. Instead, you are challenged
to portray who you are in some alternative way. What image
can you create or invent that would tell us something about
you - your personality, your interests, your character, your
inclinations, your talents, your passions, your obsessions,
your desires, your needs, your likes and dislikes, your
essence?
Assignment #2: Mixed-media portrait
This can be done in monochrome or in color using any medium
you desire (ink, collage, newspaper,paint, & other mixed
media). The style may be handled in any way you wish:
realistic, abstract, expressive, impressionistic or cubistic,
etc. It’s your decision. (Note: select the style of your favorite
historical artist to use in this assignment.) 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. It’s up to you.
The portrait cannot be smaller than 16”x 20” and no
bigger than 22” x 28”.
you desire (ink, collage, newspaper,paint, & other mixed
media). The style may be handled in any way you wish:
realistic, abstract, expressive, impressionistic or cubistic,
etc. It’s your decision. (Note: select the style of your favorite
historical artist to use in this assignment.) 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. It’s up to you.
The portrait cannot be smaller than 16”x 20” and no
bigger than 22” x 28”.
Assignment #3: Classic Theme
Create 2 works with 1 of the following classic themes found
in art: Place, Spirituality, Identity, Consumption - Stories, Loss
& Desire, Time, or Humor. It can be done in any 2D media and
the 2 works can be related. These are the themes found in the
first 2 seasons of the PBS television show Art 21, whichever
theme you chose watch the section based on that theme and
research 1 of the other artists who created work with the same
theme. Links: Art 21 Season 1 &; Art 21 Season 2
in art: Place, Spirituality, Identity, Consumption - Stories, Loss
& Desire, Time, or Humor. It can be done in any 2D media and
the 2 works can be related. These are the themes found in the
first 2 seasons of the PBS television show Art 21, whichever
theme you chose watch the section based on that theme and
research 1 of the other artists who created work with the same
theme. Links: Art 21 Season 1 &; Art 21 Season 2
Assignment #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.
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.
Assignment #5: Shanti Peace Poster contest
Create a poster design for the theme of Peace & Non-Violence
in any media. The work should be landscape (horizontal) and
8.5” x 11” and can incorporate images of figures such as
Gandhi, Martin Luther King or other and can use text be be
sure words and names are spelled correctly.
in any media. The work should be landscape (horizontal) and
8.5” x 11” and can incorporate images of figures such as
Gandhi, Martin Luther King or other and can use text be be
sure words and names are spelled correctly.
Assignment #6: Choose Your Own Theme
The bulk of the AP test will be work created fitting a theme you
choose. The media is open as long as it is 2D and the size
should be under 20”. Choose a theme that you think you want
to work with and create 4 pieces in that theme. Avoid popular
or played out themes such as "darkness” and try to make it
personal as possible. Once you’ve chosen your theme research
and find 2 other artists who have created work that is similar to
that theme.
choose. The media is open as long as it is 2D and the size
should be under 20”. Choose a theme that you think you want
to work with and create 4 pieces in that theme. Avoid popular
or played out themes such as "darkness” and try to make it
personal as possible. Once you’ve chosen your theme research
and find 2 other artists who have created work that is similar to
that theme.
Assignment #7: The Psychological Space
The job of a Set Designer whether it be for a stage production or
movie is to create a vision that includes the environment, scenery,
furniture and props that an audience sees. These physical
surroundings are where the action will take place within a
production. Any production set should: (1) suggest the style and
tone of the whole production; (2) create mood and atmosphere;
and (3)give clues as to the specific time and place of the action.
In other words, part of the Set Designers job is to impart emotion
within a specific space. How does a Set Designer do this? How do
they create a feeling of openness, or conversely, claustrophobia?
In movies, how does the lighting effect a scene? Why isn’t a horror
movie taking place in the woods lit like a drama or comedy in a
department store? How does the camera angle lead your emotions
by making you feel small or large, looking up with respect to fear,
and looking down in pity, disgust, or superiority? The challenge of
this assignment is to see how convincingly you can suggest
strong feelings or sentiments, through the manipulation of three
visual devices: space, light, and perspective.
Here are a list of possibilities in each category. Choose a space,
a light source, and a perspective to create a specific mood
within a space. You can use these or come up with your own
ideas.Space Light Source Perspective A bedroom a single bare
lightbulb looking upward An elevator a candle looking downward
Inside a box at dawn or dusk up or down stairs On a roof using
car headlights at an angle In a basement moonlight dutch angle
Inside a cabinet light coming in darkened room eye level Inside
a car a match Medium: Open, but must be done in color.
Some suggestions include but are not limited to: acrylic paint, ink,
watercolor, marker, pastels, colored pencils, oil sticks, collage, mixed
media, etc. Use a flat 2-dimensional surface of your choice.
Suggestions include but are not limited to: canvas board,
illustration board, paper, homosoate (must be gessoed),
Masonite (must be gessoed), etc. but NO
movie is to create a vision that includes the environment, scenery,
furniture and props that an audience sees. These physical
surroundings are where the action will take place within a
production. Any production set should: (1) suggest the style and
tone of the whole production; (2) create mood and atmosphere;
and (3)give clues as to the specific time and place of the action.
In other words, part of the Set Designers job is to impart emotion
within a specific space. How does a Set Designer do this? How do
they create a feeling of openness, or conversely, claustrophobia?
In movies, how does the lighting effect a scene? Why isn’t a horror
movie taking place in the woods lit like a drama or comedy in a
department store? How does the camera angle lead your emotions
by making you feel small or large, looking up with respect to fear,
and looking down in pity, disgust, or superiority? The challenge of
this assignment is to see how convincingly you can suggest
strong feelings or sentiments, through the manipulation of three
visual devices: space, light, and perspective.
Here are a list of possibilities in each category. Choose a space,
a light source, and a perspective to create a specific mood
within a space. You can use these or come up with your own
ideas.Space Light Source Perspective A bedroom a single bare
lightbulb looking upward An elevator a candle looking downward
Inside a box at dawn or dusk up or down stairs On a roof using
car headlights at an angle In a basement moonlight dutch angle
Inside a cabinet light coming in darkened room eye level Inside
a car a match Medium: Open, but must be done in color.
Some suggestions include but are not limited to: acrylic paint, ink,
watercolor, marker, pastels, colored pencils, oil sticks, collage, mixed
media, etc. Use a flat 2-dimensional surface of your choice.
Suggestions include but are not limited to: canvas board,
illustration board, paper, homosoate (must be gessoed),
Masonite (must be gessoed), etc. but NO
cardboard. Style: Open
Assignment#8: From Ordinary to Extraordinary
Our daily life is made up of a series of mundane activities
that we have to repeat over and over again throughout our
lives. For example, every day we eat meals, brush our teeth,
walk the dog, shower, cook dinner, drive to work or school,
wash dishes, make coffee, etc etc. Your assignment is to
take an ordinary event and visually depict it in a new and
inventive way. Some ways in which this may be achieved
is to look for a different viewpoint, distortion, or repetition
of actions. For example, you might consider brushing your
teeth but show the action from inside the mouth looking into
the mirror. Maybe the facial expression by the action of
brushing your teeth is distorted accentuating the action.
Medium: Open, but must be done in color. Some
suggestions include but are not limited to: acrylic paint,
ink, watercolor, marker, pastels, colored pencils, oil sticks,
collage, mixed media, etc. Use a flat 2-dimensional surface
of your choice. Suggestions include but are not limited to:
canvas board, illustration board, paper, homosoate (must be
gessoed), Masonite (must be gessoed), etc. but NO
cardboard. Style: Open
that we have to repeat over and over again throughout our
lives. For example, every day we eat meals, brush our teeth,
walk the dog, shower, cook dinner, drive to work or school,
wash dishes, make coffee, etc etc. Your assignment is to
take an ordinary event and visually depict it in a new and
inventive way. Some ways in which this may be achieved
is to look for a different viewpoint, distortion, or repetition
of actions. For example, you might consider brushing your
teeth but show the action from inside the mouth looking into
the mirror. Maybe the facial expression by the action of
brushing your teeth is distorted accentuating the action.
Medium: Open, but must be done in color. Some
suggestions include but are not limited to: acrylic paint,
ink, watercolor, marker, pastels, colored pencils, oil sticks,
collage, mixed media, etc. Use a flat 2-dimensional surface
of your choice. Suggestions include but are not limited to:
canvas board, illustration board, paper, homosoate (must be
gessoed), Masonite (must be gessoed), etc. but NO
cardboard. Style: Open
Assignment #9: Sketchbook
(A Sketchbook is a Never Ending Journey, Not a Destination.)
(A Sketchbook is a Never Ending Journey, Not a Destination.)
A sketchbook is the single most important tool for any artist.
It’s a way to explore with technique, media, style and ideas
without the pain and anxiety of struggling with a large project.
Use your 9”x12” black, hard-covered sketchbook, fold over your
first clean page and write summer sketchbook. On the bottom
right corner of every page number the page until you get to the
end of your sketchbook. Complete AT LEAST 60 Pages
It’s a way to explore with technique, media, style and ideas
without the pain and anxiety of struggling with a large project.
Use your 9”x12” black, hard-covered sketchbook, fold over your
first clean page and write summer sketchbook. On the bottom
right corner of every page number the page until you get to the
end of your sketchbook. Complete AT LEAST 60 Pages
in this sketchbook over the summer.
Medium: Paint (acrylic, gouache, tempera, and/ or watercolor),
marker, pencil, colored pencil, crayons, oil pastels, chalk
pastels, stamps made out of erasers or potatoes, and ink.
Use anything that will make a mark-Be Inventive!
Subjects: When working try contour line, continuous contour
line, gestured line, completed value drawings with strong lights
and darks. Try a variety of different subjects that include:
People- family, friends, as well as strangers (try them still), or
capture movement (at the mall, or playing sports). Still Life-
arrangement of dishes, eggs or lemons wrapped in different
textured cloth. Pay attention to the smoothness of the eggs
against the rough quality of the towel. Do several views of the
same still life. Use different media. Finish at least one well
rendered piece after completing several views. Draw a
pinecone, all or part of it, or any cone, to show the repetition
in the pine cone patterns and details. Look at material
such as: a shirt over a chair, a sheet around pillar, clothes
on a line etc. Draw this with color (watercolor, pastel) and
overlay it with another media like pencil or ink. Draw your
bicycle, the family car, children’s toys, are all good subjects.
Landscapes- observe and record your surroundings.
Draw a composition looking out of a window in your room
using the window as a format. Draw something from your
backyard and simplify it into a contour drawing. Show as
many details as you can only using lines. Create a
drawing that shows diminution. Create a drawing that
shows loss of clarity due to distance (sfumato). Draw
landscapes using Linear and Atmospheric Perspective.
Draw from you memory or imagination- Create a drawing
from life in any material that has a mysterious mood. Create
a fantasy environment. Transform everyday objects like
food into fantasy creatures. Have fun trying many different
Juxtapositions.
line, gestured line, completed value drawings with strong lights
and darks. Try a variety of different subjects that include:
People- family, friends, as well as strangers (try them still), or
capture movement (at the mall, or playing sports). Still Life-
arrangement of dishes, eggs or lemons wrapped in different
textured cloth. Pay attention to the smoothness of the eggs
against the rough quality of the towel. Do several views of the
same still life. Use different media. Finish at least one well
rendered piece after completing several views. Draw a
pinecone, all or part of it, or any cone, to show the repetition
in the pine cone patterns and details. Look at material
such as: a shirt over a chair, a sheet around pillar, clothes
on a line etc. Draw this with color (watercolor, pastel) and
overlay it with another media like pencil or ink. Draw your
bicycle, the family car, children’s toys, are all good subjects.
Landscapes- observe and record your surroundings.
Draw a composition looking out of a window in your room
using the window as a format. Draw something from your
backyard and simplify it into a contour drawing. Show as
many details as you can only using lines. Create a
drawing that shows diminution. Create a drawing that
shows loss of clarity due to distance (sfumato). Draw
landscapes using Linear and Atmospheric Perspective.
Draw from you memory or imagination- Create a drawing
from life in any material that has a mysterious mood. Create
a fantasy environment. Transform everyday objects like
food into fantasy creatures. Have fun trying many different
Juxtapositions.
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