Paper Sculpture

This week, instead of a sketch, I want you to create a paper sculpture of your own.  On Tuesday, bring in your completed sculpture and be prepared to explain how you developed the idea for your sculpture.

Here are some guidelines:

-  You can look at the link below for ideas.  Some of these we have looked at before and some are new.

-  Your sculpture has to be original!  You may not copy or reproduce something someone has already made.  For example, you may not bring in an origami paper crane and call it your sculpture.  However, you can use a paper crane as part of larger sculpture that is unique.

-  Your sculpture does not have to look like something from real life.  For example, you do not have to make it look like a dog but you can if you want to.

-  You can use any of the techniques we have discussed (paper cutting, folding, origami, etc), you can combine the techniques, or you can come up with something new.

-  You may use tape or glue if you need to.

-  You may use colored paper if you need to.

-  You have three days (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) to work on these!  I want GREAT sculptures because you have the time to complete them.


Here are some website links you can use for ideas:

A collection of sculptures created by masters of paper sculpture

Cut paper sculptures by Lisa Rodden

Collection of instructions of folding origami 

How to make a moveable Chinese Dragon sculpture  (I DO NOT want any Chinese Dragon sculptures but you can use some of these ideas in your sculpture)

Paper city

Paper portrait

Rolled magazine sculpture

Positive and Negative Shape Leaf Gelatin Prints

A special thanks to Hannah and Lesley Ann for taking these photos while I inked gelatin.. a lot of gelatin!

After discussing positive and negative shapes in art, students used a new-to-me printing technique to print leaf shapes on a gelatin "block".  

We began by inking a tray containing a half-inch layer of gelatin.  Then, student arranged leaves they previously gathered on the inked gelatin.

Carefully placing the paper on top and applying pressure all over the surface of the paper with their hands.

A pulled print reveals the negative shapes of the leaves.

But we aren't finished!  After removing the leaves, we made a second print using the ink left behind by the leaves.

A positive print!

Here are more examples:

These girls love printmaking!

Op Art Designs

Students looked at implied lines in art and the work of Op artist Bridget Riley.  Here are a few of their Op Art designs creating an implied line with alternating values.

Value

What is the difference between two dimensional and three dimensional?  

Two dimensional objects are flat like the circle drawn on this sheet of paper.  This circle only has height and width.

Three dimensional objects have height, width, and depth.  The ball sitting on the table is three dimensional.  You can walk all the way around the ball.  It has depth. 

So, look at the photograph of the drawing below.  Is the ball in the drawing two dimensional or three dimensional?

If you said two dimensional you are correct!  The "ball" is still only the circle drawn on paper.  However, I drew shadows (or lights and darks) to create the illusion that the flat circle is actually a three dimensional ball.

Adding lights and darks into a drawing is called adding value.  

Value can be defined as light, dark, and all the grays in between.

Below is an image of a value scale.  Artists use value scales to practice smooth transitions between black and white.

Look at the photograph above.  How do you see value in a world filled with color?

Often when artists capture value, or shadows, in their drawings and paintings, it is like they put on a pair of glasses that allows them to see the world in black, whites, and grays.  

Look at the same photo in black and white.  Do you see all of the values now?

Look at the drawing "Praying Hands" by Albrecht Durer by clicking here.  How has Durer created lights and darks in this drawing?

Positive and Negative Shapes

Artists are sneaky.

Remember when we discussed implied lines?  These were lines that don't physically exist in a work of art but make your mind think or feel like they are there.

Artists use sneaky shapes too.

A shape is an enclosed line.  In your homework, you learned about geometric and organic shapes.

Geometric shapes have names like squares, circles, triangles, dodecahedrons, etc.

Geometric Shapes

Organic shapes don't have names and you usually see them in nature.

Organic Shapes

Artists also use Positive and Negative shapes.

Positive shapes are shapes that are filled by objects.  

Where are the positive shapes in the photograph below?

If you said inside the flower, you are correct!  The areas that are filled by the flowers, flower buds, and stems are positive shapes.

Positive Shapes

Negative shapes are usually empty spaces in a work of art.  

Where are the negative shapes in the photograph?

If you found the empty spaces between the flowers, flower buds, and stems then you are correct!

Negative Shapes

Look at the photograph below of the lily pads.  The negative shapes are the dark shapes of the water around the lily pads.  Imagine there were no dark shapes and lily pads filled the entire photograph.  Would it be as interesting?

Where are the positive and negative shapes in the photograph below?  Why did the photographer leave so much empty space around the three objects?

Implied Lines

Imagine your mom takes a look around your room and says, "Hey, would you like me to teach you to use the vacuum?" or "Would you like some new storage boxes?" or "Are you starting a dirty sock collection?" 

What is your mom really saying?

She is implying that you need to clean your room.  She is suggesting that your room is very dirty and you have too many socks on your floor.

To imply also means to suggest.  Therefore, an implied line is a suggested line.  It may not physically appear in a work of art but the artist has arranged objects, shapes, colors, etc in the work of art to suggest to your eye that a line is there.  Sometimes artists use these lines to direct your eye to move through a work of art in a particular way.

For example...

Look at the painting below called The Raft of the Medusa by Théodore Géricault.  The artist has arranged the objects in the painting to move your eye through the painting to a particular area.  Can you tell what he wants you to look at?

The Raft of the Medusa was painted by Gericault in the early 1800's after a French Naval boat called the Medusa shipwrecked and stranded 147 men on a makeshift raft in the ocean for thirteen days.  Only 15 men survived and the incident was a great political scandal.  

Do you see the implied line in the painting?  It is drawing your eye to the flag the man is desperately waving to get the attention of a far-off ship.  Look below.  Can you see it now?

Artists use implied lines to create movement, add meaning, and make their works of art more interesting.  

Where do you see implied lines in the design below?

Still-life Collage

We began our first project continuing to discuss line, the first element of design.  Students looked at how contour lines are found on the edges of objects and practiced drawing the contour lines of various vessels in their sketchbooks.  

We then began drawing contour lines of the same vessels on old book and atlas pages.  

We cut these drawings out and traced the pencil lines in sharpie to make the easier to see.

We then arranged these on a sheet of construction paper keeping in mind foreground, middle, and background.  

We also discussed Expressive Lines found in the still-lifes of Vincent Van Gogh.  Students used crayons to add color to the table area or negative space in the background.  They added expressive lines if they wanted (or had time) to these colored areas.  

 These girls are excited about Contour and Expressive lines!