TheVirtualInstructor Blog

Drawing well requires learning to see to the shapes that make up an object. In order to draw realistically, we must  also learn to draw basic forms from these shapes.  All objects can be broken down into these basic forms.  When we are able to put these basic forms together to create the illusion of an object, our drawing improves. In fact, better drawing skills come from understanding the structure of the objects that we are drawing.

Sculptors must understand the objects that they are emulating in order to create a representational sculpture.  They must understand the forms, create the forms and then mold the forms further.  Drawing is similar to sculpture in many ways, but two similarities stick out to me…

1. Sculptors that use modeling techniques start loosely-  Modeling is a sculpture technique in which soft, pliable material is molded into shape.  Clay hand-building is an example of modeling.  Sculptors that use this technique start with very loose forms and slowly form them into the finished sculpture.  Successful drawing often mimics this technique.  We may start with loose lines designed to “find” the shape.  Once the shape is defined, it is modeled using value until the final illusion of form is achieved.

2. Sculptors put simple forms together to create the finished, more complex sculpture- The second similarity between drawing and sculpture can found in how these two types of artists approach the creation of the artwork.  Sculptors observe and find the forms of the object that they are sculpting and then create forms to mimic what they observe.  When drawing, we do the same.  We find the shapes and then draw the shapes that we see.  When we are successful in putting the shapes together, we are successful with our drawings.

Take a look at the following video and watch how the sculptor does these things.  She starts with loose forms, then adds to them to create the finished, well-developed sculpture.  Think like a sculptor when drawing, and your drawing skills will improve.

David Hockney is a British painter.  He is considered by many to one of the most influential British artists of this century.  Painting is not all he is known for.  He also is an accomplished photographer and recently, digital artist.

Many artists have already embraced the digital age by creating paintings on digital devices.  The most popular devices for creating digital paintings are the iPhone and the iPad.  The most popular app for this is “Brushes” , which can be purchased through the Apple App Store for just under six dollars.  (Try buying a quality tube of paint for six dollars.)

Hockney has embraced this new and exciting medium for creating art.  He currently has a show entitled “Fresh Flowers” that features over a hundred digital paintings created on the iPad or iPhone.

Hockney’s digital paintings are much in line with his recent style.  Bright colors and deliberate lines are featured in the paintings.  But what makes Hockney’s embrace of the new technology exciting to me is his place in the art world.  You see, Hockney is well beyond established.  What is to be admired is Hockney’s ability to accept a new medium that many traditionalist would sneer at.

Knowing where colors are found on the color wheel is just one step to understanding color theory.  You must also understand practical applications of using color theory in your artworks and designs.  Seldom are colors used as their pure hue.  Most often, color combinations or color schemes, implore a variety of values and intensities of the colors used.  For example, if you were to use a complementary color scheme of red and green, you might use pink and a darker green.  Pink, you’ll recall is really the color red- a tint of red.    It seems that beginning artists really struggle with this concept.  It is hard for them to separate color and value. And understand that although related, color and value are different.  I found a great video that describes not only the basics of color theory, but also a clear explanation on how light affects the values of the colors that we perceive…

To better help my students understand the relationship between color and value, I decided to create a color wheel chart that demonstrates different values.  I put each range of value for each specific color at it’s native location on the color wheel.  This helped the students to see the color but also understand that each color also has a range of value. To see some of the other color wheel charts I created, visit color wheel charts for teacher and students.

Feel free to download this color wheel chart and use it for yourself or with your students.  (Just click on the image, then right click, save as.)

Each year my animation students create their own video games using Adobe Flash.  This assignment is coming up soon and each year I look for new ways to improve the assignment.  I also look for new tips and ways that I can improve my own coding skills.  My students create the games by designing the characters from scratch and writing the code to make the game work.  It can be a frustrating process, because one “.” in the wrong space in the coding can make the game not work properly.  So I have to be on my game as well as the teacher.  In my search for new codes and effects to share with the students I came across a really cool site.  This site allows you to create Flash video games online for free.  You have your choice from 4 different types of games, including a platform type game.  You can create these  games simply by clicking and dragging objects.  You are, of course limited a bit to using only what the website provides, but they have many, many options. You can create different levels and just about anything a good video game would have.  Read the rest of this entry »

A few posts ago, I shared a cool animation that showed what effect color can have on our minds.  This animation works because the colors used are complementary colors.  (You can see the animation by visiting Fun with Complementary Colors.)  Complementary colors are colors that are opposites on the color wheel.  Examples of complementary colors include blue and orange, purple and yellow, and red and green.  (To see more color schemes visit The Interactive Color Wheel )These types of color schemes are often used in sports team’s uniforms and logos because they demand instant attention.  This “eye catching” effect is achieved because of contrast.

I came across another example of how complementary colors can create a cool effect and thought I’d share it with you below.

Take a look at the circles.  If you move your eye from one set of circles to another, you might notice that the circles look like they are moving.  The circles, of course, are not moving.  Instead, they appear to be moving because the colors are of a high level of contrast.  Yellow and purple are complements and this effect is achieved because of this.

Color is such a strong tool.  Use it wisely!

The element “line” is considered by most to be the most basic element of art. It has an almost infinite number of uses when it comes to the creation of artwork. One of the most common uses of line is to show the viewer where an object or parts of an object ends. These types of lines are called contour lines, but most commonly called “outlines”. Line can also convey movement either through repetition or by showing lines coming off of the surface of an object that is moving. Line can also create the illusion of form through hatching or cross hatching. I could go on and on about the varied uses of line. I want to address one of the most overlooked uses of line. Line’s ability to be expressive Line is perhaps one of the most expressive elements of art. Color, of course is important as well.

We can prove line’s ability to communicate expression with a simple game. If you are teacher, this a great way to make a point about the expressive qualities of line. (Don’t look ahead to the drawings at the bottom of the page)

Here’s how the game works. Begin with a “happy line”. Just draw a line on your paper that you think would be happy. Not a happy face, mind you, but a “happy line”. Now put that paper to the side.

Next, draw an “angry line”. Just envision that the line you are drawing is really mad about something. What would it look like? Now put that drawing to the side.

The last line you should draw is a “confused line”. What would a line look like if it was confused?

Now, let’s discuss the results.

Look at your “happy line”. It is likely that your “happy line” has some type of curve in it. In fact it may be a complete curve, spiral, or circle. We associate curves or rounded lines with happiness. So, it makes sense to include curved lines in your drawings, paintings, or designs in which you want to express happiness.

Now, let’s take a look at the “angry line”. It is likely that your “angry line” has some type of jagged mark in it. Changing directions abruptly, like in the case of a jagged line, can communicate the sense of anger. Therefore, if you are trying to communicate anger in a work, it makes sense to include jagged lines.

Lastly, let’s take a look at the “confused line”. Here we tend to see the widest variety of interpretations, but often the “confused line” will include as many different lines as the artist can imagine. It may include a curve, a jagged line, spirals, light marks and dark marks. Very simply, it will include a broad variety.

So, we can safely conclude that line is much more that a device used to indicate where an object ends. It is also expressive. And when used intelligently and creatively, it can really spice up our artwork.

Expressive line examples…

There is debate among art teachers as to whether or not process or product is more important in art education. In this case, process refers to the learning that takes place during an assignment or lesson. Product refers to the actual artifact that is produced. Of course, both of these are essential in art education. Some teachers feel that one should take precedence over the other. So where should the focus be in the lessons that you present to students? Should you focus on process or product?

In my opinion, it should be both. Introductory levels should be focused on process while upper levels may focus more on product. You see,  if you are effective in your lessons that focus on process, then the product will follow.

In some ways teaching art is like coaching a sport.  Let’s take basketball as an example.  If you were coaching a beginning level basketball team, you would not focus totally on winning.  Instead, you would focus your team on learning and developing.  Winning would just be a plus.  It would be absurd to go out to each game and put preasure on young athletes to win when they are brand new to the sport.  Not many little league basketball programs emphasize winning, and if they do, then they are probably bad programs for kids.  The old saying goes, “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.”   At the beginning levels, art is the same way.  You shouldn’t expect beginning students to create masterpieces.  It’s just not going to happen.  You shouldn’t focus your instruction on product at the beginning levels.   Instead your focus should be on process.  How are your students learning?  Are they progressing?  How can you make them better?  If your focus is on process at the beginning levels, then the end product at the advanced levels will be better, maybe even amazing.   In fact, I’ve seen this play out in my own classes.

So when do you focus on product?  Well, the answer to this can be tricky. 

As art educators, we should be educating our students.  They should be learning from us.  So-to be fair, we should never focus on product, because the product naturally follows when the art instruction is quality.    Don’t misunderstand me, product is important.  It is important as an indicator of what is being learned.  When the product is quality across an entire class, you know that you have done your job as an art educator.  The students have learned in the process and as a result created a great product.  It is really our job to help students know how to get to the quality product.

Let’s look at the basketball coach analogy in relation to advanced art students.  These students may have developed skills just like a more developed basketball team may have.  The focus of the basketball team is now on winning.  But what is the job of the coach?  Isn’t it still the coach’s job to teach and show the team how to win?  Even though the focus has changed, the job of the coach remains the same.  The same is true of the art educator at the advanced level.  The focus of the assignment may be on the product, but the focus of the teacher remains on the process.

There are many ways to teach art effectively.  This is just my opinion on process vs. product.  What do you think?  Leave a comment below.

Your classroom is your domain.  It is an environment where learning and growing takes place on a daily basis.  It should be a place that is inviting to students, stimulating for learning,  effective, and practical.  One way to be sure that you are providing an optimal art classroom is through planning.  A well planned classroom can go along way in making your job as an art teacher a bit smoother.  When the art room is cleanly organized and planned, the task of teaching becomes purely about teaching and less about other things such as discipline and cleaning.  There are many questions you will need to ask yourself when planning your classroom.  A few are listed below.

• Where will your students work?
• How will they work?
• Where and how will lessons be presented/ demonstrated?
• Where will the materials be stored?
• Where will the projects be stored?
• How will the students clean up?
• How will the computers be positioned?
• Is there enough power?
• Can the students escape the room quickly and orderly in case of an emergency?

These are just a few of the critical questions that need to be asked and answered as you design your plans.

It is always a good idea to make a plan of your classroom.  Floor plans are easy to draw and can go a long way to creating an effective classroom layout. When you draw a floor plan of your classroom, consider the essential functions of the classroom and provide a place for everything that you will need.  Include the dimensions of the furniture that you will using in your classroom, if that information is available. Below you will find a sample floor plan that I created for a ceramics classroom…

A teacher was once asked, “How do you grade artwork?”

He simply replied, “I use the stair technique.”

When asked what the stair technique was he said, “I find a flight of stairs and assign each stair a letter grade.  The bottom stair might be an “F”, the next stair up, a “D”.  The next stair up may be a “C”, then “B”, and the highest stair- an “A”.  I then take all of the student artwork, and while standing on the flight of stairs, I throw them into the air.  Whichever stair the artwork lands on is the grade the student receives.”

Sometimes grading artwork can feel like this when there is not a standard procedure in place.

Grading artwork has traditionally been a subjective activity.  This can cause problems for art teachers, especially when questions arise about where the grade came from.  Opinion sometimes creeps into the art teacher’s grading process and as you can imagine, wreak havoc on a student’s grade.  This should never be the case.  Grading artwork doesn’t have to be subjective.  Students should have a clear idea where the grade has originated from and understand completely why they received that particular grade for the assignment.

So how do we give students a clear idea of where their grade will come from in art?  The first answer is simple.  We provide a clear rubric.  A rubric is essentially a guide that explains the requirements to receive a certain grade.  For example, an “A” project may meet more requirements than a “C” project.  In a rubric, the requirements are clearly spelled out.  That way when grading time comes, there is no question as to why a student received a “C” instead of an “A”.  Rubrics are pointless unless they are given to a student before the project begins.  This way, the student is clear on what is required to make the grade that they desire from the start.  In my opinion, rubrics should should be specific for each project assigned.  Click here for a look at a generic rubric

Another way to remove the subjectivity in grading artwork is to provide students with what I call a “grading guide”.  As students finish their artwork, they fill out their grading guide which has a place for them to evaluate themselves.  After all, self-evaluation is incredibly important in the development as an artist.  These grading guides show the students the numerical values for each of the properties that I will be grading them on.  They evaluate themselves first and turn in their artwork with the grading guide.  On the grading guide there is a “S” column for “student” and a “T” column for “teacher”.  When I grade their artwork, I consider what grade they have given themselves.  When students receive their artwork back from me, they also receive their grading guide.  This way, I can clearly explain on each section why they received their grade and what they can improve upon on the next assignment.  You are welcome to download the grading guide that I use below.  (Right click on the image and select “Save as”)

The easiest question you should ever have to answer as a teacher is, “Why did I get this grade?”

Looking for a place on the internet to show off your artwork for free? Here’s a list of what’s available for artists to create free online portfolios…
1. Deviant Art- Deviant Art is maybe the most popular place on the internet where you can show your artwork to others.  It’s free to sign up and start showing off your art.  There is a paid service as well.

2. Art 3000- Art 3000 is a free online gallery for artists and photographers.  Some of the features of this site include image protection (important), creation of up to 10 galleries, commission free, and you can link to your website if you have one.

3. FoundMyself- FoundMyself.com is a well presented website that allows you to not only display your portfolio, but also sell your art for free.  This website is well-built and aesthetically pleasing.  It is a bit more professional looking than DeviantArt.com and Art-3000.com.  It also includes a forum where artists can meet and discuss.

4. NoBullArt- Okay, so the name is a little strange.  But you can create a free gallery of your artwork online here and best of all, you can sell it.  The website is already integrated with selling tools like Google Checkout and PayPal.

5. ArtistSearch.net- ArtistSearch.net allows you to create your own blog that you can use to promote your artwork.  You can even receive donations from your visitors.  One drawback to this site is that you can only upload 3 images.

If none of these options seem appealing to you, remember that you can setup your own blog at blogspot.com or wordpress.com for free.  You can also customize these options to function less like a blog and more like a website. If people don’t know about your artwork, they can’t buy it.