Lesson Plan~The Academy for Technology & the Classics~Cultivating Fearless

Learners

Instructors name: Cermanski Course/Grade: Creative Comprehensive
Week of:
September 24 to October 4, 2014
Unit Name:
Pointillist Portraits

(1A) Common Core/ NM Content Standards:
NMVA1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7,8

(1A) Essential Question(s):
What is pointillism and new realism?
How can I use shape and color to express
emotions and aspects of my personality?
(1A/B) Connections (prior learning/prior
knowledge):
Students are familiar with portraiture from
former art classes
(1E) Other considerations (modifications,
accommodations, acceleration, etc.):
Students who are having trouble with
coming up with his/her own idea will get
assistance from me
More advanced students can do a series of
portraits
(1D) Resources/Materials
Teacher: Images of the works of Chuck Close and
Georges Seurat, Information about Seurat, Color
terms, Blank Color wheels, blank color charts
Students:
Oil crayon, acrylic paint, paper, photograph of
self
(1F) Assessment (How will you monitor progress and know students have successfully met
outcomes? What happens when student do and dont understand?)
Daily: Daily observations of students experimenting with artistic ideas.
This Week: Completion of piece
Unit: Final piece and participation in critique

(1B) Lesson activities for instructor and students (1F)
Embedded Formative Assessment
WEDNESDAY SEPT 24
(1C) Learning TargetTSW learn about
color theories behind Seurats pointillism.
He/she will know this when he/she creates
Do NowWhat do you know about Georges Seurat and
Chuck Close? What do you know about the psychology of
colors?
Read article about Seurat
a pointillist sketch using the theories
correctly.
(1c) Do NowIn your sketchbook, write
down as many color schemes that you can
think of.

View images by Georges Seurat
Explain:
His tiny juxtaposed dots of multi-colored paint
allow the viewer's eye to blend colors optically,
rather than having the colors physically blended on
the canvas.
It took Seurat two years to complete this 10-foot-
wide (3.0 m) painting (Sunday at the Park), much
of which he spent in the park sketching in
preparation for the work (there are about 60
studies).
View images by Chuck Close
Close started out as an abstract expressionist
In 1967 decided to paint a black and white photo
onto a canvas using a grid
He decided to challenge himself and give up the
paintbrush so he could learn: "I chose to do things I
had no facility with. The choice not to do
something is in a funny way more positive than the
choice to do something. If you impose a limit to not
do something you've done before, it will push you
to where you've never gone before."
Close suffers from Prosopagnosia, also known as
face blindness, in which he is unable to recognize
faces
To create his grid work copies of photos, Close puts
a grid on the photo and on the canvas and copies
cell by cell.
Typically, each square within the grid is filled with
roughly executed regions of color (usually
consisting of painted rings on a contrasting
background) which give the cell a perceived
'average' hue which makes sense from a distance.
His first tools for this included an airbrush, rags,
razor blade, and an eraser mounted on a power drill.
Look at images of Closes work
Hand out project and color theory definitions
Draw grid on printed photos using 1 x 1 squares
Start sketching faces
Think about what color scheme you want to choose
(1F) Embedded Formative Assessment: Cold call on
Pointillism
(1B): Closing Activity: Review color schemes
THURSDAY SEPT 25
(1C) TargetTSW learn how to create a
strong sketch using the grid system. He/she
will know this when he completes a 1 x
1 grid and successfully copies the sketch
according to grid.
(1c) Do NowThe following are some of
Seurats theories on color. What do you
think? Do you want to try any of these out
in your portraits?

The emotion of gaiety can be achieved by the domination
of luminous hues, by the predominance of warm colors,
and by the use of lines directed upward. Calm is achieved
through an equivalence/balance of the use of the light and
the dark, by the balance of warm and cold colors, and by
lines that are horizontal. Sadness is achieved by using dark
and cold colors and by lines pointing downward.
Discuss Do Now
Show students how to sketch using 1 x 1 grid
Continue sketches

(1F) Embedded Formative Assessment: cold call on
reasons for using grid
(1B): Closing Activity: review how to do a grid
FRIDAY SEPT 26
(1C) TargetTSW learn to make color
choices which reflect emotions/personality.
TSW will know this when he/she has
consciously chosen and started coloring
sketch with color scheme.
(1c) Do NowWhat do you know about
the relationship between colors and
emotion? Explain.
Discuss theories on color/emotion, etc.
Ask students to choose a color scheme
Practice scheme/fill-in method for portrait
Start coloring portrait with scheme

(1F) Embedded Formative Assessment: Cold call on
how to show emotions through color
(1B): Closing Activity: Review color schemes
MONDAY SEPT 29
(1C) TargetTSW learn to include variety
in mark-making to create a dynamic
portrait. TSW know this when he/she has
used at least 3 different types of marks in
his/her portrait.
(1c) Do NowSo far, what types of marks
have you used to complete your portrait?
What other types of marks can you use?
Continue on portraits, being sure to use at
least 3 different types of marks

(1F) Embedded Formative Assessment: Cold call on
purpose of varying mark-making in portraits
(1B): Closing Activity: student share
TUESDAY SEPT 30
(1C) TargetTSW learn how to use dark,
bold marks to create a strong portrait.
He/she will know this when all of the
marks on the portrait are dark and bold.
Continue working on portrait, being sure all
marks are dark and bold.

(1F) Embedded Formative Assessment: Cold call on
importance of using dark and bold marks
(1B): Closing Activity: student share
(1c) Do NowTake a look at your
portrait. Are all of your marks dark and
bold? If not, make them darker/bolder.
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 1
(1C) TargetTSW learn how to make
his/her portrait balanced in terms of color
and mark-making. TSW know this after he
applies marks to the portrait to make it
visually balanced.
(1c) Do NowIs your piece balanced in
terms of color and style of marks? If not,
focus on correcting these today?
.
Continue working on portraits, being sure it
is balanced in terms of dark/light colors and
style of marks

(1F) Embedded Formative Assessment: Cold call in
importance of balancing dark and light colors
(1B): Closing Activity: student share
THURSDAY OCT 2
(1C) TargetTSW learn how to make sure
his/her piece is unified. TSW know this
when all his/her marks and colors are
balanced, thus making the piece unified.
(1c) Do NowDo all of your marks seem
unified, or are there some that seem to be
out in left field?
Today focus on fixing the marks/colors that
need to be corrected to make the piece
more unified.

(1F) Embedded Formative Assessment: Cold call on
how to check for unity in an art piece
(1B): Closing Activity: student share
FRIDAY OCTOBER 3
(1C) TargetTSW learn how to
participate effectively in a critique. TSW
know this after he/she has made several
strong critical comments about his/her
peers work.
(1c) Do NowTake out your piece and
grade yourself.

CritiqueFocus on color, style of marks, unity and variety
when discussing each others work.

(1F) Embedded Formative Assessment: Participation in
critique
(1B): Closing Activity: What did you learn from the
critique?