ConstructionZone:

BuildingSpace
by
WadeBranstner

Level4,
3lessons
6periods

Introduction
Studentsinthelevel4artclassatColegioAbrahamLincolnarecurious,hardworking,andasa
group,moreengagedinartmakingthantheirpeers.Forthisreasonmymentor,MariaMunoz,
requestedalessonunitonabstractpainting.Theclassjustspent2weekslearningelementsof
designandpropertiesofcolor.Forthatreason,Ichosetheuseofcolorasatooltobuildspace
tocarrythroughtheentireunitfromthestudytothecritique.Thislessonwillgivestudentsa
chancetoutilizeandexpandtheirunderstandingofcolorandexplorenewareasofcomposition
buildinginpaint.

Frameworks
:
CR.2.VAIV.1Createartwork(s)thatshowdeliberatechoicesoftheelementsofartinavarietyof
aestheticconcerns(e.g.,beauty/ugliness,artisticintent/viewerresponse)
CR.2.VAIII.1Createartwork(s)(e.g.,landscape,portrait,stilllife,realistic,expressive,abstract)
thatshowdeliberatechoicesoftheelementsofartinavarietyofcompositionalconcerns
(e.g.,static,dynamic,planar,recession)
CR.2.VAIII.2Createartwork(s)(e.g.,landscape,portrait,stilllife,realistic,expressive,abstract)
withaspecificintentthatshowdeliberatechoicesoftheprinciplesofdesigninavarietyof
compositionalconcerns(e.g.,static,dynamic,planar,recession)
R.7.VAIII.1Developresponsestoaspectsofworksofartperceptualinfluenceunderstanding
ofhumanexperiences,aestheticcharacteristics,naturalandconstructedenvironments
R.8.VAIII.2Comparevariedsubjectmatter,signs,symbols,icons,and/orideasfromavarietyof
perspectives(media,styles,techniques,history,culture,aesthetics)
CN.10.VAIII.1Applyknowledgeofmedia,styles,andtechniquestopersonalartwork(s)

EnduringIdea
:Applyinglearnedskillsandexperiencetoanintuitiveprocess

Lesson1

Materials:
Woodpanelsand1x2precutframesections,woodglue,brushesandprimer,
sketchbooks


UseofResources:
Primer,PowerpointandInternet

Vocabulary:
Stretcher/Frame
:thebarsthatstabilizethepaintingsurfaceandformaframe
Panel
:Theflatpieceofwoodormasonitemountedtothestretchers,thepaintingsurface
Luan
:Alight,thinplywoodthatisusefulasapanelbutcanbubblewhenwet
Masonite
:Aheaviercompositeofgroundpulpandglueusedforpaintingpanels
S
ubstrate
:termusedforthesystemconstructedforthepurposeofpaintingon
Objectives:
Theclasswilleachhandbuilda50cmsquaresubstrate.Iftimepermits,theywillgessothe
masonite.Studentsareexpectedtolearnahigherlevelofattentiontodetailandmakeasurface
thatismoreprofessionalthantheyhavepreviouslyused.Gluingandstabilizingthesupportsby
handwilltakeconcentrationandcommitment.

IntroduceLesson
(5minutes):Wewillbeanartconstructioncrewforthenext2weeks.Wewill
startbybuildingoursupports,thenwewillsharpenourtoolsandmakeblueprintsbypracticing
howtobuildspacewithcolorandplanningourpainting.Thenwewillpaintallnextweekwith
onemainthinginmind:buildingspacewithcolor.
Demonstration
(10minutes)
Iwillassembleapanelandframewithwoodglueandcarefulpressure.Iwillstresstheextrafew
minutesofeven,stillpressureittakestogetagoodresultwithoutclamps.Iwillemphasize
neatnessandmakesuretoshowgluethatisexpelledfrombeneaththebars.
GuidedPractice
(30minutes)
Studentswillcollecttheirlumber.Eachtablewillshareglue.Theclasswillassembletheir
substrates.After30minuteswewillmoveontothepresentationandthosewhoneedtofinish
latercanreturntotheirworklater.
Presentation:
(15minutes)
Apowerpointwillbeshownanddiscussedwithafocusonwarmandcoolcolors,thespaceand
compositionoftheartworks,andhowcoloraffectstheart.Remainingtimeforwork.

Homework:
bringinacopyofaphotographthatwecandivideintoagridcutup,andrearrange.

Assessment:
Useoftime,responsibleuseofglue,cleanup,carefulconstruction.

Lesson2

Materials
:copyofaphotographforeachstudent,rulers,pencils,paper,glue,temperapaint.

Day1

Review
(5minutes):gooverthecolordiscussion,askifanyonethoughtabouthowcoloraffects
space,Introduceabstraction.

Assignment:
(5to10minute)Instructclasstodividetheirpicturesintoevensquaregrids,cut
themapart,rearrangethem,andgluethembacktogetheronapieceofpaper.Thentheywill
paintthenewimagewithanappliedstrategyofwarmandcoolcolors.Blackandwhitearenot
allowed.Blackcanbesubstitutedbyamixtureofcomplementsandwhiteisinthepaper.
Demonstration:
(5minutes)Iwillhaveapreparedphotographalreadyrearranged.Iwillapply
paintinanorganizedmannerandtellthestudentsaboutmychoices.Thedemoismoreto
showstudentsawaytoplanandpaintthesketchfairlyquickly.Thereisnotimeinthislesson
forfinedetailorhyperrealism.
GuidedPractice
(50minutes):Studentswillworkontheirphotographsandchecktheprimeon
theirpaintingsupportstoseeiftheywantanothercoat.Iwillwatchforslowprogressandhyper
realism.
Review
(5minutes)Isanyonestuckintoomuchdetail?Thesewillbeturnedinattheendof
nextclassperiod.Remainingtimeforworkandcleanup.
Assessment:
Notetheuseoftime,theorganizationofacompositionthatwillbesufficientyet
nottoodetailedastotaketoolong.

Day2

Review
(5minutes)Invitequestions,Askaboutsupports,letclassknowthattheworkperiod
willend10minutesearlyforapresentationpreparingthemfornextweekspainting.(This
presentationcanwait:Ichosetoshowitbeforetheweekendsostudentscanthinkabouttheir
project.)
GuidedPractice
(40minutes)watchstudents,helpwhereneeded,encouragetheoneswhoare
behind.
Presentation:
(10minutes):Differentkindsofabstractionwillbeintroduced:Figurative,
Landscape,Geometric,Colorfield,andCalligraphic.AbstractExpressionismwasomittedto
simplifythelessonforthestudents.
Review:
(5minutes):letstudentswhoarenotdonetaketheirworkhome,collectthefinished
studiesanddisplaythemtogetherforanabbreviatedcritiquesessionatthebeginningofnext
week.
Cleanup
(5minutes):
Rubric:

Study

Selectionandadjustmentof
photo,Thoroughexploration
ofcolor,Effectiveresult,
finishedontime,

30points

Studiopractice

Useoftime,handlingof
materials,inclassprepared

20points

Lesson3

Materials:
primedsupports,paint(acrylicortempura),brushes,containers,papertowels,
availableaprons,water.
Objective
executeanabstractpaintingthatusescolorasanintentionaltool.Sketches,studies
inpaint,coloredpencilormarkermustbeusedpriortopaintingonthesupports.Studentsneed
tobeabletoexplaintheiruseofcolorduringstudiovisits.

Day1

ShortGroupCritique
(15minutes)examinethesuccessesandopportunitiesfromthecolor
studies,sharewhatwaslearned,askeachotherquestions.Thisisawarmupforourclass
critiquefollowingthesepaintings.
Demonstration
(5+minutes)Iwillshowtheclasssomemethodsofpaintapplicationawayfrom
thestandardbrushstrokethattheycanconsiderusing,remindthemtokeepthecolorsseparate
andclean,dismisstheclasstostudiotime.
GuidedPractice
(40minutes):Observestudentswatchingforgestural,unplannedmovements
andmakesurethepaintandbrushesarebeingusedastoolswithintention,
Review
(5minutes):askforanyquestions,comments,invitestudentstoshareideas.
Encouragestudentstoworkatleastonenightathomesincethegoalistobefinishedon
Friday,only290minuteperiodsleft.
Cleanup
(10minutes):CLEANYOURBRUSHES!Wipeupallspilledpaint,leavethefloorand
tablesdryandreadyforthenextclass.

Day2

Review
(5minutes):askforquestions,invitestudentstoshare,explainworkalloverto
studentstotrytopullthemawayfromslowlydrawingouttheirideaoneinchatatime.
Demonstrate
(5minutes):IwillhaveaworkinprogressandshowthemhowIworkallover,
relatingtheseparateareastogetherverballyasIpaint.Explainwhitespace,composition,the
powerofimbalance,consideringtheentiresurfacetogether,etc.
GuidedPractice
(50minutes):Watchforstudentsgettinghunguponsmallareas,askthem
whytheyneedtodothat,beflexible.
Review
(5minutes):Invitequestionsandsharing.Onemoreday.
Cleanup
(10minutes)

brushes,spilledpaint,dryfloorandtables.

Day3

Review
(5minutes)lastminutequestions
Demonstrate
(05minutes)demonstrateanythingstudentswouldliketoseeonemoretime
GuidedPractice
(50minutes)Studentsfinishwork.Ifahighlevelofworkethicandart
investigationwasemployed,studentswillbeinvitedtotaketheworkhomefortheweekendto
makeimprovementsbeforethegroupcrit.

Review
(5minutes)Everyoneshouldthinkabouthowtheyusedcolorasatooltobuildspace,
anyotherelementsusedwithintention,andbereadytoexplaintheirstrategyforpaintingincrit.
Cleanup
(10minutes)watchforpaint,moisture,andcleanbrushes.

Rubric

Sketch/Planning:
upto20points

Planningspaceandcoloruseinsketchform,atleast
3or4goodsketches/studies.

upto10

Artwork

Finishedontimewithaneatpresentation,exploration
ofcompositionorapplicationtechniques

upto25

Elements

Useofartanddesignelementstoreachasatisfying
conclusion

upto25

Project
requirements:

Intentionaluseofcolorasatool
Warmandcoolcolorsconsidered
Evidenceofaplanninghasinfluencedthe
development

upto20

studiopractice

safehandlingofmaterials,courteousbehavior(social
interactionwasabouttheworkandnotdisruptive)
materialsusedproperly,cleaned,andputaway,
cleanupproceduresfollowed

upto20