ACTIVITY: Entry Level Experience with Line Design

STANDARDS: 1.1 Aesthetics; 1.2 Skills; 1.3 Elements (line) Media (gel pens and acid free sulfite paper); 1.4 Evaluation/criticism/assessment (student written response, peer response); 1.5 Art in Context ( Asian Screens & Russian Triptych {trifold} style); 1.6 Design.

OBJECTIVES: Students will
1) Select media and follow verbal instructions.
2) Draw 3 appropriate oblique lines from long edge to long edge.
3) Follow parallel lines.
4) And make creative divergent lines.
5) Will make a decision about the connection when line designs begin to converge.
6) Select materials for mounting/matting finished design.
7) Prepare a written response.

ASSESSMENT: Written response

THINKING SKILLS: Work Place readiness/Interdisciplinary connection: 1) Selection. 2) Writing. 3) Vocabulary {variation,oblique, diverge, divergent, converge, convergent, parallel, detour, triptych, screen, pattern}. 4) Social Studies {Japanese & Russian folding style}. 5) History of industrial design - gel pens - recent invention.

GEL PEN DESIGN LEARNING ACTIVITY

INTRODUCTION DISCUSSION: Characteristics of gel pens - a recent invention "How are gel pens different from the pens that preceded them?"

GUIDED LESSON INSTRUCTIONS: 1) Select one dark paper - Acid free sulfite paper is preferable. 2) Locate the long edge & draw curving, oblique, base lines starting from one (long) edge and ending on the opposite (long) edge.

MAKING THE DESIGN: 1) Use the 3 curving base lines to develop the design. 2) Choose a new color. 3) Make a new line by following the base line creating a new line parallel to the base line. 4) Continue following the base line making a parallel line. 5) From time to time make a variation from drawing parallel by making a detour or side trip which returns to the base line and continues in a parallel direction. 6) Continue drawing parallel until you think a variation will be interesting. 7) Repeat on both sides of the base line.

DEVELOPMENT: 1) Select a 3rd color. 2) Repeat making a parallel line following the 2nd line; Continue a parrallel line around the side trip. 3) Continue with this pattern drawing parallel lines and creating variations with new side trips. 4) Continue adding lines until the lines start to connect. 5) Make decisions about how to make the connections. Discuss the possibilities when designs begin to converge. 6) After the lines are drawn assess the design and add fillers of dots, c,v,x, etc to complete the balance.

CREATIVE ACTIVITY: After the guided lesson is complete, select new materials and discover many possibilities for making line designs.

MOUNTING DESIGN: 1) Choose a design and prepare for display. 2) Choose a paper for mounting. Try several colors for the mounting paper. See which color makes your design look the most impressive. 3) Use the double stick tape to secure the design onto the mounting paper. 4) Include the artist's name, a title, and a written response to enhance the display.