Name Design Projects

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Name designs are a great way to begin the year. This gives you an opportunity to connect the names with the students. Projects always come out successful. You might also want students to research the meaning of their name. Links below.

Block Name Design Project from Debbie Bridges

Materials:

Drawing Paper
Medium of your choice [Acrylic Paint, Markers, Colored Pencils, etc.]
Large Black Markers
Rulers/Yardstick/Straight Edge
Pencils

Submitted by Rebecca Burch Radiating Line - Symmetrical Name This project is done the same as above. It makes a good substitute day lesson. Results always turn out well. Write name in bubble letters - then outline with radiating lines inside and outside each letter till making letters connect. Contrast with radiating lines in the negative space. This student contrasted warm and cool colors. Use crayons, oil pastels or markers.

Procedure:

1. Fold Paper horizontally in half (18" or 45.7 cm) and repeat folding into fourths.
2. Open up and now fold vertically in half (12" or 30.5 cm) and repeat folding into fourths
3. Open up your paper and you should have four rectangles by eight rectangles.
4. On the creases, draw straight black lines with black marker so that the rectangles stand out. (Use ruler if needed)
5. With pencil print your name in large capital letters - one in each rectangle. Do not skip any rectangles and keep repeating your letters until you run out of rectangles. Large letters (letters should fill the rectangle). Trace with black marker. You will end with your name not completed in some rows.
6. Design the first letter by adding a simple color or pattern but you must repeat the exact color for every matching letter.

Example:

M I C H A E L M
I C H A E L M I
C H A E L M I C
H A E L M I C H

If the M rectangle is red and blue stripes, then every M will be exactly the same red and blue stripes. (Repetition and Pattern). Contrast colors in each block.

If your name is 4 or 8 letters, always add your last name letter to make it 5 & 9. I have also said to change double letters so that the first one is a specific design/pattern and the second is a different design/pattern.

I then had them use this for the front and back of their art sketchbook

Pattern Fish from Marianne Galyk Students added their name to these patterned fish done in pen and ink (or Sharpie markers). 5th graders designed a fish, adding their first name in block letters to the design. They then filled ever part of the fish (except their name) with a variety of patterns. Make these any size from 9" x 12" to 18" x 24". You can tweak it to be any kind of animal- maybe even let the kiddies choose their "totem animal" (or "spirit animal" that represents them best - See animal symbolism.

Submitted by Lin Alt Radial Design Name This lesson can be done with colored pencils, markers or crayons. Students draw spiraling lines out from center of square paper. Alternate name and patterns in each section. Limit color pallet - repeating colors.

From Barbara Yalof - Perspective Letters Barbara did this with 2nd and 3rd grade. 1) To start: draw block or bubble letter names on black paper with white charcoal pencil. - 2) Using vanishing point and one point perspective, draw in the "back" of the letter, making it appear to be in 3 dimensions. 3) Using their knowledge of warm/cool colors and shading, pretend that the vanishing point is the sun.  Shade and highlight accordingly. Use warm colors for the fronts of the letters, and cool for the 3-D effect. Students used soft pastels

Barbara says they really loved doing this, and the kids who love cartooning could practice bubble letters in 3-D. Doing their own names seems to eliminate the "fear "of drawing with perspective. Glue outlines could add textural interest.

Submitted by Rebecca  Illuminated Names 6th grade students looked at and discussed images from Illuminated manuscripts focusing on the Initials at the beginning of the written sections. They then used their names as self-portraits by making the first letter an Illuminated Initial. They had to include at least 3 miniatures of things to describe them, favorite sport, hobby, their pets, etc. in the first letter. It went rather well, being as it revolved around them and their interests. The final project was done on a thicker paper and painted with watercolors. Teacher Sample

Submitted by Ken Schwab Illuminated Name - Calligraphy High School Lesson Ken did a design project with his Art 1 students - the illumination idea with tempera and ink. They were to use their name, first or last. First initial had to show aspects of their personality - identity. The remaining letters had to fit "aesthetically" with the first letter.

Submitted by Janet Gall  Block Name Design Birch Tree Elementary Measure 12 x 18 paper into 3" grid (could fold paper to make grid or measure with ruler). Draw one block letter in each block. Repeat name to fill  page. Color with warm/cool colors for contrast. Fill negative space with pattern/lines. Color with crayons, oil pastels, markers or colored pencils. This would also make a nice painting assignment.

	Submitted by Janet Gall Hand Design with name in complementary colors Students make a tag board hand tracing. Make a design with hands - overlap that with initials or name in block letters. Hands could also be filled with patterns. Markers, colored pencils or crayons could be used. This particular lesson focused on complementary colors.
	Submitted by Janet Gall Birch Tree Elementary Crayon Engraving Name Design Fifth and sixth grade students learned about the elements and principles of design and then practiced using them. They planned a design with their name overlapping geometric shapes. In scratch art, the paper is first colored heavily with crayon and then painted black. Students scratched simulated texture into the letters and spaces. Some of them were really creative in coming up with different textures.
	Submitted by Janet Gall Birch Tree Elementary Radiating Line Name Design This lesson can be done in markers, crayons or colored pencils. Students write their name then outline it with radiating lines around the shape of the name. Each line has a different pattern. Warm and cool colors could be emphasized.

Also see Alien Name Lesson and Insects Name lesson on Incredible Art Department

Submitted by Janet Gall Birch Tree Elementary Name Symmetry Monsters This lesson can be done with manuscript or cursive letters. Fold your paper in half  horizontally - along length of paper). Write your first name in cursive (or print) along the fold. Go over with soft lead pencil - transfer to other side by rubbing. Go over lines with black marker. Find creature within design. Add additional designs and lines. Color with choice of medium. Janet's students used crayons. Alternate: Keep folded and cut  out. Open and turn it over so you don't see your pencil marks. Look at the shape you created. Think of how you can turn it into a creature. Use markers (or colored pencils) and glue to a sheet of construction paper.

Submitted by MaryAnn Kohl - Name Flame  - Symmetry
Create a red-hot flaming design using one's name as the underlying basis.

Materials

White Drawing Paper, 8-1/2"x11" (21.5 x 28 cm or larger)
Pencils
1 stick of blue or colored Chalk (or Ebony Pencils)
Wooden spoons, Rulers, or wooden craft sticks
Wide or heavy-tipped black Markers
Crayons in flaming colors (shades of orange, red, yellow, blue)
Soft cloth (or facial tissue)
Scissors
Glue Sticks
Black Paper, 8-1/2"x11" (21.5 x 28 cm or larger)

Process

1. Fold the paper in half lengthwise (the long way) matching the corners. Then press the folded edge and crease. Open. Flatten the paper on the table with the fold running from left to right (the long way).
2. Print or write a name with pencil on the folded line. Draw the letters in a large enough design to almost fill the top half of the paper. Cursive writing has the most flame-like design, but printing will work fine.
3. To transfer the letters to the other half of the paper, trace the pencil letters heavily with dark or colored chalk (or Ebony/soft lead pencil). Then refold the paper so the letters and chalk are inside the fold. Rub the outside of the paper with the back of a spoon, a ruler, or a wooden craft stick. Peek inside the folded paper and see if the letters have transferred to the other side of the folded paper. Continue rubbing until they are well transferred. Then open again.
4. Trace all the letters, both pencil and chalk lines, with a wide black marker. (Excessive chalk may first be brushed away with a tissue or soft cloth.)
5. To turn the name design into flames, color in the spaces with flaming colors like red, orange, yellow, and blue (blue is the hottest part of the flame). Draw pointed flame shapes stretching out from the design in different flame colors. Try mixing more than one crayon color within the shapes. Color bright and heavy to make the colors shine. Rub the flames with a soft cloth to polish them to a shiny end result.
6. Cut around the entire flaming name (see illustration) with a wavy or pointy technique. Glue the name flame to a black background paper and display.

This idea appears in Primary Art by MaryAnn Kohl

Name Molas Symmetry - from Ellen Silverman 

This uses the same folded technique. 

From Ellen: A couple of years ago I started the year off with name projects for grades, 4th - 8th. The 8th grade did name molas. First they folded a paper lengthwise and wrote their name in cursive on the folded side. Then they went over their name to make their letters thick. I emphasized that their letters had to go off the page on the fold so when they cut them out they would have the mirror image of their name cut out also and attached.  This pattern part was the same for several other of the name related projects, 6th grade did African mask inspired name project and 4th grade did insects using their name in this pattern.

Then using their name pattern, they choose three pieces of construction paper in different colors. They kept one of the colors for the background. They folded the other two papers lengthwise and using their pattern cut them out.  They were instructed to keep both the positive and negative areas of these construction papers. Then they took one of the paper's negative or the area around the name and enlarged the area trimming around the shape, taking off about a quarter of an inch. The positive side, the part with the writing they trimmed also making it smaller.  They then arrange their cut out pieces of their names on the paper used for the background, cutting into the negative areas of the paper to make designs around it. 

If anyone does this lesson, please send an image to the Incredible Art Department.

Submitted by Holly Bess Kincade, Dublin Middle School, Dublin, Virginia
Radial Name Design

Names are drawn on 1/8 pie wedge (on folded 6" [15 cm] square) - then transferred to make mirror image. The design is then copied all around a 12" (30.5 cm) circle. color with colored pencils, markers or crayons. See Radial Design lesson plan

Submitted by Maria Smith, J. G. Hening Elementary School Mandala Name Design - Radial Symmetry Integration: Social Studies (Hindu, Buddhist, Native America, Celtic) Objectives: Students will create a square mandala based on the letters of their first name. Supplies: 12x12 (30.5 x 30.5 cm) White Drawing Paper, Pencils, carbon paper (or Saral Transfer Paper), Markers, Sharpies

Procedure:

• Students fold white paper so they have created 8 triangles.
• In only one triangle they are to draw the letters of their first name—avoid single lines lettering styles.
• Emphasize that the whole triangle must be utilized—top and bottom of the triangular section.
• Distribute carbon paper and explain how this paper is used
• The pencils design is folded (diagonally) so that when it is traced, the carbon creates a copy in another triangle. Place carbon (or Saral Transfer Paper) on table carbon side up - place folded paper on carbon so mirror image is created. Then fold and trace square symmetrical name design into the other sections.
• After each triangle is traced go over it with a thin black permanent marker. This will allow the student to see what they are tracing as they move through each triangle.

Markers will then be used to give color to the design—if one letter in the name is colored blue for example all the rest of those same letters will be that color.

See Name Design Rubric by Kathleen Arola

Submitted by Marcia Lavery  Lincoln Junior High, Skokie, Illinois Pattern Name Designs The 6th grade Name Design drawings are a fun, first lesson of the year.  Marcia showed the students how to write their name in bubble or block letters and then they fill in their names with any kind of patterns (This student chose to use animal patterns).  The students then create a background for their drawing, but must have their name show the most EMPHASIS (by making it the biggest, placing it in the center, etc.). Patterns could tell something about the students' personality. Kathleen Arola liked the name design with animals patterns and created a rubric.