Overview:

This experience is used to introduce ink technique. In addition it is used to foster and encourage creative image making.  (I also teach how  to measure with it)

Preparation:

Art teacher needs to collect a variety of richly drawn ink drawings. My resources  started with old children’s illustrations. Students will be  learning techniques (stippling, cross hatching) so  look for images made with these marks. The larger the collection, the more choices the student has. Then go to the photo copy machine and make several copies.  Keep your originals. Cut interesting pieces out of each page. Do not cut up a whole page as there are some students who have a need to reassemble the image and end up off task. Selectively look for ½ a face, a leg, etc. Break images up so they tantalize the viewer. Use small boxes such as plastic shoe boxes  to put the bits in (1” x1” irregular shapes) and set up 5-6 boxes for students to select from.  

Materials:

Cut up pen and ink photocopies (approximately 1" pieces), glue sticks, smooth white paper (with out any tooth), Rulers, plastic triangles, pencils, inking pens, India ink, or fine line black pens.

Procedures:

Before they start students first practice small simple value bars using hatching, cross hatching, stippling, slow dotting, squiggling, zig zag lines. Expect three or more values of gray from each.  Then the student measures out a square that can be 4”x 4” 5”x 5”  or 6” x 6”. The size depends on the amount of time you want to invest in the unit.  Students select 2 to 3 bits and glue the bits spread apart in the square. The words “hidden” and “camouflage” are used to explain how first they need to mimic the marks along the edges of the square, using pencil. Then switching to ink. As they enter the blank areas, I ask them to engage their imagination and begin to fill the space with random images and patterns and words merging and hiding the bits really well. They are asked to use a wide variety of the mark making.  We discuss as they go along, how careful placement of small areas of solid black can strengthen the images. Some years we have a theme.

Critique finished work.

Evaluation:

They have a rubric at the beginning setting out the expectations

Rubric