Students were challenged with creating a composition that uses both positive and negative space.
What is Positive and Negative Space? How will you use cut paper to create a composition using black and white paper. Will you add black images on the white paper or reveal the white paper by cutting out the black paper. How will you arrange the objects on the paper?
Using a thinking routine to reflect on what is learned on this assignment.
What I used to think-
I used to think that positive and negative space was an optical illusion and that it was always in black and white and a drawing. I used to think that we were just going to try to create a optical illusion with pencil and paper and then we would do it with sharpie. I used to think that just adding a black background and a white foreground or vise versa then that would a complete piece of positive and negative space. I used to think that to cut the small detail was going to be very easy. That the details weren't going to rip when I would cut them.
What I now think-
I now think that positive and negative space is a much more complex thing than just a drawing on a piece of paper. I now know that you really have to think about the layout of your piece and make sure that their is more than just a drawing but a real contrast and a good thoughtful layout. Your piece has to be well thought out and the lines that you use have to be a variety of different types. You should also think of how someone would look at your piece and what that person thinks about it and what it’s perspective is. Sometimes you can’t have the whole object that you want to have on the piece of paper.
What I still wonder-
I still wonder if you can use different colours to create the same image or goal? I also wonder if we had used a different material how my piece would have ended up. For example a sculpture, I wonder how my sketch of a horse would have ended up as a 3-D object.
After students created a composition exploring both positive and negative space they began to design for a linoleum block print. Exploring positive and negative space but using a different medium and also rotating the image.
Brainstorming
The 7th grade Visual Arts students created 4 different Ideas to create a design that can be rotated. From those 4 different designs they will try and rotate it in 4 different ways and using any method to document the rotations. Instagram, copies and piccollage etc....
Selecting 1 idea and taking a closer look at its ability to rotate and deciding which rotation works best.
Strategies
Creating strategies for printing.
Documenting the process and creating strategies as they work.
Make sure you have practiced with the size cutters before you use it
Make clear lines on the linoleum before you cut
For circles put blade in block and spin it
Be precise and take your time when cutting
Make sure you change the position of the linoleum instead of trying to do it all in one cut
Go over cuts that don't show up very well
Make sure you know how deep you want to cut it by practicing on the practice block
Press down hard enough
Make sure you evenly distribute the ink when printing and depth of cuts when cutting
Dont feel pressured to complete a cut all in one stroke.
1) Choose image that works well with texture
2) Use same supplies as with pattern
3) Freehand a previous sketch image
4) Trace block to make sure your sketch is the right size
5) Trace outlines in sharpie
6) Flip paper to the back and flip it over, then shade over with pencil
7) Since you already put a sheet behind your sketch, now you have an outline of the image.
8) Transfer sharpie onto your block.
9) Use different size carving tools for different sized lines.
10) After you print with your first color, carve more in a specific color...etc
Next Steps Prompts 3 Color Reduction Print
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p9nWlcHtCE
Reductive Printmaking (Linocut 4 colour + white)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enYSeVtcp_w
Reduction Linoleum Prints
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_8fXbLkAGQ
Its not over more to come with reduction print......