Creative critters: hatching new ideas.

Materials

* no. 2 pencils

* sketch paper

* newsprint paper

* masking tape

* balloons

* thick paper towels

* white school glue

* paintbrushes 

* empty coffee cans

* watercolor paints

* markers

* construction paper

Learning Objectives

Students will:

* develop creative interpretations of a visual arts problem.

* improve their ability to discover and communicate their ideas in a visual mode.

* increase awareness and understanding of sculptural terms and concepts.

* widen their knowledge of sculptural techniques to include casting, armatures and papier-mache.

My middle school 3-D elective class is composed of three grade levels. For most of these students. the twelve weeks they are in my class will be the only art they are exposed to in their remaining school years. So for me, the challenge is to develop lessons that will fulfill 3-D art educational objectives and create an appreciation for sculptural forms. My foremost goal is to develop creative thinking and the ability to translate ideas into a visual language. The following lesson is an example of an assignment that successfully met this challenge.

New Ideas 

To stimulate ideas and introduce the assignment, I provided each student with an egg shape drawn on a piece of paper, and markers of various colors. I asked them to decorate their eggs with patterns or simple objects that they would ordinarily not expect to find on an egg.

Once completed, we chose a few examples to discuss. The discussion focused on the strengths of the pattern or design, such as which showed effective color choices, interesting or unusual shapes; and perhaps what could be improved. Did they spread the pattern in an interesting way over the surface of the egg, or change the white surface to a color?

I then asked them to imagine what critter could hatch from their egg. The critter should relate in some way to the appearance of the egg. We talked about how the critter may take on the shape of the design itself, or be related by theme or color.

I handed out a worksheet, which illustrated how a basic idea was reworked three times, and how a critter could be drawn hatching from an egg. Students sketched improvements and changes to their original egg designs and made simple sketches of the critter that could hatch from it, because really creative ideas usually require re-creating.

Making the Egg

To make the eggs, we took a two-part cast of a balloon--approximately the bottom two thirds, and a portion of the top. After an explanation of casting, we began by drawing a line with a marker around the balloon, almost two-thirds of the way up, and another line about one third of the way down, thereby leaving a gap between the lines.

Papier-mache strips were applied everywhere except in the gap between the lines. A two-part cast facilitates easier removal of balloons, and requires less casting.

Instead of using newspaper, we used highly absorbent paper towel torn into pieces. An absorbent paper towel produces casts that are more durable and dry more quickly. Four students shared one roll of paper towel, for both portions of this project.

After the preparation of the strips and mixing of a solution of white glue and water, we placed the balloons in the open ends of empty coffee cans to give students two free hands for the casting process. You can allow them to work in pairs.

Students used a chisel paintbrush to coat an area of the balloon with glue solution. Then they pressed on a piece of paper towel. They added the next piece by first brushing glue over the edges of the previous piece and a new area. The process was repeated, adhering two layers to the balloon. They added a final thin coat of glue solution to adhere any loose ends. The cast was dry the following day. Students turned the ballons over and completed the other end.

When the papier-mache was dry, students popped the balloons. Then they used a pair of scissors to cut the paper egg shell and to form the cracked edges.

Creating Critters

The next stage required forming the critter that would hatch from the egg. I demonstrated two basic techniques. One involved neatly rolling newsprint into tight tubes, which then were taped together to form an armature. The critter was fleshed out by adding scrunched newsprint secured with tape. The other method required tightly scrunching and modeling newsprint into the basic critter shape, which was then secured with tape.

Students chose a method appropriate to their critter, or used a combination of both to assemble their critter. Once the form was completed, they applied one layer of paper towel, in the papier-mache method: dip the paper towel in the glue solution. Squeeze out the excess. Apply the paper towel as a modeling medium and add details, such as ears, noses, or claws.

Painting

The final step was to paint their critter with watercolor. This gave their critter a luminous, glowing newborn quality. Other details were added using markers and colored paper. If necessary a painted cardboard base was added to prevent their critter from falling over.

Despite the challenge set by the objectives of this lesson, my students were so delighted with the results that many did not wish to part with their new hatchlings when I requested them for display in the library!

Shelley Weiss is a visual arts teacher at North Broward Preparatory School in Coconut Creek, Florida, [e-mail].

NATIONAL STANDARD

Students intentionally take advantage of the qualities and characteristics of art media, techniques, and processes to enhance communication of their experiences and ideas.

WEB LINK

users.belgacom.net/papier-mache