Pop Goes the Dragon.Mythical creatures lure one's imagination in ways ordinary animals do not. Dragons, for example, share common characteristics that can be altered or exaggerated by an artist's whim, yet they are still dragons! This frees students from inhibitions and encourages them to create an original. I chose foil relief to portray our dragons because it displays dramatic results suitable for supernatural images. Rich in texture and finished in silver and black, the dragons emerge as magnificent portals to other worlds. What Makes a Dragon? We began by examining illustrations of dragons in fairy tales This is a list of fairy tales, the dates of their earliest known printed version, the author and, if known, the collection of tales in which it was published. It should be noted, however, that not all stories listed below would be categorized as fairy tales by a strict definition . We found their skins covered with scales of intricate designs and textures. Their powerful bodies, capable of breathing fire, showed fierce nostrils and menacing mouths of sharp teeth. Long, spiked tails and claws further demonstrated the dragons' supreme strength. Some had wings, others had snake-like bodies. My students, ages 9-12, began drawing their dragons in pencil on newsprint. I suggested large, simple shapes that would allow plenty of room for details with little or no background so that their dragons would not be visually lost in the finished project. In foil relief, the image stands out much better in contrast to a clean black background. Prepare the Foil 1. Cut the foil to the same size as the drawings (12 x 10", 31 x 25 cm). 2. Cover a work-table with newspaper. 3. Using very fine steel wool steel wool, abrasive material composed of long steel fibers of varying degrees of fineness that are matted together. The coarser grades are used to remove paint and other finishes, the finer grades for polishing or smoothing a finished surface. , rub both sides of the foil to remove the sheen. (It's really only necessary to do one side, but this creates a "right" and "wrong" side making the remaining steps easier to follow). Flatten out Verb 1. flatten out - become flat or flatter; "The landscape flattened" flatten change form, change shape, deform - assume a different shape or form splat - flatten on impact; "The snowballs splatted on the trees" the edges with a firm, straight motion, and then use a circular motion In physics, circular motion is rotation along a circle: a circular path or a circular orbit. The rotation around a fixed axis of a three-dimensional body involves circular motion of its parts. over the entire surface. 4. Lift the foil and gently tap its edges on the newspaper to remove the steel wool dust. You will want to demonstrate and supervise the above process very carefully, and adhere to adhere to verb 1. follow, keep, maintain, respect, observe, be true, fulfil, obey, heed, keep to, abide by, be loyal, mind, be constant, be faithful 2. the safety tips in the box below. Manipulating the Foil First students wrote their names in permanent marker A permanent marker is a type of marker pen that is used to create permanent writing on an object. Generally the liquid is water resistant, contains the toxic chemical xylene or toluene, and is capable of writing on a variety of surfaces from paper to metal to stone. on the foil and taped their drawings to the same side with masking tape. Working on a soft surface such as a stack of paper, students traced over every line, gently pressing into the foil with a dull pencil. (Some details may have to be simplified because the lines tooled in foil are heavier than the lines drawn on paper.) Next, they removed their drawings and etched etch v. etched, etch·ing, etch·es v.tr. 1. a. To cut into the surface of (glass, for example) by the action of acid. b. directly into the foil to further deepen all of the lines, emphasizing the relief on the flip side Flip side In the context of general equities, opposite side to a proposition or position (buy, if sell is the proposition and vice versa). . At this point I encouraged them to study the convex Convex Curved, as in the shape of the outside of a circle. Usually referring to the price/required yield relationship for option-free bonds. side of their work and to add more details. On a scrap of foil, I showed them how to thicken thick·en tr. & intr.v. thick·ened, thick·en·ing, thick·ens 1. To make or become thick or thicker: Thicken the sauce with cornstarch. The crowd thickened near the doorway. 2. important lines and raise up entire areas of their designs using a coloring motion, rubbing back and forth into the soft surface. Painting the Dragons Placing the convex side up, the students began to coat the entire surface with black waterproof ink premixed with liquid soap (to help the ink adhere to the foil.) We used a flat brush loaded with ink every two strokes. (There will be bubbles in the wet ink, but avoid puddles.) We set the foil aside to dry. Colorful Border Designs I wanted borders that would be strikingly different from the dragons and full of color not of the white race; - commonly meaning, esp. in the United States, of negro blood, pure or mixed. See also: Color . Some students chose a fiery motif, others a medieval scene with castles and knights in armor, while others opted for intricate, abstract patterns. I laid out a variety of markers and reminded students to color every square inch of their borders. If their dragons had been drawn so large that the full image was cut off by the foil's edges, I suggested they continue to draw the dragon onto the border. Thus the students might complete with marker a wing or tail they had begun in foil relief. (If the ink is dry, let them place their foil in the center of the border to see where they need to complete drawing.) The students ruled out a 10 x 12" (25 x 31 cm) space in the center of 14 x 16" (36 x 41 cm) white oak tag, leaving 2" (5 cm) borders all around. They began drawing, and then coloring in their beautiful border designs. Returning to their foil, the students carefully rubbed steel wool across the raised dragon form. (Remind them of safety tips.) They used both circular and straight motions, experimenting to find the right amount of pressure to polish the silvery sil·ver·y adj. 1. Containing or coated with silver. 2. Resembling silver in color or luster: "A fountain threw high its silvery water" Harriet Beecher Stowe. relief. Flat areas within the dragon's wings or bodies could also be rubbed silver to further contrast the dragons from the black ground. Concave Concave Property that a curve is below a straight line connecting two end points. If the curve falls above the straight line, it is called convex. areas remained black, accenting features and textures. We stapled the foil to the borders and covered the staples with black permanent marker. Extension for Younger Students The results were wonderful, portraying mighty dragons in an aura of mystique. My younger students were so intrigued with the process and results that I decided to let them try, but with an easier subject: sea creatures. Sea creatures, like dragons, lend themselves to wide artistic interpretations. Many young artists chose fish which were easily scaled, patterned, and altered by whim. I gave them 12 x 6" (31 x 15 cm) foil to tool, and 18 x 10" (46 x 25 cm) white oak tag for the border. Sea chests, divers, schools of fish, mermaids and abstract designs were among the chosen motifs. Their results were rewarding and proved they were capable of handling the materials. Now they are looking forward to tooling dragons when they are older! SAFETY TIPS 1. Warn the students about sharp edges when handling the foil, especially before crimped crimped said of grain that has been passed through corrugated rollers after previous exposure to moist heat so that the grain is fractured but there is a minimum of dust. edges are flattened out. 2. Avoid blowing the steel wool dust from the surface of the foil, or wiping it away with hands, to keep out of eyes. 3. Keep hands away from eyes and face. 4. Carefully discard newspapers and wipe off the table. 5. Wash hands thoroughly. MATERIALS Foil (36 gauge), newsprint, White oak tag, very fine steel wool, black waterproof ink with a small amount of liquid soap added, pencils, masking tape, Newspaper, markers, black permanent markers TIME 4-6 fifty-minute classes NATIONAL STANDARD Students use art materials Techniques and materials related to art: Traditional techniques:
Barbara Silverstein is an art teacher at Assumption School in Morristown, New Jersey Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town population was 18,544. Its estimated population in 2004 was 18,842. It is the county seat of Morris CountyGR6. . For the past six summers she has taught painting and drawing at "Summer Plus," a camp sponsored by the Morris School District Community School. |
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