Strike a Pose.

A question frequently asked in my classroom was "When can we make one of those?". What students were referring to was the artist manikins--those moveable figures representing the human body--displayed on my shelf. Their repeated interest in the wooden models gave me an interesting idea on how to introduce several art components to my students.

I instruct approximately 500 students per week at a K-2 school in a rural Massachusetts town. I decided to try this lesson with the entire school population. The lesson was broken into five-week segments, and a new aspect of the lesson was introduced each week. I meet with the first- and second-grade students for 45 minutes a week and the kindergarten students for 30 minutes a week. This gave students enough time to complete each step with the painting carrying over to an additional week in some cases.

To Begin

We started with a warm-up lesson, practicing blind contour and contour drawing with various objects, such as gourds and fruits. Then we turned to the manikins. Students sat at tables of four, with 11 x 18" (28 x 46 cm) white paper, a fine black marker, and a manikin placed in the center of the table.

As a group, we discussed the positions of the manikins. Standing behind our chairs, we positioned our own bodies in the same position as that of the manikin. Students observed how their perspective was unlike any other student's.

After posing, students began drawing contour studies of the posed figures. I explained that contour line drawings consisted of one continuous line showing the shape of the object. Students drew just the contour lines, leaving out shadows, background, and other details, observing carefully as they were drawing, and refraining from conversations with classmates. I left the number of manikins optional to the first- and second-grade students. Some of the students completed as many as five manikins on their page, while most students chose to complete two. We discussed how the manikins could show movement by the way they were positioned.

As a way of breaking down the information for the kindergarten classes, my approach was slightly altered. After posing behind their chairs, we walked through the drawing process. To begin, I placed my hands on my head and inquired if anyone knew where we could start. After they replied with great enthusiasm, I continued by asking them the shape of the manikin's head and for them to illustrate it on the page. Then, I placed my hands on my neck and questioned what would be drawn next. I continued this process, reminding students to observe their posed manikin until the figure was complete. When the shoulders, elbows, ankles, and knees were illustrated, we discussed what our bodies are constructed of internally. I pointed out that the manikin has these joints visible to be able to pose.

The Background

With the manikins completed, students divided the background by adding a horizon line for added interest. We discussed what the horizon was and looked for it out of our classroom window. Students observed several artist prints depicting a horizon line. This also brought forth conversations of the different kinds of line we had previously studied. Students observed their drawings, finding vertical and horizontal lines.

Next we discussed the difference between warm colors and cool colors. Students assessed how to mix these colors and differentiate between the warm and cool. I asked them to choose from either the top or the bottom of their paper to apply the cool or warm colors. The following week, students completed the opposite end. After a brief demonstration, students returned to their seats and used payons (watercolor crayons), watercolors, and brushes to complete their works. They used the payons to color around the manikins, and the watercolors for larger spaces. The goal was to maintain the white spaces in the contour drawings and paint the warm and cool colors in the background.

Results were amazing. Students were thrilled with their works of art and gained a solid understanding of many new art terms and processes. Artwork was displayed throughout the school and received rave reviews. I had students stopping me throughout the school to "strike a pose" for months following the assignment.

NATIONAL STANDARD

Students use different media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas, experiences, and stories.

Tara L. Kanevski is an elementary art teacher in Boxford, Massachusetts.