Sketchbook-Journal:

Introduction to Art Prompts and Work Samples

Art Education

Fulton County Schools

2007

Why Sketchbook Journals?They Develop:

•Technical Skills: drawing skills, design skills, and media exploration.

•Thinking and Personal Expression through art: to learn processes for idea development; this doesn’t just happen, we have to consciously teach these processes

•Learning: Reflection on personal growth, ideas, connections among art class learning, other classes, and life outside school

Two Aspects of Sketchbook/Journals

Sketchbook

•Technical skill building

•Studies

•Micro labs

Journal•Personal ideation•Concept development•Reflection

Students need both

There are many way ways to structure the combination: sketchbook begins on one side of book, journal begins on the

other; simply intersperse both types of work or?

It’s a Developmental

Process• Introduction to Art – prompts need more structured so there is a sequence of learning that teaches students to think more conceptually, develop ideas from personal responses to the world around them.

• Teachers can’t expect students to just do it without teaching.

Developing Technical Skills

Intro Art

Prompt:

Construct a series of cut paper collages that focus on each principal of design. Each should be unified, interesting and activate the entire format. Repeat limited colors and shapes to unify and variations of those to add interest. Place center of interest “off-center” and create asymmetrical compositions to make them more dynamic.

Technical Skill(s):

• Composition

• Principles of Design

Conceptual Idea:

• Artists purposefully set parameters or problems to solve in their own work.

• Principles of design are tools to communicate ideas and create pleasing compositions.

Teacher: Lori Phillips

Intro Art

Prompt:

Create a series of thumbnail sketches using direct observation to model form with value in pencil.

Technical Skill(s):

• Composition

• Value to model form

Conceptual Idea:

• Artists purposefully set parameters or problems to solve in their own work.

• Principles of design are tools to communicate ideas and create pleasing compositions.

Teacher: Lori Phillips

Intro Art

Prompt: • Create a series of

compositions that emphasize each of the elements of art: line, texture, shape

Technical Skill(s): • Composition• Elements of Art

Conceptual Idea:

Teacher: Lori Phillips

Intro Art

Prompt: Learn pen & ink technique while refining understanding of value to model form. Skills are transferable; this uses the understanding you’ve mastered in pencil rendering and charcoal rendering.

Technical Skill(s): Pen and ink technique (hatching, cross-hatching, stippling), Value to model form, Thumbnails

Conceptual Idea: Artists work to hone existing skill while taking risks by adding new skills.

Teacher: Lori Phillips

Intro Art

Prompt: Using your hands as a subject matter observe closely the contours of your hand and record them with pencil.

Technical Skill(s):

• Drawing techniques: Contour line drawing, Direct observation

Conceptual Idea:

• Artists purposefully set parameters or problems to solve in their own work.

Teacher: Erin Kendrick

Intro Art

Prompt: Design a page based around the shape of an eye using equal amounts of positive and negative space. Write about the significance and symbolism of an eye or your vision.

Technical Skill(s):

• Using negative space to design a composition

• Principles of Design

Conceptual Idea:

• Artists purposefully set parameters or problems to solve in their own work.

• Seeing an everyday object through an artists eyes.

Teachers: Felice Margol/Travis Carr/ Megan Evans

Intro Art

Prompt: Take an object and create as many items as you can. Construct, deconstruct, add and explain verbally.

Technical Skill(s):

• Pen and ink technique (hatching, cross-hatching, stippling), Value to model form, Thumbnails

• Building with elements of art.

Conceptual Idea:

• Artists purposefully set parameters or problems to solve in their own work.

• Seeing an everyday form through an artists eyes.

Teacher: Charlotte Turner

Intro Art

Prompt: Draw a reproduction noticing the details of the ceramic form. Verbalize the questions and opinions you have when examining the ceramic object?

Technical Skill(s):

• Drawing techniques in a three dimensional course, Value to model form, Thumbnails

Conceptual Idea:

• Artists purposefully set parameters or problems to solve in their own work.

• Analyzing the design of a ceramic form

Teacher: Charlotte Turner

Intro Art

Prompt: After researching the work of Franz Kline utilize his painting technique to create focal emphasis.

Technical Skill(s):

• Acrylic painting skills

• Focal emphasis

• Secondary points of emphasis

Conceptual Idea:

• Artists purposefully set parameters or problems to solve in their own work.

Teacher: Pilar Hernandez

Additional Examples

Intro Art

Prompt: Design a page emphasizing movement and rhythm.

Technical Skill(s):

• Utilizing off center focal point

• Principles of Design

Conceptual Idea:

• Artists purposefully set parameters or problems to solve in their own work.

• Seeing an everyday object through an artists eyes.

Teacher: Joe Fassnacht

Teacher: Joe Fassnacht

Intro Art

Prompt: Using acrylic paint create a series of thumbnail paintings emphasizing “focal points and design of space”.

Technical Skill(s):

• Thumbnails

• Focal emphasis

• Secondary points of emphasis

Conceptual Idea:

• Artists purposefully set parameters or problems to solve in their own work.

Teacher: Pilar Hernandez

Intro Art

Prompt: Using colored paper create a series of thumbnail collages emphasizing “focal points and design of space”.

Technical Skill(s):

• Thumbnails

• Focal emphasis

• Secondary points of emphasis

Conceptual Idea:

• Artists purposefully set parameters or problems to solve in their own work.

Teacher: Pilar Hernandez

Intro to Art

Prompt: research an artist and create a mixed media presentation describing your research.

Technical Skill(s): activating the page, color theory, mixed media and research skills

Conceptual Idea: developing opinions on an artist

Teacher: Matt Phillips

Text

Additional Examples

Developing Conceptual Thinking

•As skills develop in Introduction to Art prompts should begin to become more open and conceptual.

•Students will still need a starting point for journal ideas.

•Words, current events, feelings, time, dreams, and surreal landscapes are all successful topics at this point in conceptual development.

Idea Generation•Teachers need to explicitly teach ways to develop ideas/concepts by developing sequential prompts that build on technical skills taught in the course.

•Then explicitly teach for moving conceptual ideas developed in the journals into other artwork

Intro to Art

Prompt: Using compositional design techniques discussed in class use a layering design expressing your views on “Racial Profiling” in the United States.

Technical Skill(s): mixed media, research skills and composition.

Conceptual Idea: developing visual interpretations of personal opinions.

Teacher: Kathy Jackson

Intro Art

Prompt: Create a mixed media collage based on a fear that you have in life.

Technical Skill(s):

• Composition

• Principles of Design

Conceptual Idea:

• Artists purposefully set parameters or problems to solve in their own work.

• Students express their opinions through art.

Teacher: Krista Clark

Intro to Art

Prompt: Using design, cut out’s, columns and layering design a page expressing two views of the pro choice/ pro life debate.

Technical Skill(s): activating the page, color theory, mixed media, research skills and composition.

Conceptual Idea: presenting opposing views on a single conceptual topic through art.

Teacher: Kathy Jackson

Additional Examples

Intro to ArtPrompt: Letter to a stranger

Technical Skill(s): activating the page, color theory, mixed media and writing across the curriculum.

Conceptual Idea: Convey meaning verbally and conceptually. developing opinions on an artist.

Teacher: Bonnie Lovell

Intro Art

Prompt: Create a newspaper collage giving your opinion on a current event.

Technical Skill(s):

• Composition

• Principles of Design

Conceptual Idea:

• Artists purposefully set parameters or problems to solve in their own work.

• Students express their opinions through art.

Teacher: Krista Clark

Additional Examples

Teacher: Travis Carr Teacher: Krista Clark

Intro to ArtPrompt: create a journal cover using the elements of art.

Technical Skill(s): activating the page, mixed media, and composition.

Conceptual Idea: presenting an image that describes a personal interpretation of a concept.

Teacher: Tony Loadholt

Intro to Art

Prompt: Using watercolors imagine what you would see under the sea.

Technical Skill(s): watercolor techniques, color theory and composition

Conceptual Idea: Creating an environment.

Teacher: Bonnie Lovell

Intro to ArtPrompt: create a visual response to your favorite quote.

Technical Skill(s): activating the page, mixed media, using layers and composition.

Conceptual Idea: creating an image that describes a personal interpretation of a concept.

Teacher: Dorsey Chappel

Additional Examples

“I think I’m feeling off the edge”Teacher: Dorsey Chappel

Intro to Art

Prompt: Create a visual interpretation of the word “Sanctuary”.

Technical Skill(s): Utilize mixed media, create an off center focal point, use repetition to create movement.

Conceptual Idea: using a word to spark a personal connection to develop visual imagery.

Teacher: Nick Madden

Intro to ArtPrompt: create a collage using layers to describe a person.

Technical Skill(s): activating the page, mixed media, and composition.

Conceptual Idea: presenting an image that describes a personal interpretation of a concept.

Teacher: Tony Loadholt

Intro to ArtPrompt: From Ordinary to Extraordinary. Use cubism as a jumping point to develop a large, single subject drawing as a way to develop an understanding of value to model form.

Technical Skill(s): Value to model form. contour line drawing, composition in cubism.

Conceptual Idea: presenting an object in a new way by combining direct observation with experimentation in composition.

Teacher: Ashley Rushing

Intro to ArtPrompt: create a visual response to the idea of “Lost and Found”.

Technical Skill(s): activating the page, mixed media, and composition.

Conceptual Idea: presenting an image that describes a personal interpretation of a concept.

Teacher: Nick Madden

Intro to ArtPrompt: create a collage based on a contour line drawing.

Technical Skill(s): activating the page, mixed media, contour line, direct observation of an object, close observation and composition.

Conceptual Idea: creating an image that translates a course exercise into a personal artwork.

Teacher: Tony Loadholt

Intro to ArtPrompt: Describe your first week of school in images with a verbal response.

Technical Skill(s): activating the page, mixed media, and composition.

Conceptual Idea: presenting an image that describes an emotional response.

Teacher: Kathy Jackson