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Grid Name Lettering Drawings
Name Drawings on a Grid
Lesson Plan Submitted by: D. Sterner
Special Ed Art K-12, Buffalo, NY
Grade Level: 5th - 6th Grade
Procedures:
1. Create a grid using pencils and rulers on any sheet of paper that will fit the student's name. If this is the students' 1st time, use large grids.
2. Lightly bubble letter the name on the grid in pencil. Letters should not overlap.
3. Then in sequence format, color the grids as the plan outlines. Alternately color in grid shapes within and outside the letters. Some students may find their picture is enhanced by putting a different color inside the letter outlines. Choose colors that conflict with each other to create an optical illusion.
4. Consider that within each square the space inside and outside the letter needs to alternate colors. The optical illusion will be better if there is one color inside the letters and another separate color outside the letters. Clashing colors may appear to vibrate on the edges of the letters. Refer to the Optical Illusion lesson for more ideas.
As you can see below, the red and green colors in the rectangle clash. The borders of the letters appear to be vibrating and in some cases cause eye strain. Color such as these make for a great name lettering drawing. Students can experiment with colors to see which ones clash the most.
I use this lesson all the time with children who have behavioral and learning disorders. It helps some to more easily form alphabetical letters.
Materials:
Large white Drawing Paper
Sharpie Fine Point Markers
(black)
Vocabulary:
Pattern
Design
Positive Space
Negative Space
Arrangement
Extensions:
Can be used to reinforce color concepts, such as analogous colors, complimentary colors, etc. Also is a natural extension of math concept of measurement and using a ruler.
Grid Name Design on Computer
Jan Hillmer has students do Grid Name Design as an introduction to computer graphics/drawing software.
