Serving Art Educators
and Students Since 1994
Submitted by: Linda Hoffelt, Mickelson Middle School, Brookings, South Dakota
Unit: Sculpture- Personal Identity - Keith Haring
Lesson: Paper (Papier) Maché Figures
Grade level: Upper elementary - through high school
Objectives:
Understanding of how an artist gets ideas
Critique works of art
Use a variety of sources to gain an understanding of an artist and/or and arts form
Combine the elements of two or more arts forms to communicate ideas or information
Use dance to inspire a work of art
Integrate planning- develop and use personal symbols
Develop skills: painting and sculpture
Materials:
18" x 24" (46 x 61 cm) Newsprint (or smaller), Scissors
, corrugated cardboard, Styrofoam cups (or blocks of Styrofoam from packing materials), newspapers, brown paper grocery bags (or other cheap paper source for final layers - like newsprint rolls from local paper), Wheat Paste
(flour and water paste -- or thinned Elmer's Glue
), Masking Tape
, Acrylic Paint (or latex). wide Sable Brushes,
White and black acrylic - smaller Brushes. Optional: Paint Markers
, Puffy Paint
.
Procedure:
Design simplified figure on 18" x 24" (46 x 61 cm) newsprint (12" x 18" / 30.5 x 46 cm could also be used).
Cut out patterns shape - trace onto corrugated cardboard. Cut two figures the same size.
Tape some small Styrofoam cups between the tow cut outs (or Styrofoam blocks from packing materials).
Cut 3" (to 4" - depending on spacers used) cardboard strips. Tape strips between the two layers.
Apply a layer of wide masking tape to the cardboard surfaces to prevent warping. May tape on a layer of Aluminum Foil.
Tear newspapers into strips - apply a minimum of two very smooth layers.
Add a finishing layer of brown paper bags, brown paper toweling end rolls - or other inexpensive paper source. The local newspaper often will give schools white newsprint end rolls.
Paint with acrylics when dry.
Select a contrasting color for lining and symbols. Paint a thin border around shape and fill in with personal symbols to show "self". Fill in negative spaces with line and pattern.
Allow to dry - critique work.
Motivation:
Book: Keith Haring: I Wish I Didn't Have to Sleep! (Adventures in Art Series)
![]()
Scholastic Art: Keith Haring
Jazz music- Dancers from the school (student can in and did some dance)
Demonstrations of sculpture and painting technique
Alternate Lesson:
Combine the crime scene lesson with Haring. Students will draw crime scene figures in the style of Keith Haring.
Link:
Keith Haring- Official Website