Digital Scratchboard Portraits

Lesson Submitted by: Lotte Petricone, Felix Festa Middle School West Nyack, NY.
UNIT: Technology - Portrait
Lesson: Scratchboard portrait - digital photo
Grade Level: Middle School
Alternate lesson: Digital Self Portraits

 

Rationale for Teaching Lesson:

Students will become familiar with basic Photoshop and the medium of scratchboard, creating an expressive self-portrait based on a manipulated digital photo.

 

Lesson Objectives:

1. Learn some of basics of Photoshop. (Can be obtained from the Adobe Software Page)
2. Become familiar with the medium of Scratchboard, creating a self-portrait based on a digital photo that has been manipulated in Photoshop.
3. Understand how value can be used in a self-portrait.

 

Click the thumbnail images below for full size view

 

      

 

Essential Understanding:

1. Artists use technology in many ways to create art - artists use photography to create art.
2. Mood/emotions can be expressed through contrast of values
3. Textures create value and add interest

 

New York State Learning Standards:

Standard 1: Students will actively engage in the processes that constitute creation and performance in the arts and participate in various roles in the arts.

Standard 2: Students will be knowledgeable about and make use of the materials and resources available for participation in the arts in various roles.

Standard 3: Students will respond critically to a variety of works in the arts, connecting the individual to other works and to respond to other aspects of human endeavor and thought.

Standard 4: Students will develop and understanding of the personal and cultural force that shape artistic communication and how the arts in turn shape the diverse cultures of past and present society.

 

How the Standards are addressed in this lesson:
Standard 1: Manipulation of a digital photo, and scratchboard self-portrait.

Standard 2: Understand how a digital photo can be manipulated and used to inspire a scratchboard self-portrait. Become familiar with the medium of scratchboard.

Standard 3: Look at and discuss the self-portraits of Lucas Samaras and Chuck Close, and the scratchboard art of Brian Pinkney. Written Artist Statement.

Standard 4: By using digital technology, and looking back at similar self-portraits that used the technology available: photography and Polaroids, students will develop and understanding of how technology can influence artists.

Scratchboard resource: Scratchboard Internet Lesson

 

Materials:

1. Copy of The Boy of a Thousand Faces, by Brian Selznick
2. PP presentation of Close, Samaras & Pinkney.
3. Slide of value chart, xeroxes of value chart to transfer to scratchboard
4. Lab with Adobe Photoshop, Printer
5. Scratch paper and Scratchboard Tool Kit
6. Artist Statement outlines, Mounting Board, White Glue

 

DVD: Chuck Close - This film covers the life and work of a man who has reinvented portraiture. Close photographs his subjects, blows up the image to gigantic proportions, divides it into a detailed grid and then uses a complex set of colors and patterning to reconstruct each face.

 

Books:

Photoshop CS6 For Dummies - Quickly learn how to use Adobe Photoshop. This book is written in an easy-to-understand language.

Adobe Photoshop Classroom in a Book - The Classroom in a Book series is by far the best training material on the market. Everything you need to master the software is included: clear explanations of each lesson, step-by-step instructions, and the project files for the students.

Layers: The Complete Guide to Photoshop's Most Powerful Feature - Layers is the key to understanding Photoshop, and now you have a resource to show you exactly how. With Matt's clear, easy-to-follow, and concise writing style you'll learn all there is to know.

 

Books Illustrated by Brian Pinkney

• Peggony-po: A Whale Of A Tale - You can see Brian's scratchboard illustrations in this book.

• The Faithful Friend - More scratchboard art by Brian Pinkney.

• Alvin Ailey - Brian Pinkney's signature scratchboard renderings hand-painted with oil pastels.

Lesson Segments:

1. Read (1 class)

2. Look at and discuss self-portraits by Chuck Close and Lucas Samaras, and the art of Brian Pinkney – introduce project with example. (1 class)

3. Intro to value and demo scratchboard. Make value chart on scratchboard while taking digital photos (1-2 classes- photos could be made during previous project)

4. Computer Lab for manipulating photos (1-2 classes)

5. Transfer of images to scratchboard – begin to scratch away the different values. Make rubric second scratching class.(4-5 classes)

6. Mount finished art – Artist Statement. (1 class)

Segment 1: Reading and discussion of the Teaching Style:

Guided Practice – Discuss good listening, and then read aloud book. Talk about book using open-ended questions:

Questions about The Boy of a Thousand Faces, by Brian Selznick

1. At the beginning of the book, he is making self-portraits where he is disguised as a monster. Why might a boy want to do that?

2. At the end he makes one last self-portrait. What does he show and say?

3. What happened that made him change the way he made the last portrait?

Artists have always made self-portraits. Why might an artist make a self-portrait?

Assessment Method: Verbal

 

Segment 2: Look at and discuss self-portraits by Chuck Close and Lucas Samaras, and the art of Brian Pinkney – introduce project with example. (1 class)

Teaching Style:

Guided Practice –

1. Using PP to discuss black and white self-portraits of Chuck Close and Lucas Samaras and what can be communicated in a self-portrait through facial expression and gesture.

2. Show example and discuss the project and the process to make them – the photos: whether they want to wear hats, glasses etc., include their torso, hand gesture.

3. Discuss the scratchboard: look at Brian Pinkney's work and again at the example of a scratchboard portrait.

Assessment Method: Verbal – Summarize: How can an artist communicate something about themselves through a self-portrait? (Visual clues like facial expression and gesture, the composition.)

 

Segment 3: Intro to value and demo scratchboard. Make value chart on scratchboard while taking digital photos (1-2 classes)

Teaching Style:

Guided Practice –

1. Intro to Value: Tints and Shades. Look at a manipulated photo, and discuss the range of values that can be seen.

2. Discuss using Line to create Value, by changing the spacing, or crosshatching.

4. Demo transferring the value chart to scratchboard and using the knives – discuss angle and pressure of pen.

3. In bins, student find strips of scratchboard, and using Xerox strips, transfer the value chart to the scratchboard.

4. Together create the value chart in the order shown on the plasma screen.

Ind. Practice – Once the students have done the first three values they can finish on their own.

After demo, pull students one by one to take digital pictures in front of a gray background on the bulletin board. Transfer photos to a Photoshop folder on a hard drive. Students will want an expressive photo- showing emotion.

Assessment Method: Verbal - Define Value. What are the different ways to create value with line in scratchboard? How do you hold the pen in order to use it successfully?

 

Segment 4: Computer Lab for manipulating photos (1-2 classes)

Teaching Style:

Guided Practice – In the computer lab, introduce this segment of the project: manipulation of photo in Photoshop.

1. Open Adobe Photoshop.

2. Open the picture labeled Photoshop (Or whatever you choose to name your folder). Your photo is labeled with your art period and last name.

3. Once it opens up in Photoshop, click on Image size and change the size to 8 x 10 (or whatever size the scratchboard is).

4. Click on Image again, go to Mode and change it to Gray-scale. Click OK to discard the photo information.

5. Click on Image again, go to Adjustments, and scroll to Brightness and Contrast. Change the brightness to at least 25 and the contrast to 25 and click OK. This may need to be modified depending on the background.

6. Click on Image again, go to adjustments and scroll down to Posturize. Change the level to 2 or 3 – so that you have 3-4 different values that are clear.

7. Print the image, then save it to your H:// so that you can access it again.

Ind. Practice – Students manipulate the image, print and save.

Assessment Method: Verbal

 

Segment 5: Transfer of images to scratchboard – begin to scratch away the different values. Make rubric second scratching class.( (4-5 classes)

Teaching Style:

Guided Practice – Review transfer and scratching technique through a Do Now.

1. Place the portrait directly on top of the scratch art and tape to the edges so it does not move around.

2. Use a pencil to trace directly on top of the photo – get everything and do not draw what is not there!

3. After it has been traced, lift off the photo, and keep available to reference.

4. Begin scratching, keeping the value chart that was made a reference. Try to match the values to those in the photo.

Ind. Practice – Students begin scratching the self-portrait and continue for 4-5 classes.

Assessment Method: Rubric and Artist Statement

 

Segment 6: Mount finished art – Artist Statement. (1 class)

Teaching Style:

Guided Practice – Review mounting art and Artist Statement – due in 2 days.

Ind. Practice – Finish, mount and begin Artist Statement.

Assessment Method: Rubric

 

Assessment: Rubric

Name: Homeroom:

 

	Excellent 20	Good 17	Adequate 14	Unsatisfactory 12	Score
Photo	The gesture, facial expression and body language of the artist in the photo is deliberate and communicates something about the artist.	The gesture, facial expression and body language of the artist in the photo seems to communicates something about the artist, but we wonder if it was deliberate.	The gesture, facial expression and body language of the artist in the photo might communicate something about the artist, but we can't quite figure out what!	The gesture, facial expression and body language of the artist in the photo does not seem to communicate something about the artist.
Manipulation	The final print of the photo shows a clear understanding of Photoshop, having used image adjustments absolutely correctly, showing 4 clear values	The final print of the photo shows a clear understanding of Photoshop, having used image adjustments absolutely correctly, showing 3 clear values	The final print of the photo shows that the artist was a bit unsure about Photoshop - the image adjustments seem a bit off, or the value differences are not clear enough	The final print of the photo shows that the artist did not understand how to use Photoshop - the image adjustments do not make clear value differences and are incorrect
Scratchboard	The final scratchboard art uses the medium very proficiently – there are very smooth lines lightly scratched into the surface	The final scratchboard art uses the medium pretty well – there are somewhat smooth lines and – but perhaps one or two rough spots	The final scratchboard art does not use the medium very well – there are a few rough lines, with parts gouged out	The final scratchboard art does not use the medium well – there are many rough lines, with several parts gouged out
Value	There are 4 clearly different values in the different parts of the image	There are 3 clearly different values in the different parts of the image	There are 3 -4 different values in the different parts of the image, but there are a few parts where they look the same and shouldn't!	The different values in the different parts of the image look pretty much the same everywhere
Textures	The values are created by using lines in a large variety of ways: space between the lines changes, crosshatching, direction… Forming several different Textures	The values are created by using lines in a variety of ways: space between the lines changes, crosshatching, direction… Forming some different Textures	The values are created by using lines but with little variety: space between the lines changes, crosshatching, direction… Forming only one or two different Textures	The values are created by using lines but with almost no variety: space between the lines changes, crosshatching, direction… Forming only one Texture
				Grade:

 

National Standards

 

1. Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes	2. Using knowledge of structures and functions	3. Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas	4. Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures	5. Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others
Students intentionally take advantage of the qualities and characteristics of art media, techniques, and processes to enhance communication of their experiences and ideas	Students generalize about the effects of visual structures and functions and reflect upon these effects in their own work	Students integrate visual, spatial, and temporal concepts with content to communicate intended meaning in their artworks	Students know and compare the characteristics of artworks in various eras and cultures	Students compare multiple purposes for creating works of art
	Students select and use the qualities of structures and functions of art to improve communication of their ideas			Students describe and compare a variety of individual responses to their own artworks and to artworks from various eras and cultures