Students learn about the art of collage and create their own mixed media, full body portrait.

Students become familiar with the collage work of some contemporary artists.

pencils
paper
white glue, glue sticks
scissors
colored paper
design/pattern paper
origami paper
fabric
yarn, ribbon, craft scraps, etc...
paint, oil pastels, markers, etc...

Need these materials? Visit Blick!

1. Introduce lesson with some videos of Megan Brain's collage characters such as Cool Kitty https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WalkD2wVg1Q

She has other collage animations on her website.

2. Show examples of the following artists using a PowerPoint slide show, Morgana Wallace, Megan Brain, Miki Sato, Jayme McGowan, Alice Lindstrom, Brittney Lee.

3. Allow students to brain storm ideas, do they want a background like Brittney Lee and Alice Lindstrom, or do they want plain background like Morgana Wallace.

4. Students should prepare backgrounds first and create a folder to keep all their cut pieces.

5. Students sketch/brainstorm ideas for their portrait so that they know what kinds of pieces the need to look for. The sketch should be to size so that they can use it to measure the pieces they need.

6. I like to do this with an after school club so that students can have access to my art closet and find any pieces they may need. Or you may have all the supplies set up on a table.

7. Demonstrate how to make the collage portrait. Scissor safety, gluing rules, and remind students not to waist material. If they need to cut a shirt out of a piece of felt for example they should cut it out from an edge not the middle.

8. Store all cut pieces in their folder and when they are ready to glue their final piece I have them play around with their composition and arrangement. Once pieces are where they need to be students can glue from back to front if their are any overlapping pieces.

9. I also like to show messy examples and good examples so students may see what it looks like if glue is not applied properly or cuts not so smooth and arranged neatly.

1. Did students create a full body portrait using collage techniques?

2. Are the pieces arranged in pleasing design?

3. Are the pieces cut neatly, no jagged edges? (unless it is purposeful)

4. Are the pieces glued properly, no glue showing or pieces not fully glued?

http://www.madronagallery.com/artists/morgana-wallace

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2015/09/new-mythical-cut-paper-collages-by-artist-morgana-wallace/

http://meganbrain.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WalkD2wVg1Q

http://mikisatoillustration.com/

http://www.artisticmoods.com/jayme-mcgowan/

Vocabulary:
mixed media
collage
portrait
arrangement
composition
background/foreground/middle ground
texture
space

[5-8] Students intentionally take advantage of the qualities and characteristics of art media, techniques, and processes to enhance communication of their experiences and ideas

[5-8] Students select and use the qualities of structures and functions of art to improve communication of their ideas

[5-8] Students use subjects, themes, and symbols that demonstrate knowledge of contexts, values, and aesthetics that communicate intended meaning in artworks

[5-8] Students compare the characteristics of works in two or more art forms that share similar subject matter, historical periods, or cultural context

Contemporary Art

Form, Rhythm/Pattern, Shape, Space, Texture, Variety

Collage, Mixed Media