Day 1: Students discuss symbols and spirit animals. They make a list a character traits to describe themselves (must be personality not physical) in their sketchbooks. As a group students discuss what animals posses the same traits. Students then find one or more photographs of the animal that they picked.
Day 2: In their sketchbooks students practice drawing their animal considering compositional issues like size and placement as well as possible things to add to their picture that will make it unique.
Day 3: Students begin to draw their ideas onto the final paper.
Day 4: Students draw lines across the page to divide the image. We talk about how artists create rules to challenge themselves. They need at least two lines heading up and down and three going across. They do not need to be straight.
Day 5: Students practice patterns in their sketchbook drawing on their practice sketch. After 10 minutes students vote on which student at their group has done the best job and the teacher collects each of those pictures to discuss with the class the difference between a complex and a simple pattern.
Day 6: Student separate all colored pencils into zip lock bags following a list of colors schemes. Warm, Cool, Monochromatic (teacher chooses one color) and one set of complimentary colors. On the back of the picture students pick one color scheme for their final image.
Day 7-9: Students use colored pencils to finish their pictures. No two boxes that touch can have the same pattern. Some boxes can remain white and some can be colored solid, the others should contain patterns. One of the patterns must be the words from the list of character traits that the students share with their animals.
On the last day student hold a critique.
Students write a written reflection explaining why they picked that animal to represent them, what was the most successful part of their project and what they would change, improve or expand if they could do the project over.
Rubric for the drawing: complete, correct, craftsmanship and creativity
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