Number 2 Pencil Project

Students are again attempting to blend their own content with the concepts of No. 2 pencils.

Inspiration and Purpose of the Assignment:

Any object that is seen or used on a regular basis begins to go unnoticed.  What we stop seeing is the form, color, or the object's visual properties.  For years you have been using No. 2 pencils in school on a daily basis.  They are indeed an ordinary, everyday object.  What can you develop when you build a 2-D image using pencil shapes and colors?

Studio Assignment

Transform a simple line drawing into an unusual new idea:  What if this object was made completely out of pencils?

 Steps in class:

1.    Introduce the project, start brainstorming:  Give students their drawing paper from the drawing center (18x12) and write name, date, hour in left corner, and below, work as a class to remember the characteristics of regular pencils.  In other words, what do they look like?  What materials?  What colors are used?  What shapes?  ( yellow, hexagonal, etc.)

2.    On the front they need to create a contour line drawing of the subject that you have chosen.  This means no shading, little or no texture.  Just lines.  It needs to be drawn LARGE on the paper or they will need to restart.  There are drawing books in drawing “studio” that students could use if they need.  You could also look things up on the internet, or students can in the research “studio” if necessary.

3.    Fill the contour drawing with drawings of no. 2 pencils (using a no.2 pencil).  Stretch, squish, curve, and transform the pencil shapes to fit your space (You must include at least 30 pencils in your drawing).   Look at the examples from the sub folder for inspiration on how to do this.

4.    Add color to your drawing using colored pencils. 

Shattered images 2015

It's been quite a while since we tried to shattered images project here is our faithful attend this time. Basically the idea of the shattered image project is value in contrast an image is developed by students with simple lines. The  image is then "shattered" with lines crossing over the top. This form new smaller shapes each of which is then shaded from light to dark. By alternating where the light area is versus a dark area, the image should reappear from the darkness. 

Grading scale 

Each shape has full range of value black to white    30 points

Blended with no striping                                           30 points 

Alternating light on the shapes too dark on another 30 points

Craftsmanship                                                           10 points

Total                                                                          100 points

Number 2 Pencil Project Spring 2014

No. 2 Pencil Transformation
Inspiration and Purpose of the Assignment:
Any object that is seen or used on a regular basis begins to go unnoticed.  What we stop seeing is the form, color, or the object's visual properties.  For years you have been using No. 2 pencils in school on a daily basis.  They are indeed an ordinary, everyday object.  What can you develop when you build a 2-D image using pencil shapes and colors?

Studio Assignment
You will take time to study a pencil and to transform it and learn to see it in a new way. You will maintain the original color of the pencil (yellow with black lettering and a pink eraser).  Follow the steps below:

Carefully look at your pencil and brainstorm about what category/subject that you might want to work in (topics might include people, cars, insects, sports, or musical instruments.
Create a contour line drawing of the subject that you have chosen.
Fill the contour drawing with drawings of no. 2 pencils (using a no.2 pencil).  Stretch, squish, curve, and transform the pencil shapes to fit your space (You must include at least 30 pencils in your drawing).
Add color to your drawing using colored pencils.
Evaluation

Your grade will be based upon the creativity used in designing the image, craftsmanship, effort, and completeness.  Take time to do your very best work!

Original lesson by Ken Vieth's book  From Ordinary to Extraordinary, this is a wonderful exercise in critical thinking and problem solving.  The basic idea is to transform a regular drawing with the idea, "What if everything was made of Number 2 Pencils?"

No. 2 Pencil Project

this lesson comes from Ken Vieth's book entitled "From Ordinary to Extraordinary"  where students take a common place object, the pencil, and transform a drawing of their creation into pencils.  This visual problem project promotes creative thinking, higher-order thinking, and visual awareness.  Many found this project to be a challenge.

It starts with drawing a pencil, noting its component parts and characteristics:  Black end, cone, ridges, yellow, black lettering, metal band, eraser.  Then students generate an large image on a sheet of drawing paper.  This is most successful with these qualities:

Large, line drawing, of a person, place, thing or animal.  Should have a blank background, no color, no value, little texture.

Then the transformation begins.  All the space within their drawing is filled with pencils. They can be pushed, pulled, squeezed, stretched, to fill the space. No leftover space is allowed.  Then they are colored in with the colors of pencils, paying attention to shading to make them appear 3-D.

pencil