Goal (Terminal Objective):

Students will learn the concept of mixed media relief by creating a set of unified greeting cards.

Objective:

By exploring the possibilities of using acrylic media in low relief, students will incorporate these techniques to create a unique set of unified greeting cards.

National Standards:

Visual Arts Grades 9-­12 Content Standard 1: Understanding and applying media techniques and processes

Visual Arts Grades 9­-12 Content Standard 3: Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas

Visual Arts Grades 9­-12 Content Standard 5: Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others

Visual Arts Grades 9­-12 Content Standard 6: Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines

Purpose:

Students will use aesthetic scanning to view and discuss examples of functional, artistic greeting cards. Students will experiment with acrylic media to discover the creative possibilities of working in low relief. Students will demonstrate creative problem solving by incorporating a design idea into a set of unified greeting cards.

New Vocabulary:

low relief

Materials:

cardstock, wax paper, balloons, household string, and the following Sargent Art supplies:

#24-2499 Acrylic Paint

#22-1106 Metallic Acrylic Paint

#22-1103 Craft Glue

#22-8807 Acrylic Glitter Glaze

#22-1506 Metallic Medium Point Peggable Carton Markers

#23-40xx 50 ct. Construction Paper Pack

Time:

approximately 3­5 class periods

Introduction and Motivation (Set):

With so much attention paid towards email, let us not forget the good “old­fashioned” way to brighten someone’s day ­ ­ send them a greeting card ­ ­ better yet, a handmade creative greeting card! Have students visit a local card store or a card aisle in a local store. Ask them what attracts their attention. What occasions do we buy cards for? Remind them that greeting cards are designed by ARTISTS! Discuss with them functionalart.

Instruction:

1. Provide the students with Sargent acrylic paint, Sargent acrylic glitter glaze,household string, wax paper, and balloons. Students begin by creating shapes with string dipped in paint and acrylic glitter glaze. Students may apply the string and glitter glaze to wax paper or balloons so they can easily remove them once they’ve dried. You must allow the string and shapes to dryovernight.

string shapes and glitterglobson wax paper

glitter glaze on aballoon

2. Once the string and glitter glaze shapes have dried overnight, peel them off of the dryingsurface.

peeling dried glitter glaze off balloon – it can now be cut into desired shapes

cutting shapes from dried glitter glaze

3. Students begin designing their individual cards using the three­dimensional stringand glitter glaze as relief elements. At this point, construction paper and Liquid Metals markers can be incorporated into the students’designs.

placing string shape, circle cut out of the dried glitter glaze, and construction paper drawn upon with Liquid Metal markers.

drawing on green construction paper with Liquid Metal markers

4. Students glue down components of the greeting card design to complete a set of at least 4 unified greetingcards.









5. Once the cards are finished and dry, students make envelopes to go with each card. Teacher may decide to provide students with a simple standard envelope pattern. This can be done by simply disassembling an existing envelope carefully and tracing the pattern on heavier paper for the students to then trace andreconstruct.

Activities:

(1) Guided Practice:

a) Students discuss functional art and aesthetically scan example ofartistic greetingcards.

b) Teacher demonstrates ways to use acrylic media to add relief elements to their cards.

c) Teacher demonstrates use of mixed media to complete a uniquedesign.

d) Students experiment with acrylic media as a way ofcreating decorative relief surfaces.

e) Students use creative problem solving to design a set of four unifiedgreeting cards.

f) Students construct envelopes to complete their cardproject.

(2) Independent Practice and Check forUnderstanding:

a) Teacher circulates the room and helps individual students with design solutions.

b) Teacher reminds students of the possible creative capabilities of acrylic media as they work ­ ­ push that right side of thebrain!

(3) Closure:a) Students write a note to someone special and actually mail it to brighten that someone’sday!

Evaluation:

Level One — The completed set of four greeting cards shows excellent creative use of acrylic media to make a decorative relief surface. Creative problem solving in the overall design work is outstanding. An envelope is neatly made for each card. The student has used utmost craftsmanship and exhibited enthusiastic effort in completing the set of greeting cards.

Level Two — The completed set of four greeting cards shows creative use of acrylic media to make a decorative relief surface. Creative problem solving has been applied in the design process. An envelope is included for each card. The student has displayed good craftsmanship and effort in completing the set of greeting cards.

Level Three — Acrylic media has been used to make a decorative relief surface. Little creativity has been applied in the design process. An envelope is included for each card, but they are constructed poorly. Craftsmanship is poor and overall effort is lacking.

Level Four — There is no relief element present in the set of greeting cards. There are not four total cards in the students’ final set. Envelopes are missing. Craftsmanship has been given very little consideration.

Extension:

The theme of this project can be geared towards a particular holiday season.

Resources:

http://www.hrr.co.uk/acatalog/card_happy.jpg
http://www.card­blanc.com/main.html
http://amber­market.com/sites/ambermarket/files/Cards/VALENTINE/3045­web.jpg
http://www.mjcrafts­designstudio.com/ChristmasHandmadeGreetingCards.html