Creating Sketches and Painted Portraits

Inspired by Looking In, Looking Out: Latin American Photography

Art Lessons for Grades 3 - 12  

Rodrigo Moya, Mexican, b. 1934, Assembly, Xalatlaco, Mexico, Asamblea, Xalatlaco, México, 1966 (printed 2010), Gelatin silver print, SBMA

 Prototypes created by Tina Villadolid, SBMA Teaching Artist

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Project #1: Inspired Sketching

In this lesson, students will look closely at photographs from the SBMA Looking In, Looking Out: Latin American Photography exhibition. They will each choose a photograph, and then reproduce it by tracing selected contour lines of the subjects and objects onto tracing paper. As they are tracing and sketching on tracing paper, students will create different values by varying pencil pressure (from light to heavy), and adding textural lines (cross hatching, diagonal lines, smudged shaded areas, etc.). The composition on the right was traced/sketched onto a piece of tracing paper using a pencil with soft lead. Compare the sketch to the original photograph. Look at the lines the teaching artist, Tina Villadolid, chose to emphasize, and the lines (and even subjects) that she decided to leave out. Although the artist began by tracing particular lines, the sketch soon became her own – an Inspired Master Study with Tina’s personal interpretation of the original photograph. See the following slides for a suggested lesson sequence.

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Materials needed for Project # 1: • a pencil for sketching (dark, soft lead if possible) • an eraser • a piece of tracing paper • a piece of newsprint or copy paper for creating the

grayscale • a piece of white paper or cardstock (to place behind

the completed sketch) • printed copies of photographs from the exhibition (see

the the slides at the end of the lesson for full images) Begin the lesson by asking students to create a grayscale (see the image on the right), beginning with white (no pencil marks) and graduating to black (created by applying more pressure and denser strokes). Next, ask students to create another version of a grayscale using different textural sketching techniques (e.g. cross hatching).

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Before beginning the art instruction, ask students to look carefully at the image.

What is going on in this image? What stands out to students? Ask them to consider: Who are these subjects? What are they doing – what is the location? What different expressions, postures,

and attitudes do students notice in this photograph? When students state opinions, ask them to cite evidence that supports their ideas.

Rodrigo Moya, Mexican, b. 1934, Assembly, Xalatlaco, Mexico, Asamblea, Xalatlaco, México, 1966 (printed 2010), Gelatin silver print, SBMA

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Begin art making by asking students to place a piece of sketching paper over the photograph. Direct them to make registration marks in the four corners.

Demonstrate how to select lines and shapes to trace and sketch using various sketching techniques.

Consider negative and positive space.

If students are using pencils with soft lead, they can smudge shaded areas with their fingers— creating blended, softer backgrounds.

Lift the tracing paper from the photograph to see if the image is “appearing” on the paper to the satisfaction of the student. Reposition it over the photograph (use the registration marks to align the sketch over the photograph) and add more details if desired.

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In this example, the teaching artist is tracing/sketching a different subject (see slide 10). Note how she incorporates particular lines, details, and shapes in her composition. Also note her use of cross hatching.

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Highlights (lighter areas) can be created by sketching around a shape or by erasing lines or areas within shaded blocks. (Note the white highlight above the brim of the hat.)

The teaching artist used a variety of lines in this piece – some are loose and sketchy, some are dense and close – creating shaded blocks of color. Look for the lightest lines and shaded areas, the mid-tones, and the darkest areas. Different values create depth, dimension, visual interest, and focal points. Some areas have been smudged by rubbing over pencil lines with a finger. See examples of cross hatching in the upper left corner of this piece.

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When the sketch is complete, mount the tracing paper onto a piece of white cardstock or construction paper.

Prototype created by Tina Villadolid, SBMA Teaching Artist

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Project # 2: Combined Sketching and Painting Project

(top) Flor Garduño, Mexican, b. 195, Basket of Light, Canasta de luz, Sumpango, Guatemala, 1989, gelatin silver print, SBMA (bottom) Prototype created by Tina Villadolid, SBMA Teaching Artist

Materials needed for this project: • a copy of a photograph from the Looking In,

Looking Out exhibition (see slides 17 and 18) • a clear plastic transparency sheet • a black permanent marker (Sharpie,fine point) • black and white acrylic paint and wide, flat paint

brushes • white and mid-tone gray construction paper

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Before beginning the art instruction, ask students to look carefully at the image. Ask:

What is going on in this image? What stands out to you? Who is this subject? What words describe her? What is she doing – what is the location? What is her facial expression, posture, and attitude? How would

it feel to do this work? What do students particularly notice in this photograph?

When students state opinions, ask them to cite evidence that supports their ideas.

Flor Garduño, Mexican, b. 195, Basket of Light, Canasta de luz, Sumpango, Guatemala, 1989, gelatin silver print, SBMA  

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The sketching instructions are similar to those described in Lesson 1, but the Sharpie pen will produce bolder, darker lines. Using the permanent pen, students trace the lines they wish to include in the composition. Light and dark background coloration will be added with paint. (See the next slide.)

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After the line sketch is completed, turn the transparency film to the other side and add white and black paint strokes to create the background (using a wide, flat brush). After the paint is dry, turn the transparency over to view the final project.

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Variation: While painting the background on the reverse side of the transparency sheet, leave some blank areas. After the paint dries, mount the completed piece on mid-tone gray construction paper. This creates dark, medium, and light values. The gray paper shows through the clear areas.

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Another variation: Use only white acrylic paint when painting the background on the flip side of the transparency sheet. Turn the transparency sheet over when it is dry and place it on a piece of mid-tone gray paper. See the completed piece on the right.

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Students can select the photograph of their choice for this project.

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Prototypes created by Tina Villadolid, SBMA Teaching Artist

In this composition, the teaching artist painted the background with various warm colors (acrylic paint).

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17  Rodrigo Moya, Mexican, b. 1934, Assembly, Xalatlaco, Mexico, Asamblea, Xalatlaco, México, 1966 (printed 2010), Gelatin silver print, SBMA

 

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Flor Garduño, Mexican, b. 195, Basket of Light, Canasta de luz, Sumpango, Guatemala, 1989, gelatin silver print, SBMA  

Connecting to the CCSS: Listening & Speaking

K-5 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.

Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.

Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. 6 – 12

Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.

Follow rules for collegial discussions, set specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion.

Review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and paraphrasing.

Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.

Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.

Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information. 19  

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Connections to the Standards

From the National Visual Arts Standards Creating / Conceiving and developing new artistic ideas and work.

Anchor Standard #1. Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work. Anchor Standard #2. Organize and develop artistic ideas and work. Anchor Standard #3. Refine and complete artistic work.

VA:Cr2.1. Explore and invent art-making techniques and approaches. VA:Cr2.1. Experiment and develop skills in multiple art-making techniques and approaches through practice. VA:Cr2.3. Identify, describe, and visually document places and/or objects of personal significance.

Responding / Understanding and evaluating how the arts convey meaning. Anchor Standard #7. Perceive and analyze artistic work. Anchor Standard #8. Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work. Anchor Standard #9. Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.

VA:Re8.1. Interpret art by referring to contextual information and analyzing relevant subject matter, characteristics of form, and use of media. VA:Re9.1. Apply one set of criteria to evaluate more than one work of art. VA:Re8.1. Interpret art by analyzing characteristics of form and structure, contextual information, subject matter, visual elements, and use of media to identify ideas and mood conveyed. VA:Re9.1. Recognize differences in criteria used to evaluate works of art depending on styles, genres, and media as well as historical and cultural contexts. VA:Re8.1.      Interpret art by distinguishing between relevant and non-relevant contextual information and analyzing subject matter, characteristics of form and structure, and use of media to identify ideas and mood conveyed. VA:Re.IIIa Construct evaluations of a work of art or collection of works based on differing sets of criteria.

Connecting / Relating artistic ideas and work with personal meaning and external context. Anchor Standard #10. Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.

VA:Cn.1.    Apply formal and conceptual vocabularies of art and design to view surroundings in new ways through art- making. VA:Cn.1. Document the process of developing ideas from early stages to fully elaborated ideas.

Credits and permissions:

This presentation was created by SBMA for instructional use only and is not to be altered in any way, or reproduced without attribution.

Artwork and lesson created by Tina Villadolid, SBMA Senior Teaching Artist.

For further information about these or other Education and Outreach Programs, contact Rachel Krieps at rkrieps@sbma.net

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This lesson was produced by Joni Chancer, SBMA Curriculum Consultant.