High-School Art Assignment 4: Mixed Media
The following Art Assignment challenged students to expand their imaginations by selecting a preferred theme of interest, such as: theatre, travel, transportation, extreme sports, carnival theme park, ballet, clothing design, martial arts, relationships, romance and so forth. Once each of the Art students selected their preferred themes, they had to find interesting and relevant reference photographs related to their chosen topics, through investigative research.
After a selection of reference images were finalized by the Art students, they rearranged their reference images into interesting and illusive new compositions, as they aimed to present their themes from fresh perspectives. Some Art students attempted more than simply providing viewers with visual insinuations /or suggestions, but engaged in visual story-telling. In regards to the visual presentations and technical approaches applied, most Mixed-Media artworks produced by the Art students leaned towards pictorial /or Illustrative Art.
Once new compositions and imaginative depictions were successfully drafted as preliminary sketches, the Art students experimented with ‘prepared backgrounds’, which consisted of various torn papers that were either stained /or painted with tea, coffee, ink, water-colours and diluted acrylic paints. As seen within the student art examples provided below, the background colours of these Mixed Media artworks were executed in sombre monochromatic and neutral colours.
In regards to the foregrounds produced, a combination of mark-making and hatching techniques with black fine-liner pens were applied, in order to create intricate details within the subject matter, main figures /or main objects. This simultaneously helped to create contrast against the illusive and multi-layered backgrounds, which contained elements of collage.
The Mixed Media Art Assignment was therefore not only experimental in nature, but challenged the Art students in their interpretive, presentational and illustration skills, along with requiring a high command of drawing techniques.
Mixed Media Assessment Criteria:
A.)-Knowledge and Understanding:
a.1)-Does the student demonstrate insight and understanding of the key concepts, relevant terminology & practical procedures learned in class?
B.)-Communication:
b.1)-Is the student able to successfully communicate, express & present a series of thematic depictions /or events through a new perspective?
C.)-Thinking and Inquiry:
The student uses planning and processing skills to create a successful artwork in regards to:
c.1)-Achieving an interesting and attractive composition.
c.2)-Demonstrating critical thinking skills when applying the Elements of Art & Principles of Design, to support & emphasise the overall theme of the artwork effectively.
D.)-Application:
The student successfully applies knowledge and skills learned in class regarding:
d.1)-Drawing techniques such as mark-making and a variety of hatching-styles.
d.2)-The execution of value within foreground figures /or objects, while adding intricate details.