Reverse Glass Painting

Submitted by: Joanna Davis, Garden Elementary School, Venice, Florida
UNIT: Drawing - Science Integration - Birds and their habitat
Lesson: Reverse Glass "Painting"
Grade Level: Elementary (grade 3 through 5)

Warm-up:

Pass out various bird pictures collected from John James Audubon Wall Calendars,Bird Calendars, or books from the Media Center. Have students choose a bird and draw it, complete with habitat and background. Remind them that the bird is the main focus in the drawing, so it should be the largest object in the picture.

Objectives:

This project will allow students to:

1. Apply drawing skills and use a variety of materials.

2. identify and use foreground, middle ground, and background

3. to use observation to produce a work of art.

4. compare and contrast works of American art.

5. understand that works of art can also be environmental topics

6. identify the uses/purpose of stained glass

7. Gain knowledge of the life and work of John Audubon

Opening statement:

"Today I am going to tell you about one of the most important American artists in history. John James Audubon admired nature, especially birds, so much that as a boy he collected feathers, birds eggs, and their nests on his way home from school. His father found out that he was interested in birds so he got John a book of birds. This book fascinated Audubon and inspired him to start drawing birds himself. His first drawings looked like a kindergartners."

      
Click images for larger views

Preparation and Materials:

It is important to have all materials, including:

• Black Sharpie Fine Point Markers

• Colored Sharpie Fine Point Markers

• Optional: Paint Markers and Gel Markers

• Overhead sheets (Acetate)

• Practice Drawing Paper

• Various Audubon posters, calendars, postcards (See below)

• Artist information

Motivation:

The motivation for this project stems from the second and third grade science curriculum (birds, habitats, and owl pellets) as to explore the artwork of John James Audubon.

Resources:

Links

• John James Audubon biography

• Audubon's Birds of America

• John James Audubon - Online Artcyclopedia

• Museum of Nebraska Art - short biography and examples of work

• National Gallery of Art - Selections from Birds of America

• Historical Museum of Southern Florida - Online Exhibit (Archive)

Books

The Sibley Guide to Birds - This book has 6,600, illustrations covering 810 species in North America includes a clear, descriptive text. The author is one of the foremost bird painters and authorities in the U.S.

Birds (National Audubon Society First Field Guides) - Grade 4 Up- The authors invite young people to become aware of and familiar with the natural world. With sharp, clear full-color photos, birds and insects are described, classified, and placed in their habitats. Birds covers identification marks; eating, mating, and nesting habits; migration; and endangered status.

Posters

• Belted Kingfisher by Audubon

• Warbler by John James Audubon

• Finch by Audubon

• Barn Owl Bird by Audubon

Procedure:

1. After the opening statement and the bird drawing, my kids are hooked. I then show a timeline of important moments in Audubon’s life. Two pieces of info that the kids are very interested in are: 1. Because Audubon’s birds wouldn’t "stay still" for him to paint them in their entirety, he would shoot one of them and use wire to pose it. If there are four birds in a painting he wouldn’t shoot four of them, only one and he would recycle the bird into a different position! 2. Audubon made a book of his water colored drawings called "Birds of America". Since he composed in life size, his book was like that. Now think about it—turkeys and geese—life size?! So the size of the book was like having a turkey on your coffee table. No publisher in the USA would take the risk to publish a work of this proportion, and that no one would want a book of that size. So his book, Birds of America, was not published in America, it was published in England! There are numerous Audubon websites, you can find other interesting facts if you hunt.

2. I then give the kids a piece of Clear-Lay (purchased through SAX Arts) film. You can also use laminating film, overhead sheets, or Acetate. It all works. They put the clear-lay over their practice drawing and use a sharpie to trace their drawing onto the clear-lay.

3. When finished, it is IMPORTANT that they turn the clear-lay over. This is essential so that the black outline does not come off or get mixed with the color markers.

4. After they turn the outline over, they use the colored sharpies to color in their project. This way, they can get right up to the black line and it won’t smudge. Colored sharpies are expensive, but my kids really take care of them. I also remind them how important it is to color in one directions and not color side to side then up and down, etc. Another trick---to minimize the use of the blue sharpies, we talk about how different colors can be used in the sky to create different effects. There is no white sharpie, so we leave those spaces blank. I’ve got some silver markers and the kids have used those, but it looks fine when they are left clear.

5. When finished, I have the kids make a frame using 8 strips of black paper (4 on the front and 4 on the back). Some kids want holes punched in their work so they can hang it in their window.

6. We lastly discuss stained glass and how it can be added to a window for a decoration. We talk about where we might find stained glass (at home, church, stores, etc). You could also get into a discussion about color or science here, too.

7. Writing about bird and its habitat - reflection writing on art making and Audubon

Note from Judy: These look nice displayed with aluminum foil backing for the art show. TEACHERS SHOULD SELECT LOW ODOR MARKERS. Gel markers will work but will take longer to dry. This would also be a good lesson to use FREE Plexiglas scarps from the local lumber/hardware companies.

Alternate Lesson ideas for Science: Insects - Butterflies (especially "Glasswing" butterflies) - Fish

Assessment:

1.      students will complete the project

2.      students will learn a new artistic process

3.      students will be quizzed about John Audubon

Sample Rubric:

Project: Birds - Reverse Painting      Name _______________________ Class ______________

Art Concept (s):

• Art and science are closely related. Art needs close observation to improve drawing skills.

• Color planning is important for unity

• Foreground, middle ground and background are parts of a landscape.

• John Audubon is an important illustrator of nature/birds

Lesson Objectives:

1. Apply drawing skills and use a variety of materials.

2. identify and use foreground, middle ground, and background

3. to use observation to produce a work of art.

4. compare and contrast works of American art.

5. understand that works of art can also be environmental topics

6. identify the uses/purpose of stained glass

7. Gain knowledge of the life and work of John Audubon

Teacher’s comments:

Parent Signature: ______________________________ date______________

Note: Alter to match your grading system

Mastery = Outstanding = Plus

Advancing = Satisfactory = Check

Novice = Needs Improvement = Minus

Conclusion:

This project could take on many different avenues. I used it for Audubon, but you could do Pop Art, contemporary stained glass, even line and shape would be interesting. The process is easy and fool-proof, so take the lesson and use your imagination! The possibilities are endless!

Nationals Standards: