Silhouette Sculptures

Submitted by: Melissa Corry
Gifted art teacher at H.W. Byers School
Title of Lesson: Silhouette Sculptures
Grade level: 2nd and up

 

Goals / Objectives:

1. Understand the difference between a sculpture and a drawing or painting.

2. Understand the meaning of the word silhouette.

3. Create a simple silhouette of any animal or object they choose and use that drawing to create a sculpture piece which is mounted to a wooden base.

Materials Needed:

• Heavy Mat board scraps or stiff cardboard. I go to a local frame shop and pick up their scrap mat board.

• Black paint (Possibilities include Interior Latex Flat Paint, Acrylic Interior Latex Eggshell Paint, or Acrylic Paint)

• Scraps of wood for bases

• Glue Gun

• Hot Glue Sticks

Assessment:

Completed work product and teacher observation.

 

 

 

Lesson Description:

1. Hold up a small sculpture and a painting.




2. Ask students to tell her how they are the same and how they differ.




3. Explain that a sculpture has dimension and can be viewed from many angles and that a painting is flat.




4. Show students an example of a relief sculpture and briefly explain what that term means.




5. Show students examples of wire sculptures and other various types of sculptures on the internet.




6. Show students Lego sculptures and other interesting and unique types of sculpture.




7. Ask students if they know what a silhouette is.




8. Explain that a silhouette is a filled in outline of a person, animal or object.




9. Show students examples of silhouettes.




10. Choose an animal or object and draw a silhouette.




11. Print off pictures from the internet for students to use as references.




12. Practice their silhouette drawings on scratch paper, then will draw on a piece of stiff cardboard or mat board. Older students will cut out their silhouettes.




13. Cut out the silhouettes for the younger students.




14. Hot glue the silhouette onto a wooden base. This can be accomplished several ways. I had the shop teacher save me small scraps of wood which I used a nail to put a small hole in the top and then I used some small wooden skewers and twisted those and hammered them in. I also just hot glued some of the silhouettes directly to the front of the wood piece.