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Escobar Style Portrait Sculptures
Submitted by: Lotte Petricone, Clarkstown Central School District, New York
UNIT: Sculpture - Portrait/Identity - Marisol Escobar
Grade Level: middle school (these are 8th grade)
Rationale for Teaching Lesson:
Students will create a 3-D portrait of a person they either know personally, or to portray a social issue. The sculpture will be made of a cardboard structure they make, Sculpey elements, and objects from home. It must have at least 3 textures (actual or implied).
Objectives:
1. Students will learn about Marisol’s art work, by comparing ad contrasting several sculptures.
2. Students will learn about the sculptural technique of assemblage/cardboard sculpture
3. Students will learn about the Elements of Art FORM & TEXTURE (actual and implied)
Click images to see larger views
New York State Learning Standards:
Standard 1: Students will actively engage in the processes that constitute creation and performance in the arts and participate in various roles in the arts.
Standard 2: Students will be knowledgeable about and make use of the materials and resources available for participation in the arts in various roles.
Standard 3: Students will respond critically to a variety of works in the arts, connecting the individual to other works and to respond to other aspects of human endeavor and thought.
Standard 4: Students will develop and understanding of the personal and cultural force that shape artistic communication and how the arts in turn shape the diverse cultures of past and present society.
How the Standards are addressed in this lesson:
Standard 1: Use the Elements and Principles of Art to communicate a specific meaning through a sculptural portrait. Know and use resources for developing and conveying specific ideas from text.
Standard 2: Develop skill using the medium of cardboard sculpture, and various materials to make a work of art that communicates something about a person.
Standard 3: Reflect on their work in writing using the language of criticism.
Standard 4: Understand how the artist Marisol works and gets her ideas, and how culture influenced her.
Do Now(s): 1.
Lesson Procedures/Segments:
1. Slide Discussion of Marisol’s work – Focus on how the artist communicates in a 3-D portrait using visual clues, and how the sculptures might be made, what materials are used. (1 class)
Intro to project: 3-D Portraits of someone they know – can be personally or a public figure.
2. Demo how to make main cardboard structure – Cutting, safety. (Approx. 3 classes)
3. Rubric - Go over criteria (1 class)
4. Demo making faces from cut cardboard shapes. (1-2 classes)
5. Demo how to make arms and legs (Approx. 3 classes)
6. Add a Paper Mache
7. Add details to sculpture: textures and features with celluclay, how to use a glue gun to attach objects, Sculpey techniques to make objects and features. (Approx. 3 classes)
8. Color faces with drawing media, drawing of clothes, and any details they may want to add. Use Acrylic Gloss Medium to add on pictures. (Approx. 3 classes)
9. Rubric/Reflection (1 class or at home)
Materials:
PowerPoint presentation of Marisol’s sculpture, examples (See links below)
Cardboard, asst. recycled containers, masking tape, Elmer's Glue
PP images, Xeroxes of Rubric.
Sculpture Wire
Cardboard, Scissors
Celluclay Instant Papier Maché, Plaster Gauze
Celluclay Instant Papier Maché, Glue Gun
Drawing materials (Colored Pencils
Links:
Marisol Online- Artcyclopedia's site.
MoMA Marisol- The MoMA's collection.
Self-Portrait Looking at The Last Supper by Marisol Escobar
Marisol Escobar on ArtNet
A Lesson with Marisol Escobar- Art teacher Julie Schulte's lesson and images
Reflection questions:
Segment 1: Slide Discussion of Marisol’s Sculptures (1 class)
Teaching Style:
GUIDED PRACTICE: Show sculptures, focusing on how the artist communicates in a 3-D portrait, materials used, how they are made. Introduce project. Show example. Refer back to Marisol’s art.
CLOSURE: What are some visual clues Marisol used to make a portrait? What should be included when you make a portrait?
Assessment Method: Verbal
Modifications:
Segment 2: Demo – Main cardboard structure. (Approx. 3 classes)
Teaching Style:
GUIDED PRACTICE: Demo how to make the main cardboard sculpture:
1. Take a pre-cut strip and either score it to make a rectangular form, or roll it gently to make a round form. Use Elmer’s glue in the seam, and tape it securely.
2. Trace the end pieces, and then cut out using either a scissor or X-acto knife. Cut inside the line. It may need to be trimmed to make it fit. Tape to hold it securely.
3. DISCUSS SAFETY!!! How to use the knife, sign it out, make sure it is returned.
IND PRACTICE: Students begin to make the forms.
CLOSURE: Review the procedure for
Assessment Method:
Modifications:
Segment 3: Rubric (1 class)
Teaching Style:
GUIDED PRACTICE: Rubric – go over criteria.
IND PRACTICE: Continue to work on main sculpture.
CLOSURE: What are some of the things we have to remember to make an excellent sculpture?
Assessment Method: Verbal
Modifications:
Segment 4: Demo making faces from cut cardboard shapes. (1-2 classes)
Teaching Style:
GUIDED PRACTICE: Demo – cut shapes from corrugated cardboard to make feature of the face and glue down with Elmer’s glue. As an alternative, celluclay can be used to make the features.
IND PRACTICE: Students make faces, and attach to the body.
CLOSURE: Describe the process to make the face, and alternatives.
Assessment Method: Verbal
Modifications:
Segment 5: Arms and/or legs (approx. 3 classes)
Teaching Style:
GUIDED PRACTICE: Demo how to make wire wrapped arms/legs.
1. Cut a piece of wire about three inches longer than you think you need.
2. Take two pieces of newspaper and open them. Fold diagonally. Start from the small point of the triangle, and roll to cover the wire. Fold the ends down and tape. Twist into position, and tape firmly to the body.
3. Alternative – both arms and legs can also be made from pieces of wood, boxes, or cardboard.
INDIVIDUAL PRACTICE: Students add arms and legs to sculptures.
CLOSURE: Review choices for arms/legs. Review procedure for wrapped wire.
Assessment Method: Verbal
Modifications
Segment 6: Add paper mache and/or plaster layer
Teaching Style:
GUIDED PRACTICE: Demo Paper Mache layer - Dip strips of newsprint into glue, slide fingers over to make it thinner, and apply a thin layer. Make sure paper overlaps. For arms holding sculpey or heavy objects, add a layer of plaster over the joints.
INDIVIDUAL PRACTICE: Students continue to work on sculptures.
CLOSURE: What do you need to remember when adding the paper mache layer? When would you need to add plaster?
Assessment Method: Verbal
Modifications:
Segment 7: Add details to sculpture: textures and features with Celluclay, how to use a glue gun to attach objects, Sculpey techniques to make objects and features. (Approx. 3 classes) Celluclay, how to use a glue gun to attach objects, Sculpey techniques to make objects and features. (Approx. 3 classes)
Teaching Style:
GUIDED PRACTICE: Demo celluclay. Demo glue gun – safety! Use for adding objects or wood features.
IND PRACTICE: Students continue to work on sculptures.
CLOSURE: Review safety!
Assessment Method:
Modifications:
Segment 8: Color faces with drawing media, drawing of clothes, and any details they may want to add. Use gel medium to add on pictures. (Approx. 3 classes)
Teaching Style:
GUIDED PRACTICE: Add emphasis to features with various drawing media: pencils, colored pencils, crayons, oil pastels, watercolor.
IND PRACTICE: Students continue to work on sculptures.
CLOSURE:
Assessment Method:
Modifications:
Segment 9: Drawings of faces
Teaching Style:
GUIDED PRACTICE: Demo face drawing – use proportion guidelines. Discuss caricatures, and it not being real. Students can use a photo if they want. Discuss color pencil and blending color.
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: Students continue to work on sculptures.
CLOSING: What are the proportions of the face?
Assessment Method:
Modifications:
Segment 10: Make structure for faces, use gel medium to glue them on
Teaching Style:
GUIDED PRACTICE: Use corrugated cardboard to create a neck and support for the cutout face. Trace the face and cut out of corrugated cardboard. Cut a rectangular strip from corrugated cardboard. Bend the strip and hot glue it to the body. Glue the face on the cardboard and hot glue that to the neck.
Assessment Method: Written reflection and rubric
Modifications:
Segment 11: Reflection/ Rubric 9: Reflection/ Rubric
Teaching Style:
GUIDED PRACTICE: Go over directions for reflection and rubric.
IND PRACTICE: Students write a draft of the reflection in class and type at home.
CLOSURE: Discuss answers.
Assessment Method: Written reflection/Rubric
Modifications:
Segment 12: Written reflection/Rubric
Teaching Style: GUIDED/INDEPENDENT PRACTICE
1. Introduce the reflection. Students are by now familiar with the process. The reflection is written in an essay format, answering specific questions about the project.
2. Grade work using the rubric(s) – check off the boxes, give yourself a number grade for both project and process.
3. Put your folder together with the art on top, then the reflection, then the rubric, and then put it back into the table folder.
Assessment Method: Written reflection and rubric
Modifications
Assessment: Student Reflection
Name:
Reflections Eighth Grade Portrait Sculptures
The reflection is an essay, written with complete sentences, excellent grammar and spelling. A paragraph is 5-7 sentences, with lots of details. The questions below must be answered and it must be typed for it to be complete.
Does your sculpture have a title? If so, put it at the top of the reflection.
Describe the art project you just finished: what you wanted to communicate about the person you made a portrait of, what art we looked at, what you made/wrote, what materials you used….
Describe what you enjoyed the most and the least about this project.
Describe one thing new that you learned when making this art.
If you were to do this art project again, what is one thing that you might change to make it even more successful?
Resources:
Marisol
Escobar (Venezuelan Sculptor, Born 1930)
Marisol Escobar - Venezuelan Sculptor, Born 1930. From the permanent collection of Art Museum of the Americas. Site has a biography, writing by the artist, sculptures and works on paper. (Look up past exhibits - artists)
Sculptures of C. Jagdish (Archived) - Born in Hyderabad, India in 1956 More sculpture by C. Jagdish, an Indian artist.
Paper Mache Resources and Lessons
National Standards (Standard six could be emphasized if cultural influences are brought in more - Pre-Columbian influences for Marisol - social studies - plus math for figure proportion
