Art Ed
Art Ed
Katherine Skillings
West Virginia University
Lesson Plan (ART 265)
Big Idea: Students will learn how to use hatching and scumbling with pen ink to replicate forms
of a still life reference, and then watercolor over it with knowledge of color relationships.
● What are some examples of still life objects that you value a lot?
● Where have you seen still life artwork in your life?
● What are two techniques can you use to draw with ink?
● How can artwork be used to express how you feel?
Concepts
Artist
● Benjamin Degen
Class Information:
1. Objectives:
OBJECTIVE II: Given multiple examples of still lives, students will be able to
identify what image qualifies as a still life and why it is one.
2. Assessment Criteria:
OBJECTIVE II: Given multiple examples of still lives, students identify what
image qualifies as a still life and why it is one.
3. Learner Characteristics:
Students in 6th grade go through a very important developmental period. This era
of their life involves an increase in social activity, a greater understanding of
academic topics, and a questioning and attempt to understand their own identity.
With this new found sense of identity in mind, this is what my lesson would focus
on. (Wachowiak).
With this new found sense of identity comes the want to express oneself. Students
in 6th grade want to be able to share who they are in ways they are comfortable.
That’s the key word: comfortable. Around this age, students will start to self
doubt and worry their art is “not good enough” (Wachowiak). This is why it is
extremely valuable and important for teachers to encourage students to create
artwork and not worry as much about the result. Teachers who are able to
encourage artistic creativity and production will help students understand there is
no pressure to be perfect in expressing themselves through art (Wachowiak).
Alongside the encouragement of creation is the encouragement of identity.
Students will be more willing to make art they can relate to. Drawing cartoons
they watch, creating symbols that represent them, or painting objects they value
very highly in their lives is a perfect way to engage students in their artwork
(Wachowiak).
“It is not enough for an artist to have an important idea and to know about form, it
is also necessary to possess knowledge of materials and the ability to manipulate
them effectively,” is also something that teachers need to take into consideration
while teaching their students (Freedman). Not only is the idea and identity behind
the art important, but being able to actually create artwork with the tools provided
is very important. Teachers need to do demonstrations of supplies to help 6th
grade students not feel as lost and helpless when trying to create. Students during
this time are super critical of their abilities, and this can be further worsened if the
students have no idea how to create the artwork they are asked to make
(Wachowiak). Overall, being able to help the students relate to their work and
understand how to create are vital points for teachers to know whilst teaching a
6th grade class.
Special needs students will have supplies available to be able to create the ink and
watercolor still life drawing. The trifold that is at the front of the room has the
steps laid out in visual images as well as simplified words. This is so that students
have a constant reminder of what step they are on and what the next step is
without having to ask a teacher. If a student was struggling with picking a still life
image, the teacher would have interesting and engaging images already picked out
so they can offer assistance in the decision process. Furthermore, if students were
struggling with remembering the portions for the watercolors, the teacher will
have little note cards available for handout with all the information on them.
Finally, if students have a physical disability that prevents them from being able
to paint or draw with ink, the teacher will have pre-inked images that the student
can use pre-mixed watercolor with a sponge and paper towels to dab on the paint
onto the paper.
The lesson is designed for 6th grade students, however it can be easily adapted up
and down the grades with a focus on identity, the use of still lives in art, and
multimedia artworks. This lesson would be great for students older than in 6th
grade because it would focus on being able to translate a photographic image into
a piece of artwork in a way that attempts replicating a style of another artist -
which is a more complex thing to do. This section of the lesson would rely on
more complex reference images and a more diverse set of skills demonstrated to
give the students more flexibility with what they can make. Furthermore, this
lesson can also be appropriate for students in grades below 6th grade as there can
be more of a focus on colors, form and values. Instead of having reference
images, students in grades below 6th would be able to come up with an object and
draw it from imagination. This way, the student doesn't feel restricted by colors
and form of a reference image, and that their innate creativity can be expressed.
Having the history of still lives, watercolor and ink is also a great thing for all
ages. Being able to understand the basic historic value of various artistic practices
can widen a spectrum of knowledge for students that helps them explore their
creativity in the subject more. According to the University of Bristol, learning
about art history can help “students train their [your] eyes and brain in the skills
of critical looking” (University of Bristol, 2023). Even though this is talking more
towards college students, being able to give pre-developmental aid to K-12
students on critical looking is vital to their development. I believe that it is an
incredible skill that is very versatile and starting to learn and use this skill from a
young age will foster creativity alongside critical thinking.
The topic of the lesson has three key backgrounds: still lives, watercolor and ink
artistic history. It is beneficial to learn a little about each topic as it will give
students a full understanding of every aspect of art and techniques that they are
working with.
Still Lives are defined as, “the touchstone of painting” as Manet (a famous
impressionist painter) once stated (Richman-Abdou, 2018). A lot of still life
artwork would come to mind if only given the description of what actually
defines a still life. For example, Van Goug's Sunflowers classifies as a still life as
it is an artistic rendition of an “arrangement of inanimate objects'' depicted as the
main focus of the piece (Richman-Abdou, 2018). Most students going through the
art education K-12 system have heard of Van Gogh and would relate to that image
as it would be something they have seen or vaguely remember from earlier years.
This would help connect students to the origins of still lives, yet not have
unrealistic standards of this perfect realistic piece of artwork that needs to be
made. It would also be beneficial to explain that still lives have been prominent
throughout all different artistic periods such as the Renaissance, Medieval times
and even Ancient times. While establishing this, it is important to also show
pieces such as Pieter Claesz, “Vanitas – Still Life,” 1625 and “Still Life with
Glass Bowl of Fruit and Vases,” 63 – 79 CE to describe in visuals the long history
of still life.
Then there is the background of watercolor painting and ink history. First off,
watercolors were mainly from England and used as a versatile medium to paint
landscapes, as the palettes of color were easily transportable (Mall Galleries,
2015). Continuously, throughout history, typically English men would re-
establish watercolors as a “real” medium by creating detailed pieces of still life or
landscape paintings that have a sense of fluidity as well as great detail and
structure. Overall, watercolors has been established as a versatile and useful
medium for Painting anywhere due to its easy transport. Now, inks and pen
artworks and techniques. Primarily, the focus will be on hatching and cross
hatching as those two typically pen techniques would be demonstrated in the
lesson at hand. “By controlling how light and heavy, or thin and thick these lines
are, artists can control values,” which is the main concept of the lesson with ink
(Maier). Using cross hatching and hatching to create values and forms is the main
idea of the lesson, and doing a demonstration on how to layer hatching into cross
hatching would be simple yet impactful for the students. Learning different
techniques on how to create form is necessary for students to be able to create art
and watercolor and ink are both great ways to do so.
Benjamin Degen is an artist who was born in New York, 1976, and has a degree
in Fine Arts from The Cooper Union. Degen's primary medium would be oil on
panel or graphite on paper, in which he creates beautiful images with lots of
detail. He focuses on ideas of
transformation and the idea of
learning and teaching through his
artworks - which is clear to decipher.
One artwork that partially explores
that sense of transformation is his
Lighting Moon piece, as its masterful
line work and beautiful hints of color
gives it an almost whimsical yet
chaotic feel.
Color Relationships- set methods of choosing colors that relate in some way to
each other and look good together
Still Lives- art that shows inanimate objects from the natural or man-made world,
such as fruit, flowers, books, and/or vessels like baskets or bowls
Identity- a way to present their authentic life experiences, interrogate social
perception of their identity, and critique systemic issues that marginalize them in
society
Values- the lightness or darkness of a color
Form- an element of art that is three-dimensional and encloses volume
Transformation- art that changes or expands the viewer's understanding of the
world around them
Richman-Abdou, K. (2018, May 31). How Artists Have Kept Still Life Painting
Alive Over Thousands of Years. My Modern Met.
https://mymodernmet.com/what-is-still-life-painting-definition/
Mall Galleries. (2015, November 13). History of Watercolours | Mall Galleries.
Mall Galleries. https://www.mallgalleries.org.uk/learning/resources/history-
watercolours
Maier, S. (2023, May 11). The How and Why of Hatching. Artists Network.
https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-mediums/drawing/the-how-and-why-of-
hatching/
Bristol, U. of. (n.d.). Why study the history of art? www.bristol.ac.uk. Retrieved
December 6, 2023, from
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/arthistory/study/undergraduate/why-study-art/#site-nav
5. Integration/Connecting Links
Not Applicable
Teachers can bring in still life photos from around their home of ordinary objects
that reflect personal identity. Students can either use personal still life photos, find
photos online or bring in still life items to draw and paint.
Not Applicable
5.4 Poetry/Story/Myth/Tale/Literature
Not Applicable
5.5 Non-art related subject areas
Not Applicable
6.1 How would you describe the black lines in Benjamin Degen’s Lightning Moon?
(gestural, chaotic, deliberate, cohesive)
6.2 What items or objects do you see in Benjamin Degen’s Night Tide? (seashells, water,
sand, water bottle, driftwood, seaweed)
6.3 What do you think Benjamin Degen is trying to represent with his artworks?
(transformation, identity, self expression)
6.4 How would you describe the colors of the apple and pear painting on my trifold?
(red/greens/yellows, complementary, natural colors)
6.5 What are some differences and similarities between Benjamin Degen’s artwork, and
my artwork on the trifold? (Degen’s work more detailed/intensive, My artwork is a little
less chaotic, Both artworks have black ink with color)
6.6 How do you think these artworks were created? (painting, ink, pen, watercolor, oils,
acrylic)
7. WV State Goals
State Goal VA.O.6.5.03: compare the purposes of creating two-dimensional works of art for
personal expression or to evoke feelings.
In this lesson: Students will compare artworks shown to them by the teacher. They will
compare Benjamin Degen’s artworks together and try to understand what
personal experience he is drawing from. With that knowledge, then students
will create a still life image with a personal experience in mind.
State Goal VA.O.6.2.01: identify the characteristics of the elements of art, e.g., line, shape,
color, texture, form, space, and value.
In this lesson: Students will specifically focus on form and value while creating their art
pieces. They will use grayscale values with the micron pens to make the forms
of the still lives they picked. Then they will use watercolor to enhance the
forms of their subject.
State Goal VA.O.6.2.07: create value in a drawing by use of hatching, cross hatching,
stippling, or pointillism
In this lesson: Students will use hatching and crosshatching in the lesson to create ink
representations of each of their selected still lives. These techniques will be
demonstrated by the teacher and then replicated by the students.
8. Media/Art Materials Needed and Organization of Supplies
Topic Questions:
Why do you like that animal and how do you relate it to your identity?
Can you think of other things you like that relate to your identity?
Can anyone tell me if you have created art about things that you love?
What would it be called if you painted a still object that you really liked?
Association Questions:
Do you know any artists that create still life paintings?
Visualization Questions:
What does Benjamin Degen do that makes his artworks seem chaotic?
What sort of subjects do the still life artworks have specifically?
Transition: We are going to now create still life artwork, of something that you believe
shows your identity or that you love very much, in a similar style as Benjamin Degen BUT
with watercolors and ink instead!
Step 1 What do you value and what still life Think about still life objects that define
image would you pick to represent them as a person and why they would
their identity, and why? enjoy painting them, and answer the
question asked
Step 3 What is it called when there's more Listen and observe the examples of a
water than pigment in a watercolor watercolor wash and how it is portioned
mixture? and created
Step 4 Discuss color relationships and how Observe the color relationship charts to
they relate to one another gather an understanding of how it works
Step 5 Introduce and talk about Benjamin Look at the artwork Degen made and
Degen and his artwork, Lighting figure out how it relates back to the
Moon project they will be making
Step 6 Show examples of teacher made Observe teacher made works and look for
works and how they relate to the the details that have been discussed prior
project such as cross hatching and watercolor
wash
Step 7 How do my artworks and Degen's Answer the question by discussing the
artworks compare to one another? similarities and differences between the
two artists artworks
Step 8 Explain the project of how they are to Listen and think about what they want to
pick a still life and ink in form and do for their project so it describes who
values and then add watercolor they are as a person properly and the way
overtop with the ides they will need they want
to know color relationships to create
a sense of self expression
Step 9 Provide demonstrations of each step Watch the demonstrations with intent to
in the process of creating the still life replicate said inteisvitons
Step 10 Walk around the classroom and make Ask questions of the teacher if need be,
sure everyone is understanding what but otherwise continue to work on the art
they need to be doing piece
Surprises
While teaching this lesson, I was surprised by how quickly the students latched onto the
project. The students were able to follow all the instructions given, and instantly jump
into the creating process once the demonstrations were over. I found that to be
particularly surprising because personally, I was worried there was going to be a lot more
confusion and questions when it came to this project. The project revolves a lot around
creating forms and values with just a pen, and I know that can be very difficult and
challenging - so seeing the students jump into that with no hesitation after I stated we
wouldn't be using a pencil to sketch first was surprising to me. I was also surprised at
how quickly the students were able to finish the project. I made my lesson so that if
students were comfortable with the project, they could excel to their needs and speed to
create the best work they can in the time. On the contrary, I also allowed time for
students who may struggle with the project to take their time on specific aspects of the
project such as the ink form and values section. It turned out that the students in my class
were able to keep up with the pace that I had set, which was wonderful to see. I tried to
make sure no student felt pressured to speed up (unless completely necessary due to time
constraints), and I feel as though that was overall successful.
I was also surprised because the students were able to jump onto and answer my
questions properly and well. Once I described and discussed the topics such as cross
hatching, watercolors, values and still lives - students throughout the entire class period
were able to answer questions asked about these topics. Personally, I was surprised that
the students were able to answer questions on information that was only briefly
discussed, yet continuously asked about throughout the lesson as I thought I would
possibly have to explain different subjects to help the students out. When open ended
questions such as, “What was something that you enjoyed about this project?” students
gave clear answers about what they enjoyed and what they did not particularly enjoy.
This was amazing to hear as it gives the teacher feedback on if this lesson is good to
teach again, or if it needs revisions. For my class personally, the students responded
positively to the lesson and stated they would definitely do something like that again.
Best Moments
To start, one of the best moments in the class was when everyone was giggling and
having a good time with the opening activity. The opening activity was drawing your
favorite animal in around a minute with the micron pens. Then after that time was up,
you'd pass the drawing one to your left and then color what was in front of you with
watercolors in roughly two minutes. I was worried this time constraint would stress the
students out, however they seemed to take it as a challenge instead - which is what I was
hoping. As the timer was going, the students were having fun with drawing and coloring
the animals and it was evident that this was a good way to start the class off.
Another thing that made me extremely happy was that each students artwork turned our
completely unique to them. I was worried at first that a lot of these still lives would turn
out looking very similar and, for a lack of a better word, boring and manufactured. As an
artist, I think it's important to create works that are clearly made by an individual with a
passion to express something. In this activity, that idea in the end was very clear to see.
As the students and I walked around the room, a lot of comments were made about how
everyone's turned out so different, unique and fun. All of the paintings, even if the
subjects were similar, had different takes on cross hatching and different colors picked to
paint over the forms. This sense of individuality and creativity all was very awesome to
see in the classroom first hand.
Another amazing thing that happened was that pretty much everyone in the class was able
to answer at least one question. I made sure to call on different students when I asked a
questions, but there's always inevitably students that may not be as willing to answer or
participate in questions they think they might answer incorrectly. However, I tried to ask
questions repeatedly through the class so that students who may have concerns answering
a question the first time can listen and process the correct answer and have a chance to
answer later in the class. This proved to be successful as pretty much everyone
participated in the questions asked in the class. I also believe asking achievable questions
was successful in leading into the final more open ended questions of the class. Being
able to boost student confidence with simpler questions encourages students to participate
when they have an opportunity to then speak their mind. When I asked for feedback,
every student have something specific to them that they enjoyed or didn't enjoy and it
was extremely helpful in gauging how successful the lesson was. Personally, I think the
lesson did teach the students about different artistic mediums and terms, as well as posed
a fun way to express self identity and interests.
Conclusion
I believe that this was a successful art lesson that taught the students about different art
mediums, still lives, new art techniques and a contemporary artist they probably hadn't
heard of before. The students were very receptive to the entire project as they answered
questions as needed, asked about anything they didn't understand, and worked om the art
proejct when asked to do so. The feedback at the end of the lesson wad especially helpful
in concluding if this entire project and lesson was useful - and I was able to come to the
conclusion that it was useful.
12.1: Students learn how to critically observe images to replicate forms through ink snd
watercolor onto paper in their own artistic ways. Next time, try deciphering more
artworks to help students nnderatand what they have to be looking for.
12.2: This lesson was able to help students understand more about their own identity, and
bring that into art in a creative, symbolic way. In the future, have students use more
symbols of their identity in their paintings.
12.3: Students can watch a video on Benjamin Degen to get a better understanding of his
artistic process in a visual way.
13. Attachments:
Students picked a Student picked a still Student picked a still Student didn't pick a
still life that life very blatantly life that could be still life at all.
pertained to their self pertaining to explained as meaning
expression something specific to something to them.
them.
Students made a Student showed Student was able to Student had no cross
piece of artwork that exemplars use of the crosshatch a form hatching on the paper
involved both micron pens by with values, and that suggests a form,
penwork and hatching values and then add watercolor nor any watercolor
watercolor forms. Furthermore, overtop of said put onto the paper.
the student used form.
specitic color
relationships to make
a cohesive watercolor
painting.
13.2 Handouts
Not Applicable
13.3 Visual examples for instruction
13.4 Students’ artwork examples