Introduction to The Artists Toolset

The foundations of art are the artist's toolset because it is through

consciously implementing these design elements that the scaffolding of
great art and great artists are built. Knowing the foundations of art will
empower students to move through the creative process with greater
ease and confidence in turn. Design fundamentals are practice and a
language that artists use to decode, appreciate, and communicate about
art.

The foundations of art are the fundamental knowledge built and refined
by artists throughout history to deconstruct the elements of visual design
that create a compelling piece of art. The elements of composition are
invaluable tools in an artist's hands. These tools are like keys to the doors
of creative potential.

We stand on the shoulders of giants. Creativity is the accumulation of

knowledge and innovation that was developed by those who came before
us. By knowing the principles and histories of the artists who refined the
creative process, we are honoring the legacy we are growing to be a part
of. Learning the influence of the innovators of the past helps us
understand our impact in the present.

Learning and practicing the fundamentals helps reinforce motor skills and
focus. Learning the foundations of art enables students to make art they
feel proud of. Thinking abstractly is imperative to problem-solving.
Learning the foundations of art is a structured approach to solving
problems through analysis and reconstruction. Learning the fundamentals
of art builds a launchpad to thinking abstractly, which is imperative to
problem-solving. This teaches students to analyze, dissect and rebuild to
find a solution.
This unit is designed to introduce art foundations that will be expanded on
in the following units. Essentially, every lesson in The Artists Toolset is an
overview of the units to come. Each design element is better understood
with a working knowledge of the other elements of design. Once the
students have a preliminary grasp on each of these elements, they can
implement them in their deeper exploration into each element. For
example, if a student is studying perspective drawing, they will need to
effectively understand line, value, and shape elements to depict a form in
three-dimensional space.

The lessons in this unit are arranged in the order that these design
elements build on each other. Each lesson repeats a common theme
before expanding into the creative possibilities. The students'
understanding can be internalized through repetition and prior knowledge
and practice around the apple's common theme.

Each lesson begins with a simple exploration of the design element by

drawing an apple using that principle. The lessons expand on the
introduction to the design element by giving students examples of
influential artists who have implemented that design element in their
creative work. The students will then create a piece of art centered
around that element and an artistic style of an artist whose art-centered
heavily around the theme of the foundation we're studying. They can
choose from one of the artists introduced in the lesson or find an artist on
their own to create their study.

The creative expansion of each lesson is as crucial to the unit as the

knowledge of the design element itself. The purpose of learning the
fundamentals of art is to broaden students' understanding of the possible
means of transmuting their creative visions. By studying the rudiments of
the design element and exploring its possibilities before moving to the
 next element, the students are expanding and contracting their
knowledge to internalize their creativity and understanding better.

Title of Unit The Artists Toolset Grade Level 9-12

Subject Area Visual Art Time Frame 5 Weeks

Developed By Ed Harris

Identify Desired Results (Stage 1)

Content Standards (Utah Core)

Strand: CREATE L1. E .CR: Students will conceptualize, generate, develop, and organize artistic ideas and work.
They will complete and refine media artworks

Standard L1.E.CR.1: Use identified generative methods to formulate multiple ideas, develop artistic goals, and
problem solve in media arts creation processes.

Standard L1.E.CR.2: Apply aesthetic criteria in developing, proposing, and refining artistic ideas, plans, prototypes,
and production processes for media arts productions, considering original inspirations, goals, and presentation context.

Standard L1.E.CR.3: Consolidate production processes to demonstrate deliberate choices in organizing and
integrating content and stylistic conventions in media arts productions, demonstrating understanding of associated
principles.

Standard L1.E.CR.4: Refine and modify media artworks, honing aesthetic quality and intentionally accentuating
stylistic elements, to reflect an understanding of personal goals and preferences.
 Understandings Essential Questions

Overarching Understanding Overarching Topical

What do you learn What do you learn about artistic

Students will apply what they learn about design about your world interpretation and design by
elements and the historic and contemporary executions when investigating it focusing on one design element at a
of art to investigate and represent an aspect of their through an artistic time?
present-day lives. lens?

Knowledge Skills
Students will know… Students will be able to…

Students will know the seven elements of design. They Students will be able to interpret an aspect of their modern
will understand historical and contemporary practices of lives through an artistic lens and apply that interpretation
art and design. using design elements to represent an aspect of their lives.

Evidence of Student Learning – Assessment (Stage 2)

Formative and Summative Task Description

Formative Assessment Students begin with a specific, structured approach to drawing the same object
throughout the course so that they may home in on the element of the design they're
studying.

Once they've completed their pre-planned approach to drawing the object, they expand
upon the design element they're learning by choosing their subject and art style to
explore within that element of design.

Summative Assessment The results of their work should demonstrate an understanding and implementation of
the design principle at the center of each lesson.

Learning Plan (Stage 3)

Where are your students The students expand their understanding of how different artists have utilized different
headed? Where have they mediums, techniques, and styles to communicate their concepts.
been? How will you make
sure the students know Students in an art class will come from varying backgrounds and levels of artistic
where they are going? experience. This plan should have some new insight to lend even experienced students
within the realm of art history and implementation.

Students will expand their understanding of what's possible in art and feel emboldened
 on their journeys to find their style and creative interpretation of their world.

How will you hook students

at the beginning of the When you understand the foundations of art and design, you have gained the skillset to
unit? strategically dismantle old artistic expectations to make way for your creative style.

What events will help Each lesson will begin with a brief demonstration of the design element it centers
students experience and around. The element will be expanded upon by presenting several examples of how
explore and reflect on the various influential artists have used the design principle in innovative and often
big ideas and questions in shocking ways.
the unit? How will you
equip them with the needed Students will practice the structured foundation of the focused principle on a single
skills and knowledge? object first, then build on what they have practiced by choosing their subject to recreate
in the art style of one of the artistic innovators studied for the design element.

How will you tailor and The students will be free to explore their tastes and methods by choosing the subject
otherwise personalize the and art style of their in-depth study of each design element.
learning plan to optimize
the engagement and
effectiveness of ALL
students without
compromising the unit's
goals?

How will you organize and Each lesson's structured, hard study segment will be brief, ideally comprising less than
sequence the learning one class period to allow them time to deep dive into their study of the design elements
activities to optimize the according to their unique interests.
engagement and
achievement of ALL
students?
 Skeleton Overview of Lessons in The Unit

Learning Objectives Formative Assessment Learning Experience

Lesson 1: Line Apple should be drawn in one line. Draw an apple using one continuous line.

The creative investigation should be drawn Select a subject to draw, focusing

with a heavy focus on line with minimal primarily on minimal, color, texture, and
texture, color, texture, and value. value lines.

Draw in whatever line art style you chose.

Lesson 2: Shape and Form The simple shape of the 2D apple should Draw the shape of an apple in 2-D
be clear.
Add shading and values to make the apple
The shading and values should give the 3D
impression of light interacting with a 3D
object. Choose from an assortment of art styles
containing shape and value and selected a
The creative investigation should show a subject to draw, implementing shape and
focus on shape and form. form in that style.

Lesson 3: Value and Color The apple should be clear when it is only Using Acrylic paint, create a palette that
painted in color without values. will best depict the apple. Paint the apple
using only color, then incorporate shading
 The color should show variation and depth and value on top of your piece.
in the light and shadows after the values
are added. Pick an art style or combination of styles
with an emphasis on value and color, and
The creative investigation should paint a subject of your choice in the style
demonstrate an exploration of value and you prefer.
color.

Lesson 4: Texture All three apple drawings should be Draw three apples with three focusing
distinctly different textures. primarily.

The creative investigation should Choose a subject and an art style

demonstrate an exploration of texture. implementing texture and draw the subject
in that art style.

Lesson 5: Space The apple should be clear when it is drawn Draw an apple using only negative space
in negative space. by shading the areas surrounding the apple
and leaving the silhouette empty.
The creative investigation should
demonstrate conscious decisions were Select a subject and art style that makes
made to explore the concept of space in a exciting use of space to embody in your
composition. depiction of the subject you chose.
 Assessment Plan
Subject Area/Title of Unit: Artists Toolset
Grade Levels: 9-12
Utah Core Standards
Strand: CREATE L1. E .CR : Students will conceptualize, generate, develop, and organize artistic ideas and
work. They will complete and refine media artworks
Standard L1.E.CR.1: Use identified generative methods to formulate multiple ideas, develop artistic goals, and
problem solve in media arts creation processes.
Standard L1.E.CR.2: Apply aesthetic criteria in developing, proposing, and refining artistic ideas, plans,
prototypes, and production processes for media arts productions, considering original inspirations, goals, and
presentation context.
Standard L1.E.CR.3: Consolidate production processes to demonstrate deliberate choices in organizing and
integrating content and stylistic conventions in media arts productions, demonstrating an understanding of
associated principles.
Standard L1.E.CR.4: Refine and modify media artworks, honing aesthetic quality and intentionally accentuating
stylistic elements, to reflect an understanding of personal goals and preferences.
Higher-Order Thinking Skills
Apply foundational art concepts to interpret and create art.
Key Learnings
How to use Line, Shape, Form, Value, Color, Texture, and Space to create art. How influential artists have
implemented the foundations of art in their work. How to detect the foundations of art in another artist's work.
Unit Summary
Each lesson begins with a simple exploration of the design element by drawing an apple using that principle. The
lessons expand on the introduction to the design element by giving students examples of influential artists who have
implemented that design element in their creative work. The students will then create a piece of art centered around
that element and an artistic style of an artist whose art-centered heavily around the theme of the foundation we're
studying. They can choose from one of the artists introduced in the lesson or find an artist on their own to create
their study.
Essential Question
How can we solve creative problems using the foundations of art?
Student Assessment
Stage 1: The design principle studied has been implemented in the students drawing of an apple.
Stage 2: The student has selected an influential artist's piece and/or style that focuses on the lesson's design element.
The student will demonstrate their understanding by describing why they picked that artist's work to exemplify that
design element.
Stage 3: The student has created a piece of art that focuses on the lesson's design element in style resembling that of
their selected artist.
Summative Assessment Summary
The results of the student work should demonstrate both an understanding and implementation of the design
principle at the center of each lesson and the creative application of that element.
Teacher: Ed Harris
Grade Level: 9-12

Content Standards
Strand: CREATE L1. E .CR: Students will conceptualize, generate, develop, and organize
artistic ideas and work. They will complete and refine media artworks

Standard L1.E.CR.2: Apply aesthetic criteria in developing, proposing, and refining artistic
ideas, plans, prototypes, and production processes for media arts productions, considering
original inspirations, goals, and presentation context.

Standard L1.E.CR.3: Consolidate production processes to demonstrate deliberate choices in

organizing and integrating content and stylistic conventions in media arts productions,
demonstrating understanding of associated principles.

Standard L1.E.CR.4: Refine and modify media artworks, honing aesthetic quality and
intentionally accentuating stylistic elements, to reflect an understanding of personal goals and
preferences.

Learner Background

This lesson will be taught in an introductory art class. Most students will have likely taken art
classes in elementary and high school, and some will probably have studied art more in-depth on
their own. With this being an introductory art course, the lesson must be taught without assuming
that the students are already familiar with the fundamentals of design. Students will have a
preliminary understanding of the line design element that they explored in the lesson preceding
this one.

Student Learning Objectives

Students will be able to verbally identify the elements of shape and form in a piece of art.
Students will demonstrate the deliberate use of shape and form in their completed creative work.

Content-Related Vocabulary

Light, Shadow, Space, Depth, Shape, Form, 3D Space, 2D Space.

Assessment

o The simple shape of the 2D apple should be clear.

o The shading and values should give the impression of light interacting with a 3D object.
o The creative investigation should show a focus on shape and form.

Materials/Resources

o Projector
o White Board
o Illustration Board
o Colored Pencils
o Graphite Pencils
o Graphite Sticks
o Kneaded Erasers
o Apples
 Learning Activities

Initiation

The lesson will begin with a discussion centered around some opening questions to get the
students thinking about what they know and want to learn about the design elements' shape and
form. This will also help the instructor get a sense of where the class's knowledge base is at.

Students will then analyze selected works from revolutionary artists throughout time and discuss
their use of shape and form and speculate as to a class as to why those artists made the decisions
with shape and form that they did. This will help students begin thinking creatively and
historically about shape and form.

The instructor will give a brief demonstration on how to transform a line (from the previous
lesson) into a shape, then to a form. The instructor will briefly demonstrate light and shadow to
render a two-dimensional shape into a form.

The students will then begin their study of shape individually by drawing an apple on their desks.
Phase two of the drawing portion of the lesson begins with adding value to the apple to create
depth with shading. The instructor will walk around the room to see how the students' work
develops and offer support where needed.

Any time the students have remaining after drawing their apples, they can use perusing the
bookshelves in the art room or on a media device of their choice to find an artist who
implemented shape and form in a way that interests them. They will create a piece of work in the
style of the artwork they chose, drawing a subject of their choice in colored pencils once they
have cleared their concept with the instructor by articulating why they feel their selected work
exemplifies the use of form. If the students didn't find artwork to study in class time, they could
find an artist at home or in the allotted 30 minutes on the following class day.

The lesson will conclude with a class-wide critique of each student's work in which the students
will demonstrate their understanding of shape and form not only in their work but in their
communication about their work and their classmates.
Lesson Development

o The lesson will begin with a discussion centered around these questions (15 Minutes)

"How do you define Shape?"

"How do you define form?"
"What do you think the difference between Shape and Form is?"
"How would you depict the shape, and how would you depict form?"

o After the discussion, we'll analyze and discuss the elements of shape and form and
hypothesize about the artists' intentions in these works. (20 minutes)

M.C. Escher Aakash Nihalani

John Pugh Banksy

 Elise Windsor Henry Matisse

Jan Groover Minol Araki

Roy Lichtenstein Pablo Picasso

o Using a projector and an iPad, the instructor will give a brief demonstration of how to
draw shapes and develop those shapes into forms using light and shadow by quickly
sketching an apple as the students are about to. The students will have a handout with the
 same steps for drawing the apple to follow along with and reference in their drawing. (10
minutes)

o Each student will have one apple set on their desks to observe. They will then work
individually to draw an apple's simple, contour shape using their graphite pencils. (10
Minutes)

o Students will then add shading and values to make the apple appear more 3D. (20
Minutes)

o Students will be asked to research and select an artist on their own time who implements
an exciting use of shape and form to create an exploration drawing in the style of. They
can choose any subject through either observation or imagined concepts to draw in that
style on their 11x17 illustration board using colored pencils.

o In the next class session, students will have 30 minutes to select an artist whose style they
want to recreate in their exploration of form drawing if they didn't do so the night before.
In that time, the instructor will briefly discuss the concepts, artist choices, and rationale
with each student individually before signing off on their ideas to begin their work.
Students can start working on their exploration drawing as soon as we've discussed their
concepts. They will have the following 3 class periods (4 hours) to complete their
exploration drawings.

Closure

On the final day of the lesson, students will spend the whole 80-minute class time taking turns
presenting their completed work for critiques. This is their opportunity to describe their thinking
and experiences creating their work and demonstrate their understanding of shape and form by
giving feedback to their classmates.

Modifications/Adaptation Strategies

o The lesson will be supplemented with a list of online resources the students can use to
deepen their understanding of shape and form.

KQED Arts video on Form: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DIPs3T2dQk

KQED Arts Video on Shape: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJzGkZwkHt4
 Shape and Form as Elements of Art, Art With Kunstler:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql0N8nilEMk

o The fundamental drawing portion of the lesson has multiple levels of detail a student can
reach for, ranging from a rough sketch of light and shadow to an entirely realistic
rendering of the apple. If the students can demonstrate that they grasp the concept of
shape and form, they will get full credit for the assignment.

o The students have the freedom to choose an artist and art style that they are most
comfortable in for their expansion assignment.

o With consistent instructor involvement in the lesson's progression, students can propose
modifications and adaptations that they feel they need in real-time.
Shape and Form Drawing Handout
Sources

Wiggins, Grant and J. Mc Tighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association

for Supervision and Curriculum Development
ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (ppk)

KQED Art School: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo-WcbYJeYrORqnVTzBoApA

The Virtual Instructor: https://thevirtualinstructor.com/members/form-the-elements-of-art-

ultimate-lesson-plan/#

Art With Kunstler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql0N8nilEMk