1.1 Blog post one - Implied grids in Art - T-shaped literacy format 1 - Shane Cotton

2021: Kia ora level one students. This is a 4 credit literacy standard, so we do it carefully in terms of showing reading and writing aspects. 

The first thing you will be doing is choosing an artist as your muse. BUT you will also be working with Tracey Tawhiao as a seed of creativity. this means there is choice, as well as carefully chosen direction from us to ensure you pass your standard AND integrate this research into your art making. 

Blog post one will be in three of four parts; Here is part one (mine, not yours, as if I were in level one art and 15). 

How does my mind deal with heaps of information at once? I often wonder this. I have a lot on my mind a lot of the time. I try and do possibly too much at times in an effort to keep busy. Hence losing my keys, phone, favourite lipstick which I then replace and then find the last one, as there are other things that are just more important going on at the same time. I also analyse things more than one probably should. I reimagine conversations, try and notice new things I missed and constantly wonder what would have happened if I acted slightly differently at the time. 

All of these things are reasons why when I look at the work of Shane Cotton, I find myself drawn to wanting to know more about why it is the way it is. "Loci" is all about compartments - boxes to put stuff in, which is how I imagine my head space. My teacher tells me this is a 'grid' device and that it is important. This is why I have chosen this T-shape to complete my 1.1 assessment from. 

  

"Loci" 2011, Acrylic on Board, Shane Cotton

So here is my reasoning as to why I chose Shane cotton to start with. You could also write this up as a bullet pointed list:

- Boxes - compartments

- Organised, when I'm not always as I should be

- Mysterious combination - like my head at times

- Floating bits make me feel like its inside my head

- Grid - strong structure like a map

- Red/orange against navy blue - I like this contrast

- Māori pieces - relate to me?

My list could go on and would potentially provide a good amount of information for why I have chosen this work. 

The next part of your blog post is 'note-taking'. This is you working through an article of written information (there are more pictures than writing in this first one) and listing the important parts. Often we would take to a paper version with a highlighter and note book. This article is a digital web page based one, so I'm expecting you to read it and take notes as you go, even if they are rough.

We can talk through how we do this next bit during class time.  

Here is part two: Taking notes:

1) Start with the article title, author, date and URL.

2) What is the article's main point?

You should be able to sum this up in a few words, and it will possibly be obvious in the introduction.

3) Skim the whole article. This means read over the words quickly, and try and get the gist of it. Put down some words that make sense of that understanding next.

4) There will be some words you don't understand. Make a list, look them up, put their definitions with these words. 

5) Read each section/paragraph. What is the point it is making? Write it down starting with a keyword (use a table if you want). Do you need to use an image to make the point? Are your new words affecting your understanding? 

DONE. 

Wet media works - using water colour to draw with

This idea is around being expressive and showing you have learnt your subject. It takes confidence in your mark-making decisions, as you cant erase them!

The first rendition here would achieve excellence, the other two (which are just additions to the first one) would also be suitable for excellence. any could feature on your folio. 

Natural colours haven't been used, dark, mid and light tones within a triadic colour scheme however, have been used. 

Where the points on the triangle sit are where you find a triadic colour scheme. It is a way of plotting a consistently good colour scheme when you know you want a balance of warm, cool and neutral. 

What can you do with your subject matter that presents these opportunities? This will be evidence for 1.2 and your folio. 

Level one charcoal drawing

Using charcoal can be messy, and gaining detail can feel almost impossible.

You have to remember it is NOT like drawing with pencil. Shade, tone and texture are way more important. 

The images of the cone and cylinder for your 1.2 are done from a mid-tone point of view. this means you add highlights and depth, not mid-tones and depth of tone, like you would if you were starting on plain white paper. 

 

 

For points of detail, use a charcoal pencil. For areas you want whiter than you can achieve with an eraser, use the white charcoal pencils. 

Experiment with the media you have rather than just trying to achieve realistic detail. 

Level One Art What is my Art Kaupapa? (Level one example first blog post)

This is an example of what your first blog post for 2020 should look like. Its the BASIC version. I am imagining that I am a Level One student while I write this. Anything in green is meant to help you better understand what it is I am doing. 

This year I will be focussing on Feminism and Equality as my kaupapa.

I have chosen this theme because it is something I identify with as a woman and as someone who feels strongly about just practices in our community.

The media I will work with are Paint and Design.

The two artists I have selected for 1.1 are: Lisa Reihana and Sofia Minson from list one, and Banksy and Shepard Fairey from list two.

Insert your Moodboard here. Make it (it will have 39 Artworks on it) and then download it as a JPEG. Inserting it into your blog from there should be easy. 

(Here is exactly what I mean for this, don't include this part in your blog, this is just to explain to you... I went to the AKO matrix for level one and collected up my Artist model mood board. Then I was able to clearly state that I was looking at the artists I have listed above. )

:
This is the matrix from the AKO section of our site. You MUST choose two artists from list one, two from list two and then one other from the third lists for 1.2 and 1.4. A total of five artists). 

The artist I am interested in for my kaupapa is John Heartfield.

Here are my notes about my thinking for my kaupapa:

(photo of your brainstorm here)

I want to use self-portraiture from selfies, river stones and lego pieces as my subject matter. I think I can show meaning and visual metaphors for my ideas with these three things.

This amount of writing is 130 words. It is the first post. It sets the scene. If you do only this much, you have reached our target. Add Labels on the right-hand side as clearly explained already! EVERYTHING needs to have at least 2 of those 4 labels this year. 

Painting in acrylic technique

Kia ora koutou

On Friday we worked through an exemplar 'how-to' in acrylic painting.

Acrylic is different to watercolour. Watercolour should be watery. Acrylic should be strong and layered.



Key technique points:
- Start with a very basic pencil sketch - no tone, light lines.
- Key in base colours in thin watered down paint - preferably use a clear gel medium to thin the paint down.

In the cupboard above the sink. Don't use heaps, just a little.

- Use colour theory to sort your base colours - cool tones look far away, warm tones look closer to you. You are an illusionist with painting. 

- Once you have your base colours down, then you need to determine where the lights are and where the shadows are. NEVER use black paint at this point. If you really need it, use it at the end of your painting process, to strengthen the darkest areas only if necessary.

- To mix a 'block' colour or dark shadow colour, look at the paints you have and select the darkest hues from opposite sides of the colour wheel and a tiny bit of yellow. That will usually result in a good dark tone. 

You don't need every colour in the universe on hand to paint, just the basics: red, yellow, blue, a nice clear purple helps (or magenta) and white. 

Build your paint up and paint with thicker paint than you would if you were using watercolour. less water and less paint is actually what you need. too much paint and you wont be in control. Same with too much water. 

You will be looking to build up careful layers, so if it's not quite right, so long as you haven't used too much paint underneath, you should be fine:

On Monday and Tuesday, we will work through a couple more painting exemplars and add to this resource too. If you want to keep practising basic shapes like this, remember to KEEP all your attempts as they are NCEA evidence for 1.2, 2.2 and 3.2. 

Week nine leading into week 10 -workshopping with the teacher and Peer critique online

Kia ora koutou

Last week you all have the opportunity to spread your work onto your panel one and see it as it will potentially look at the end of the year.

In some cases that meant that i went into your sketch book and pulled out work you didn't realise would be eligible for the folio standard.

Keep in mind that your first series of works should be an introductory statement - like in an essay.

Alayna has structured hers across the top of panel one. the strong elements of shadow, and dark contrast, with the red lettered words, would be things I would expect to see her continue to use and evolve as her folio progresses. even if it is not the same as her original plan. It is better to have the best work over the 'right' work. Art should evolve.

Olivia has larger pieces that she hasn't formatted to fit properly yet. her water colour pieces would need a few more layers and line work based on her artist models. I would expect her to use her less successful pieces on the left to trial these ideas out. Trimming her work up and figuring out how they would sit when glued down is also a consideration to make.

In both cases, filling up the board, making sure your 'why' is visible, and producing work systematically (not randomly with no connection) is important in achieving the standard. 

Your instructions were to post these photos following feedback from me onto your own school blog:
- Title your post
- Use Art as a label
- Spell check with me if needed
- PUBLISH the post

Following this, I placed an expectation on you to peer assess each other on your blogs. I notice that many of you didn't have the blog post in place to be able to do that, As this is going to be something we do ongoingly, you will need to adapt and manage your blog posting better n a lot of cases.

Level one drawing to the standard - 1.2 use wet and dry media to record information

One of the standards we are attempting to tick off over the year requires you to prove that you can draw accurately from a visual source.

Things this standard does not include:
- Imaginary doodles
- Written notes
- Stuff you tried to draw to look real but without source material (a photo or a still life to show me)

Things this standard must include:
- Tone
- Perspective
- Detail drawing
- Proportional undertanding
- Dry media; pencil, charcoal, crayon, pastel, collage
- Wet media; water colour, paint, ink

The work that is done for these 4 credits can also be on your folio. because you are all doing different projects, what your drawing pages look like will all be completely different.

A rule of thumb for this standard is:
4 A3 pages of drawing (or enough to fill 4 A3 pages) in dry media
4 A3 pages of drawing/painting in wet media

The exemplars for this standard are here

If you have any tonal or detail/proportion pages started, KEEP them, they count. The stuff below is stuff that would count at a merit/excellence level:

Week 7 term one Level One

Level one: I know there is a great deal of action in one class, with works looking good from Satora, Olivia, Alyana and Lila. Well done ladies.

Your first series should be well underway, probably finished. We have folio card that you will use on Monday/Tuesday to start sticking work down (with blu tak only)

If you have started with photography - you will be getting me to print these off onto photo paper.

There will be no Art History on Monday, as you should be well enough finished to have me run through it for a formative assessment.

Using water colour paints.

Some of you are electing to use watercolours to introduce your first series of works.

In level one, this covers 1.2 - Use wet and dry media to record information. Watercolour is 'wet media'.

How you use watercolour is important - it is meant to be watery. thin even and easily pushed around the paper.

1 - Make sure you use watercolour paper to work on - it's thicker and more absorbent.
2 - Keep any pencil lines light so that they don't distract from your painting
3 - Be prepared to keep pushing the paints around on the paper and adding water frequently.

Recapping series and sequences.

Level one, this could be new to you, level's two and three I am hoping you have the gist of this.

Series of works exist within a body of work (folio).

they explain the points of the body of work.

You are not just making cool art pictures. You are trying to say something with them to a viewer. You are having a conversation via your artwork.

Your folio will start with an introduction, it will have several key points and a conclusion, just like an essay in English.

Your series of works will state, explain, and show your opinion, also just like in English with say a SEXY paragraph.
 

You should be able to see this clearly in any of the online exemplars on NZQA.

What is your "why"?

This is a concept/ariā based art course. You develop a body of work based on a theory or idea.

You have been asked to go through the list of artists on Ako-Learn. Each level/field has a matrix of themes and Artists this year.

We want you to do two things here;
1) Go through and get comfortable with the artists and themes we have put together for you
2) Brainstorm what you love, what you hate and what inspires you in any aspect of your life.

From there you are developing your concept/ariā.

your ariā could be no more than three words. In fact, that's quite good if it is.

Your kaupapa/theme should roughly fit into the themes we have already established on the matrix for your level/field.

Once you have all of this down, I would expect you to create a blog post.


Please note, Level one, I am expecting you to complete a further document called themes, subject matter and ideas. I want to be able to see a copy of this in your drive.

Getting started with Art History

1.2 - describe is your keyword. Interpretation is required as you describe the artwork. Read the slide share carefully, and revise it.

In the exemplar on the site, you will notice the Robyn Kahukiwa exemplar is divided into green and purple highlights, to define the difference.

1) Set up the doc like it says on the instructions - google docs, in your art folder named 1.2 Art history with your name too, and shared with me on email too.

2) Select two artists from the matrix on Ako - Learn. make sure they are good ones! check with me if you need to. Find one image for each artist. copy and paste a good quality art image for each artist onto the doc.

3) Paraphrasing. Make sure you read these instructions on the slide share. if you are struggling with finding a relevant time to use, ASK me. I promise to be helpful.

4) Cite everything. what website did you get the information from? Copy and paste the URL onto the bottom of your doc.

We will work on this every Monday until we are done (week 8 ish I reckon).