This post is the running log for this school year’s art classes, grades 6–8. Rather than write a new post every time a project wraps up, I’ll add a short outline of what we got done each week. It goes week by week, with week numbers instead of dates. Where a project uses one of my resources, I’ve linked it on Cummins Supply.
Week 1
- First week of school, and a three-day week.
- Introduced class procedures and routines.
- Started Art Folders: folded 18×24 paper into sturdy folders with even creases.
- Students centered their first and last names with stencils. We talked through common stencil problems (shifting, uneven pressure).
- Started unique emblems for all eight corners, front and back.
Week 2
- Traced the folder lettering and emblems with thick and thin black markers.
- Introduced classroom compasses and a mystery grid activity sheet.
- Students did a light-to-dark colored pencil value scale practice sheet.
- Added value-blended colored pencil accents to the folders, one assigned color per class.
Week 3
- Finished up the folders.
- Started Counter-Shaded Flowers (Counter-Shading Flowers).
- Students picked a flower reference and labeled a zip bag for the reference and materials. Blending stumps came out too.
- Students shaded on an overlay placed over a template, so value forms the petals without any outlines.
- A resource booklet and an idea sheet (veins, overlapping petals, background accents) gave students one detail to add once the main values were in place.
- Extra credit:
- Students could start a second project once the flower was well underway, after a progress check.
- A word-puzzle sheet (Art Word Puzzles): blend colored pencil over the printed words so the letters stay readable.
- Extra credit doesn’t replace finishing the flower.
Week 4
- Last work day for resolving the counter-shaded flowers.
- Started Chrome Smiles (Chrome Smiles).
- Began with a circle practice handout (bright highlight, tight core shadow, reflected light), then gold and other metal colors.
- Students got the Chrome Smiles resource and sketch worksheets and drew thumbnails.
- They picked their strongest sketch and mapped highlight, midtone, and dark reflection areas. I checked the plans.
Week 5
- Four-day week after Labor Day.
- Chrome Smiles:
- Re-demoed metallic shading on the circle sheet with a short video clip: sky-to-ground reflection, horizon, reserved highlights.
- ART lettering sheets and teeth practice sheets: a cap, a grill segment, or a letter placed on a tooth.
- Lesson learned: one strong appliance beats a lot of tiny details.
- A small teeth extra-credit option for early finishers.
- Chromebook research day for reference. Research feeds design; it’s not for copy-paste tracing of whole faces.
- Students locked in their designs and started the 12×18 template. Progress check: plan plus the start of the template.
Week 6
- Chrome Smiles: all students on final art.
- End-of-cycle make-up day with a priority order: the flower first, then the counter-shade scale worksheet, then extra credit, then Chrome Smiles progress.
- Started Chrome Emblems (Chrome Emblems, or both chrome projects in the Chrome FX Bundle).
- Students experimented with symmetrical transfer.
- A large letter template for composing emblem letters.
Week 7
- Folder clean-out: everything out except Chrome Emblems and any unfinished Chrome Smiles. New extra-credit sheets went out.
- Resource update: added a Chrome Emblem Idea Starter Sheet to the student resource booklet.
- Chromebook research day for the emblems. Students can request image printouts through Google’s built-in Share by email. One classroom Chromebook was damaged and taken out of rotation.
- Covered two rivet rendering methods, and the idea that each metal item has its own reflection. Also covered fusing letters with other components.
- Chrome Smiles were due and collected.
- Chrome Emblems moved to final paper:
- graphite-stick transfer
- black marker outline and infill for cutting and mounting
- I offered pre-printed ready-to-color templates to students who were behind. Almost no one took advantage.
- Yellow reference request slips went out.
- Supply orders went in to Blick and Sax.
Week 8
- Chrome Emblems:
- Layering black marker gives deeper, more even saturation that matches the mounting paper.
- Cutting, plus marker edge staining on the cut edge that shows against the black background.
- Glue methods, drop applicator glue lids, and Blick premium black art paper for mounting.
- 4-point cut-paper gleams and glue paddles.
Week 9
- Third week of the six-week cycle.
- Chrome Emblems reached the completion stage. Students had all the instructions and materials.
- Started Positive / Negative Design (Positive/Negative Cut Paper Design).
- Soft transition: students still finishing emblems put counter-changing away for now.
- Counter-change worksheets: pencil first, then marker, two designs per sheet. Students marked designs they thought were correct with a star or smiley, and mistakes with an X or frowny.
Week 10
- Four-day week (staff PD day, no class).
- Positive / Negative Design:
- Gave out the Positive Negative Cut Paper Art resource booklet with a demo, followed by a Chromebook day for research and planning.
- Workups on four-fold manila.
- Four ways to fix a design that won’t counter-change:
- new design
- border
- intersection
- erasing and Gestalt Closure
- We talked about a minimum of 8 pieces. A few students started the 9×12 composition.
Week 11
- Positive / Negative Design:
- Students moved from sketches to a final drawing on 9×12 manila for approval.
- Approved students chose colored paper and started transferring. About 20% had reached that point.
- Cutting was allowed only for students confident they could save the pieces. No mounting yet.
More to come as the year goes on. Resources mentioned here are on Cummins Supply.
