Visual Arts

Visual Arts Standards 

NC Essential Standards for Beginning Visual Arts
Essential Standard  B.V.1
Use the language of visual arts to communicate effectively.
Clarifying Objective  B.V.1.2
Apply the Elements of Art and Principles of Design to create art.

Student Handout

MATERIALS NEEDED
pastels
paper towels for smudging/blending the pastels and for clean-up
art papernotebook paper
pencils
movie / computer or TV
movie: “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”
Each student receives three handouts:

Info sheet on the Elements of Art

Info sheet on the Principles of Design

Article on Illustrator Mary GrandPre

Article on Illustrator Mary GrandPre: (http://www.marygrandpre.com/)  click on the last link on the left side - then clik on link at the bottom of the page. The article is from Communications Arts Magazine, 1999. It is written by John Jarvis.

Student Handout

Mary GrandPre was featured on the cover of Time Magazine for her work with the Harry Potter Series and also worked as a visionary in the environment/scenery development in Dreamworks animated film Antz. Discuss how Mary GrandPre’s work on the Harry Potter books led to the artist being asked for advice in the design of the Harry Potter movie sets and those of the Antz movie sets.

QUOTE from Mary GrandPre concerning techniques and the importance of understanding the basics:

“No technique should be bigger or more important than the problem the illustration needs to solve. The combination of a good basic understanding of what makes a picture work-- good composition, good color, good drawing--combined with a strong concept can enable you to work on anything."   - Mary GrandPre

DISCUSSION: Discuss the Elements of Art and Principles of Design handouts. Explain each design principle.

PROJECT: Before the movie set design . . . .

An artist rendering is typically created for any movie scene before they spend the time and money to create the scene in real life for filming. An artist may create the original scene on paper or on the computer. We are going to create our art on paper using pastels.

After watching some of the scenes from “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” imagine what the drawings would have looked like for each scene. Choose a scene from the movie and create the same scene on paper using pastels. The movie scene that you recreate should enable you to point out at least two Principles of Design that were used and two Elements of Art. List the principles of design and the elements of art on a separate piece of paper.

NC Essential Standards for Beginning Visual Arts
Essential Standard  B.CR.1
Use critical analysis to generate responses to a variety of prompts.
Clarifying Objective  B.CR.1.1
Understand the art criticism process

Each student receives a copy of Elvis Mitchell’s review of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”. http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20011116friday.html

PROJECT: Art Criticism / Media
After watching “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” write your own review, using the one you read in class as a starting point.
Respond to Elvis Mitchell’s criticism by agreeing with or challenging it, using specific examples from the film to support your opinions of it. Afterwards, read other reviews of the film and compare their critiques to Elvis Mitchell’s. Apply ethical behavior - cite sources, no plagiarizing, use proper etiquette when using resources (see NC Essential Standard for Information and Technology, 7.SE.1.1). How did each review compare to the way the film was received by the general public?

Elvis Mitchell’s review of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20011116friday.html

NC Essential Standards for Beginning Visual Arts
Essential Standard  B.CX.2
Understand the interdisciplinary connections and life application of the visual arts.
Clarifying Objective  B.CX.2.1
Analyze the contribution of art to the design of consumable goods, products, and services, both historical and contemporary.

PROJECT: Economics / Commercial Art

Think about all the information that you have seen or heard about Harry Potter in the media. This includes interviews, advertisements, promotions, toys, etc. Think of an area in which Harry Potter has not yet been marketed and create a proposal for a new Harry Potter product. Include in your proposal a picture of the proposed product and an explanation about who you would market it to and how. Try to tap into a new target group of buyers.

Create a second product that could have been marketed to your parents’ or grandparents’ generation.

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