Middle School Studio Lesson
M
y first college art class
introduced me to the
Italian word chiaroscuro.
It refers to using light
and dark values to achieve volumetric
forms and contrast. I was greatly influ-
enced by this concept in my own work
and wanted to incorporate it into my
teaching.
Tints/Shades
The preliminary
paintng skill I have my
students learn is grada-
tion. Gradation is criti-
cal because every artist
needs to learn how to
control and mix paint. I define it to my
class as slowly moving, step by step,
from one color tone to another.
Initially, I have students choose a
single color and add either white or
black paint to it. They next make a
gradation and see how many “steps”
they can achieve. Unconsciously, they
are learning tints and shades. (Tint =
White + Color. Shade = Color + Black.)
I then have students simply continue
practice painting lines or forms of
gradation for a thirty- to forty-minute
period.
Cubism
I introduce students to Pablo Picasso
and Cubism through a slideshow,
emphasizing how various perspectives
can be used to view an object. I give
each student an 18 x 24" (30 x 45 cm)
sheet of white paper on
which they can begin
creating an abstract
Cubist composition
based on the letters of
their names.
Each student begins by writing the
first letter of his or her name large,
filling the whole sheet of paper. These
must be fully formed letters in bubble
form (no stick letters!) or in a font the
student has chosen. Next, I have them
turn the paper clockwise and write
the second letter of the name overlap-
ping the previous letter. This process
continues with each additional letter
What’s Your Cubist Name?
Jeff Tam
until the name is complete, resulting
in a composition that suggests a Cubist
influence.
Color Schemes
The final step is to choose color
schemes to guide students in their
Cubist work. Students choose one color
scheme: analogous, complementary,
or monochromatic. Once the color
format is chosen, students gradate all
the shapes/forms in their compositions
with tints and shades in the chosen
color scheme.
Jeff Tam is an art teacher at Niu Valley
Middle School in Honolulu, Hawaii. jeff_
tam@notes.k12.hi.us
NatioNal StaNdard
Students employ organizational struc-
tures and analyze what makes them
effective or not effective in the com-
munication of ideas.
Web liNk
www.niuvalleymiddle.org/teachers/
jeff_tam
Gradation is critical
because every artist
needs to learn how to
control and mix paint.
Above: Nicholas Burbine, grade six. Top right: Brian Kong, grade six. Bottom right: Matthew Young, grade six.
WEB August/September 2011 SchoolArts
