Fine Art Frankenpicture by Stacey
Bernstein
Grade Level: High School
Length of Lesson: Four, one and a half hour class periods, or 6 hours.
Unit of Instruction: Basic Adobe Photoshop Tools and Processes
Instructional Goals of the Lesson:
• To build the technological literacy of students, particularly in the use of Photoshop, an industry standard image manipulation program.
• To go through the discovery and decision making process of acquiring source images from the World Wide Web.
• To utilize tools and processes of Adobe Photoshop to create an original digital collage using portions of source images.
Standards:
Colorado Model Content Standards for the Visual Arts
Information Literacy Guidelines of Colorado
Colorado Technology Competency Guidelines For Classroom Teachers
Overview:
While investigating the National Gallery of Art Online Tours web pages the students will choose four image sources; one each containing: a person, an indoor scene, an outdoor scene, and an image of an object. The images will be saved into the students' folders (on the server or on the hard drive).
In Photoshop, the student will select portions of each chosen image and copy those portions into a new document. Using the selection and editing tools, and other Photoshop operations, each student will generate an original composition using borrowed parts of Fine Art Master works from the National Gallery, a Fine Art Frankenpicture.
The teacher is the guide and the expert, the one who demonstrates how to use Photoshop tools and processes, and visits with each student based on need for one-on-one instruction (variance in student experience level with Photoshop). The teacher also provides feedback on the quality of technique, and compositional choices made by the students. The students must decide which images to use (staying within the parameters of one person, two places, and one thing). The students must demonstrate proficiency with the tools in Photoshop, using them with increasing skill and refinement. Students are expected to arrange a compelling original composition using Fine Art sources. Also, students must be capable of articulating the reason for choosing particular images. In this lesson, the Web site provides access to Fine Art reproductions in a digital format, and invites investigation into the history and style of particular art works.
Learning Objectives:
Using image sources from the National Gallery website and Adobe Photoshop to create a Fine Art Frankenpicture (digital collage), students will develop and refine their use of Photoshop Tools and Processes such as: the Lasso, Magic Wand, Move, Smudge, Blur, Scale, Rotate and Distort.
Additionally, by citing the origins of source works and writing detailed reasons for choosing each source, students will articulate aesthetic preferences and art historical awareness. This will give the teacher an understanding for each student's ability to write, and provide insight into how each student thinks.
A Literacy extension: to integrate on an ongoing basis throughout the quarter/ semester, appropriate contexts for student writing about: art; making art; techniques; and learning.
Resources, Tools, and Materials Needed:
National Gallery of Art Online Tours
Computer Lab (one machine per student, or possibly paired)
Adobe Photoshop (on some beefy computers)
Internet Browser (Netscape or Intenet Explorer & network access)
Display device for the teacher workstation (TV, Projector, Smart Board, etc.)
Pen or pencil for filling out Reflection Sheet (included in handout page)
Prerequisite knowledge:
Saving images from the internet Web browser to student folders. Basic facility at opening software, creating New files, and saving files.
Instructional Activities Sequence
Day One
Handouts given and explained to the students.
Watch This
Teacher Demonstration of in-progress digital collage to show operations of appropriate tools and the building of an image.
Before the demo: Four source images have already been chosen, and three have been selected and are in a new document.
Demonstration shows the selecting of the fourth component, copying, and pasting into the new document.
The Move Tool and Transform options are used.
Teacher navigates between Layers, to move and alter the components.
Any additional Painting, or other processes that are relevant should be described and shown.Say Hello to the National Gallery site
Students access the National Gallery of Art Online Tours site to find and save source images. Students are looking for one person, one indoor place, one outdoor place, and one object.
Written Reflection filled out.
Day Two
Additional visit to the National Gallery site as needed.
Photoshop Work
Students create New Documents, following the guidelines provided in the handout and begin the work of creating the "Frankenpicture."
• Select, Copy & Paste
• Arrange & Tweak: editing tools
• Make it Yours: special processes and refinements
Teacher moves about the room, providing help, and giving feedback as necessary. Beginning level students may need another demo. Experienced students are encouraged to help peers and acknowledged for their support.Day Three
Photoshop Work
Finishing Frankenpicture.
Day Four
Gallery Activity
Each student displays the digital collage, his/her Frankenpicture, on the screen of their workstation.
Whole group walks through "the gallery."
Teacher leads a group critique on the images.Topics include: technical prowess; image merit; image meanings; and compositional choices. Students are expected to participate: to speak about their own work, and the work of their peers.
Gallery Extension
At the end of the quarter/semester, these images and others from the class may be put into an Online Gallery on the school's/teacher's Website.
Self Evaluation Activity
Students use Evaluation Tool provided by the teacher to conduct a self evaluation, and hand them in at the end of class.
Evaluation
Students will complete a self evaluation.
The Teacher's evaluation form is similar to student self eval., but leaves more room for comments on student process.
The Teacher must consider students' variable emergent, intermediate, and advanced abilities, and fairly assess each student's progress and product in that individualized context.
The effectiveness of the lesson will be determined by the quality of techniques, imagery, and reflective thinking demonstrated by the students. The students will be given the opportunity to describe and evaluate the learning experience, thus providing feedback to the instructor.
