> Next year I am teaching an advanced art class for 8th graders. Is
> anyone out there have a similar class?
<snip>
> Also does anyone use text books at the secondary level? If so, what
> ones do you suggest are the best?
I have advanced art whose prerequisite is junior year drawing & painting
class. I have two sets of textbooks...but, rarely use them to be honest.
What I cannot do without is some very good videos. That...and an
accumulation of about 70-100 "Southwest Art" magazines, "American Art
Review", "Wildlife Art News"....and plenty of "Ceramics" magazines. Then I
have a good supply of "American Artist" and "Artist" magazines to boot.
I am somewhat a crusader for the fact that most artists, and most
universities know and teach very little about our own country's progression
in art develop from about the early 1800's to modern time. More is known
from the Expressionist period to modern...but, I personally believe the best
Impressionists lived and worked right here. Many studied in Europe, but
lived out their working years here.
"American Art Review" highlights and features many of these old works, and
displays many contemporary living artist's works.
I might pull out a composition lesson for kids to look over in a text....but
often prefer to explain it on my own with my own demo's. I personally
prefer creating animated Power Point presentations, enhancing images with
Photoshop...that I can slap up on a Crystal laptop projector and take
students thru step by step with eyes up front and paying attention.
My next plans are to create and burn CD's that will have most of my demo's
on, so I have been going nuts with the digital camera the past couple years.
I can keep such up on my computer in the classroom so that students can
refer at any time. In fact, I'll be marketing some in galleries for
painters.
However....now, here is the biggee. I plop these gazillion magazines down
on student's tables. I usually start out having them pick 2-3 they like and
prepare to say why, and 2-3 they don't like. We do this kind of thing
throughout the semester. So...as they learn more, they learn to observe
more, and I have learned to pry what I want out of them. It is more
interactive learning....whereas I think textbooks, though providing
basics....can be more passive and demand much less of the student.
The thing I emphasize is....if you see something that does not visually seem
to work for another artist, why repeat their mistake? It teaches kids to
see, and to think. By the same token, if it appears to work...things that
work for others will work for us. Figure out why it works. The language of
visual arts is easy to break down and teach in this manner. You can do this
for ceramics, painting...drawing, etc; plus, I have one other dastardly
evil plan, and that is that this practice will then become something they
can take with them the rest of their lives! They might not always think to
look thru art "books" but chances are they will have access to magazine
shelves and art "magazines".....as well as art itself. I feel I am teaching
them a habit for life.
