TEMPERA PAINT TECHNIQUES

Susan Megorden

UNIT OVERVIEW: In order to effectively express our ideas visually, we need to transcend the literal in our translation of words into images. It’s important that we share a common understanding of the most basic of art vocabularies…the art elements (line, shape, color, texture, value, form, and space). Our work must begin with a foundation in the exploration of these tools an artist uses to express her ideas. Once we are grounded in this knowledge, we can perhaps be more successful at letting go of our literal translations and allow ourselves the freedom to express our ideas through the language of art. Thus this unit would cover several lessons surrounding the art elements and an exploration of many media in art; this lesson would not be the first activity for beginning students who have little or no knowledge of art elements or media.

VAPA CONTENT STANDARD: Make Informed Judgments
4.3 Use the vocabulary of art to talk about what they wanted to do in their own works of art and how they succeeded.
Grade Level: Grade 2
Arts Discipline: Visual Art
Component Strand: Aesthetic Valuing

ENDURING UNDERSTANDING: Visual art is another language we can use to express our ideas, thoughts and feelings.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
How do you explore art materials in a new way?
How do you translate words into art?
Can the elements or principles of art help in this process?
How can sensory and emotional explorations assist in translating words to art?

KNOWLEDGE: Students will know:
How to identify and use the art elements (line, shape, value, texture, color, form, & space).
Basic tempera paint techniques.
Basic paint management and clean-up techniques.

SKILLS: Students will be able to:
List, define, and identify the elements of art in artwork.
Produce a variety of decorative papers using tempera paint.
Create finished multimedia illustrations using collage.

PROCEDURES:
Basic Management of Tempera Paint:
How to set up a paint station.
Do’s and don’ts with students (mixing, remixing, wax paper between wet papers, drying paper).
Suggestions for dissemination of materials and clean-up.

Brush Techniques:
· Types of brushes (round vs. flats, camel vs. boar bristle).
· Care and cleaning.
· Toothbrush texture in thick paint.
· Explore brush control, varied lines, dry vs. wet, directional.

Paint Application:
· Thick paint vs. watered-down or thinner paint.
· Apply paint with hands, fingers, sticks, Q-tips, rubber stamps, potato prints.
· Paint pieces of plastic wrap and place paper onto painted plastic to create a print (variation is towad up plastic and dab into paint and use painted wad to stamp the clean paper).
· Apply paint thickly and evenly to paper, before it dries use a piece of cardboard cut into a comb (or a store bought one) to comb through paint creating textures and patterns.
· Draw in crayon before you paint…simple wax resist or a variation is the batik look caused by drawing over entire page in crayon, crumple, un-crumple and then paint with tempera paint, allow to dry, rinse with water, and finally iron to flatten and melt wax.
· Splatter paint (with brushes or toothbrushes).
· Use sponges to apply paint.
· Smash prints…put paint on one side of folded paper and smash paper together, a variation is to take your palette and smash it onto a clean paper, once these are dry students can add embellish with pens and pencils.

Paper Types:
· Medium to heavy weight
· Printed papers
· Stencil or paper shapes pasted down before or after painting
· Masking tape (grids, lines, shapes)

Page Layout/Design: These are ideas for how to fill pages or papers if your intent is to create a book. The goal is to achieve an appealing visual presentation of text and images.

· Full Page Design: A solid block of text/image fills the entire page and creates a feeling of emphasis. A border can be a variation.

· Bleeds: A design that comes to the edges of a page. This gives a sense of openness, allowing ideas to grow off the page.

· Borders: A plain or decorated edge, which frames text or images. A good technique for emphasizing information contained within the frame.

· Grids: A basic organization system that consists of a repeated unit. This gives a sense of order or control, when used with highly emotional material it can create an edgy contrast.


· Mandalas: A symmetrical design based on a circle. This kind of central focal point is good at highlighting a main idea while allowing you to show supporting ideas. This is a calm and balanced organization.

· Columns: These can be any width, free-form, vertical, or horizontal. Creates a feeling of orderliness and is good for comparisons.

· Diagonals: This can be very dramatic because it creates a feeling of motion or instability. These can be jagged or curved.

· Organic Shapes: These curved shapes feel more natural than the geometric forms of columns, grids, or diagonals. These shapes flow, melt, grow, evolve, and meander.

· Cut Outs & Add-Ons: Introduce complexity and surprises by linking pages and ideas. Here’s where you can highlight or obscure images or text. Cut windows, corners, edges of reveal what’s beneath. Glue or stitch foldout pages or elements that extend from the page. Attach pockets or small booklets to pages.

MATERIAL/SUPPLIES/EQUIPMENT:
ASSESSMENT: Students complete a self-assessment of their finished project using a rubric similar to the one below. There are three categories for evaluation and each bulleted item is assigned a point value and students decide how many points they feel they deserve for each bulleted item, The points are totaled and the student also completes four written reflection questions for a final score on their project. The teacher is then asked to agree or disagree with the students’ evaluation. Often the rubric is built with the students input. Rubrics often grow and change with the students that use them and with the focus of the art project.

Tempera Techniques Evaluation Form

(This form is incomplete! You will use this template with your students to create a rubric.)

NAME:_______________________
PER: _______ DATE:___________

Project Requirements:

____Name written clearly on back of each paper.

Media:

Studio Time:


REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
Please answer these questions using complete sentences.

What stood out for you in the process of building your multimedia book?










Where were you confident? Where did you feel you needed more work?











When have you experienced a process similar to this one?











What applications or action ideas has this process triggered for you?