Ancient Amphoras

Printmaking Based on Classical Greek Pottery

Lesson Summary

After viewing images of artwork created using long exposure digital photography and a discussion about the process that captured the blurring of light amidst stationary objects, students utilized a school-provided iPad to create their own long-exposure images. The room was darkened and two backgrounds were provided to students, one using warm and the other cool colors. Students were shown how to use a variety of light objects (laser pointer, flashlights of various sizes etc.) to "draw" on the background of their choosing. Given the availability of only one iPad for the class, the lesson became a group experience as students watched their classmates create images while they waited for a turn. Students used curved and straight lines, on-off patterns, and symbols (letters, shapes etc.) to create their images. Observing students also offered mark-making suggestions as they went along. These images were printed and mounted for the students to take home as an artifact of their experience.

Grade Level

Art Standards

Interdisciplinary Standards

Objectives

Z

Movement

To connect large gesture movements to the creation of marks on a virtual canvas through use of long-exposure photography.

Z

Physicality of Light

To demonstrate an understanding of the physicality of light through discussion of professional artworks created using long-exposure photography and subsequent creation of personal light drawings.

Z

Technology

To successfully use an iPad with a long-exposure photography app to capture images of student light drawings.

Big Ideas

Passage of Time

Even something as small as a ray of light exists in time and can be documented.

The Intangible

Sometimes occurrences which seem to exist only for an instant, that are intangible without an obvious physical marker, actually have a lasting impact.