Take the next step, perspective in real life.

In a beginning level art class students learn the basic principles of perspective. We have them draw letters of their name, blocks floating in space; I even have my students make up a city. Now it is time to take the next step, transferring perspective to real life.

 Seeing perspective in the world around you is difficult. We are always moving, changing point of view. Static images we make in art have fixed viewpoints. The challenge is to help the student find and use the parts of perspective the see in real live to their art work. 

  Using images found on the internet was one way, but having the students take their own photos was better. They must see the perspective in real life and capture it in photography.  I found have the students personalize this project by using their home. The students create the composition of their home, this becomes personal. Students take ownership and pride of the work.

I used two point perspective for my assignment.  In most images the vanishing points are off the photograph.  Most cameras do not capture the field of vision we have. Students must adjust for this in their drawing. 

The image are printed for the students. The way I find the vanishing points is by taping the print down to news print, using a ruler I follow angled lines of the house to see where they cross.

Taping news print to drawing paper in the same way as the printed photo. Approximate the vanishing points and horizon line for the drawing. One can use a scale and measure the image, but approximation is good enough for me. I do not grid!!!  In this project it defeats the purpose of learning where vanishing point are in real life. 

You can use drawing paper or water color paper.  I have my students water color the final image so I use water color paper.

This is an intermediate level lesson. Student should have had the basics of perspective.

Cards in the Class Room

Dice, playing cards and poker chips do have a place in your class room. Unlikely additions to school, but they can be very useful.

Using playing cards to group students can be helpful.

·         Drawing playing cards can generate random orders of students.

·         Grouping students by color, the red group and the black

·         Four groups by suits

·         High / low groups (2-7) to (8-K) no A’s

·         Stick the joker in there for free passes or the  special question

Chips not just for gambling, are a great way for keeping track of discussion questions with a group. If you are like me you over look students in a group, or one dominates leaving others out.  Red, blue, and white chip can help this out.

·         Assign a question to each color

·         Two colors a positive / delta  comment

·         Who?  What? Where? How?

·         Past? Present? Future?

The chips are a tracking method, when the student responds take a chip. The gives quite students a concrete item to remind them to join the conversation and the talkers they have responded and give other a chance to respond.

They can be used a token also, for completed task, or exit questions. Complete a task, or respond to a question receive a token. Students need a token to leave the room.