Isaac and the Awkward Situations

To do this art project you’ll need a projector and spray bottles. The image of an animal is protected on to a page and traced. Then the artist sprays black paint and drips wet thick paint on the page, blocking some ink with stencils and objects. They can draw with markers or white colored pencil first if they want. The silhouette is then cut out and glued onto a new piece of paper for a stunning effect. Some students chose to color their backgrounds, others did not. Drawing in an eye (using a white colored pencil or crayon) or using a bit of tape where the eye would be as a mask can have a stunning effect!

If students claim they “messed up” and want to throw the piece away, perhaps the reverse of the  animal silhouette can be used. Perhaps the negative space cut out could be used as a mask? This piece is all about texture and contrast. Look at the examples, which ones are more successful? Does the textures inside the animals remind you of technology? pollution? Do they give the piece a kind of movement or animation? We are familiar to the furry texture of a mammal’s coat, so when they have a different texture, like feathers or scales or something else, it creates a juxtaposed “wrong ” feel.

The white creeping up on the legs make this deer appear to be standing in snow, or like our view of the deers feet is blocked by invisible grass. Also the leaf like textures look like shadows cast on the deers form by sun shining down from above.

Kids often want “perfection” when they work with stencils. real artists know perfection is an illusion or impossible, or uninteresting. I’ve seen some kids recoil in disgust when I intentionally smear some paint.  This piece has three “mandala-like” plastic stencils blocking the india ink and the center of the body has some black acrylic paint scattered. Does it look to you like a tree branch, lightning bolt, insect legs, or an oil spill?