Building 3-D features
This week the students started to bring their puppets to life. They transformed their characters’ backstories and sketches into a unique and expressive face. We started by playing a game where students had to smile, frown, and make silly expressions while closely observing each other. We all had a good laugh and they proved to themselves that they were capable of quiet observation. Next students discussed portrait paintings by Harlem Renaissance artists and notable African American painters. They were asked to empathize with the subject of the painting by posing and copying their face and talking about the thoughts and feelings that came to them. These portraits were of men and women of various ages, occupations, style, and emotion. “The Sharecropper” by Elizabeth Catlett was particularly impactful. Students guessed correctly that she was old, poor, and a farmer. They told stories about how she was looking off into the distance either worried that it might rain or hopeful because her day of hard work was almost over. We then discussed how their interpretations were the perfect metaphor for African Americans of the Harlem Renaissance were struggling to get by but also hopeful for the future of gaining freedom and earning success. With this understanding of how artists show personality and character through the face students finished their character sketches.
”Sharecropper” detail by Elizabeth Catlett, woodblock print 1952
Next they were given a large cardboard head and the same materials they used during “Free-Create” and the mini-puppet projects. This included newspaper, egg cartons, cereal boxes, scissors, and tape. Their goal was to start building a three dimensional representation of their two dimensional sketches. Because they were already familiar with these supplies and sculpting techniques they jumped right in. Some students used the feature boards that demonstrated how eyes, noses, and mouths were constructed while others improvised and created their own unique forms. Students were overheard saying “That’s really cool,” and “I want the mouth to look like this one but how do I do it?” Teachers assisted with some of the techniques but the decision making and hard work was entirely up to the students. For instance a student taped flat cardboard rectangles onto the head to represent eyebrows. We showed them that they could fold it, roll it, or bend it to make it into a solid form. They then had to decide which technique to use and if it would be angled to show anger, sadness, surprise, etc.
(Alexis and Janna explaining the feature boards)
While they worked students were constantly reminded to refer back to their sheets. We would ask, “What does this mouth tell us about your character?” “How can you make this eye show me that they are passionate?” One great example the students came up with is for a character named “Unspeakable,” (that’s his stage name because he is a performer.) The mouth is open showing that he is giving a speech and his teeth are sharp triangles showing that he is strong and fierce!
Eye, face, taping technique, and mouth. (Photos by student photographers)
At the end of the session all of the heads had the beginnings of a face and they are so full of life. We can’t wait to see how they continue to evolve. The students are starting to see how the games, art history, writing, and discussions manifest into a puppet and they are loving it. We know this because of their reflections during “recognitions” at the end of the class. At the beginning of class one student was heard saying “I don’t like anything I made, I’m going to rip it up.” However, at the end of class he said, “I love Fridays because I know you all are going to be here and I know we are going to work on this.” Another discovered the therapeutic aspect of the process and stated “Crumpling paper helped me reduce stress.” Lastly students received some encouragement and perspective from a peer, “Everything looked good, even if people didn’t think they did a good job, it looked good to someone else.”
“Unspeakable” and friend