Title: Less is More: The Power of the Silhouette
Medium: Collage
Materials: Black and white papers, scissors, and glue or glue sticks.
Grades: 4-8
Time: 2-3 45-minute sessions.
Learning Objective:
Through cutting, gluing, and combining shapes made from black paper to create the silhouettes of people performing activities, students will learn that they are able to describe detailed forms by their contours alone. Students will also learn that even a small amount of visual information can reveal a great deal about a subject. Finally students will learn that they can create a solid form by combining smaller parts.
Motivation/Demo:
(Prepare a sample of a silhouette before class in order to explain the term. Cut out active figure such as a dancer or athlete from a photograph or drawing and begin class by showing the blank side and then later revealing the detailed front).
Holding up a sample silhouette ask the class the following: What kind of person is this? What is this person doing? How do you know? (Discuss with students).
Introduce the word Silhouette to the class and define it as a fancy word for outline. (You may wish to introduce the term contour as well).
Explain the lighting conditions needed to create a silhouette effect in real life by holding objects in the room against a window with the lights turned out.
Show works of professional artists that use silhouettes and discuss how a silhouette can convey action, emotion, and detail by asking questions.
Guidelines for Activity/Demo:
Each Student will create the silhouette of one or more figures or animals performing an activity.
Demonstrate processes for collage including: Applying glue, combining pieces to make complex forms. Model several approaches to placing shapes on different areas on the paper.
Hand out materials.
Independent work:
Assist students individually as needed.
Reflection:
By observing this silhouette, what facts can we conclude about the figure in it? What clues tell us this?