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Sacred Images - Watercolor Black on White

Time Frame

2 class periods of 45 minutes each

Group Size

Small Groups

Life Skills

Thinking & Reasoning

Authors

JOYCE KELEN
LEON MYRON

Summary

The student will identify, sketch, draw and paint with watercolor, rock art designs that exhibit patterns. The student will create a border utilizing the pattern on their art portfolio cover or drawing notebook cover.


Materials

  • Watercolor paper - 9"X12" sheets
  • Sketch pad
  • pencil
  • multiple copies of rock art designs
  • black liquid watercolor paint
  • #4 paint brush
  • #8 paint brush


Background for Teachers

Teachers will explain the purpose for the lesson is to identify patterns in rock art and the students will sketch patterns they identify from the Sacred Images exhibit or from books. Define the word patterns as, the repetition of lines, dots and shapes in a regular or sequenced manner. The teacher will read aloud a book titled Celebrations by Byrd Baylor prior to the lesson.


Student Prior Knowledge

Students will know that patterns exist in rock art and all aspects of life. The student will identify a simple pattern, that may be a geometric in shape. The students will understand that the Sacred Images exhibit has rock art designs that repeat and may be used to paint a design on watercolor paper called black- on- white.


Intended Learning Outcomes

The student will learn how to identify, sketch, draw and paint rock art designs on watercolor paper. The watercolor technique is called black on white, similar to pottery making techniques. The student will select a few designs from the exhibit and construct a repeating pattern, which will be sketched and painted on a watercolor front cover for an art portfolio.


Instructional Procedures

  1. The student will sketch a few rock art designs that may be utilized as a repeating pattern. The idea is to keep the design very simple. They have to understand that the black watercolor paint will be utilized to paint the design on a white background.
  2. The student will choose at least two designs that will be sketched lightly with a pencil onto a practice sheet of watercolor paper.
  3. The teacher will model the activity by showing how to wet the watercolor paper first, then painting the rock art design with black watercolor paint. Repeat the process as necessary as possible to repeat the pattern.
  4. The student will sketch lightly with pencil on a sheet of practice watercolor paper. Next, the student will wet the entire sheet of watercolor paper.
  5. The student will then take a brush to paint the rock art design to repeat the pattern. Depending on how thick or watered down the watercolor, an aesthetic effect will be pleasing to the eye.
  6. The student will take a second sheet of watercolor paper to paint the rock art design that will repeat the pattern. This will be a final copy that will become the cover for an art portfolio. Remember, to understand that the material or watercolor paper be white and the paint, black. The art technique will be called black on white.


Extensions

The student and teacher may experiment with different colors of washes for background. Washes are watered down colors that is spread on with a large brush. The effect of the wash will be seen clearly while the design will be painted with black watercolor paint. Experiment with colors.


Bibliography

Appleton, LeRoy H., American Indian Design & Decoration 1971.

Patterson, Alex A Field Guide to Rock Art Symbols of the Greater Southwest 1992

Smith-Sides, Dorothy Decorative Art of the Southwestern Indians 1961


Created: 08/24/2006
Updated: 02/05/2018
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