Prepared by: Salma Kobeissi

Course: AED5150 - Computer Graphics for the Art Room

Lesson Plan Title: The Making of an Artist! Collage in Photoshop

Grade Level: Middle School (Grades 6-8)

Photoshop Level: Immediate to advanced beginner
Sessions: 3 one-hour periods

Content:

Help middle school students further explore Photoshop elements (selection tools - lasso
marquee, magic wand, layering, etc.) to create a collage/other meaningful pieces of art,
while incorporating research and knowledge of art history into their work. Through this
exercise, students should gain a better appreciation for artists and art history, the use of
Photoshop to create artwork, and the various applications that are available to assistant
them in exploring and interrupting their creative ideas electronically.

Objectives:

Students will…
- Learn about artists and their works of art… what inspired them, influenced their
art – internally and externally.
- Apply their research findings to create a meaningful collage that incorporates at
least one picture of the artist (photograph or painted portrait) and at least 5
symbols that best represent that artist, into a backdrop of the artist’s native land or
favorite place.
- Discuss their completed work and their creative process: What artist they chose
and what elements they incorporated into the collage and why.
- Turn in a short reflection write-up of the above and present their findings to
classmates.

Benchmarks:

- Be involved in the process and presentation of a final product or exhibit

(ART.1.VA.HS.4).
- Demonstrate an improved ability to integrate structures, characteristics and
principles to accomplish commercial, personal, communal, or other purposes of
art (ART.2.VA.HS.5).
- Analyze the effectiveness of selections in communicating ideas and reflect upon
the effectiveness of choices (ART.3.VA.HS.1).
Learning Resources and Materials:

- Access to computer work lab and class digital drop-class (provided by teacher –
teaching station has an in-focus machine for step-by-step lessons).
- Adobe Photoshop
- Color printer

Introduction: Day #1

1.) Introduction to assignment…show electronic presentation (e.g. given: Photo

Story) that introduces one or more artist, elements important to his/her work, and
an example of a finished project that incorporates these elements (e.g. given:
Picasso and Van Gogh).
2.) Discuss with students the breakdown of the presentation and the selected
elements, and how the finished project was created/what Photoshop tools were
used.

Some questions to ask/discuss prior to assignment to stimulate thinking:

3.) Who was Pablo Picasso/Vincent Van Gogh?

4.) Where were they born/where did they live?
5.) Any important life events? Significant spouses, children, etc.?
6.) What about favorite objects?
7.) What external/internal factors, life experiences, mentors, etc. might have affected
their art work?

Development & Procedure:

Day #2 & Possible Day #3

3.) I will start the lesson with students and then have them work independently.

1. Create a new document 8.5” x 11” @ 72dpi with a transparent background.

2. Have students save the document as a PSD document in a folder under
“THIERNAMEartist”.
3. Pass out and review grading rubric and reflection sheet - remind students of the
assignment objectives and requirements.
4. Have students select an artist of their choosing and have them begin researching
online. ***artist/research site other than those provided must be approved by
teacher first.
5. Provide the following research sites and a list of some artists for students to use:

Georgia O’Keeffe, Salvador Dali, Rembrandt, Franz Marc, Edouard Manet, Edgar
Degas, Renoir, Grant Wood, George Suerat, Paul Cezanne, Winslow Homer, Mary
Cassatt, Claude Monet, Andy Warhol, Marc Chagall, Georges Braque, Katsushika
Hokusai, Roy Lichtenstein, Rene Magritte, Leonardo Di Vinci, Camille Pissarro,
Paul Klee, Jacques-Louis David, Jan Vermeer, Edvard Munch.
 Allfamousartists.com, Globalgallery.com, Artistbiography.com, Libraryspot.com,
Artnet.com, Artoftheprint.com

6. Students will then begin to work independently the remainder of the class period
and possibly into day #3.

Day #3

4.) Upon completion, students will write a short reflection piece, print a colored copy
of their work, and present it to the class. ***See student hand-out attached
5.) After all presentations are complete, have students turn in their reflection sheets,
color copies, and digital file (in drop box).
6.) See lesson “closure” for project-closing class discussion.

Closure:

Bring the lesson to a close by discussing as a class what they liked and disliked about
the project, what they found the most difficult/easiest, any student examples that
seemed to stand-out as successful and why.

Pose a question of aesthetics to the class… how did it apply to the collage, what
importance did it play, what importance do you think it plays in art in general and
how easy/hard do you think it is for artists to make the same choices in their artwork?

Accommodations /Adaptations:

Learning disabled and special-ed students

- Give these students an option to collage themselves. Provide pre-prepped files that
contain several different objects and words, and help students transfer these files to their
desktops to use in their own collage.

Gifted students

- Give gifted students the option to create their own Photoshop art work (not necessarily a
collage) that incorporates a specific style of a selected artist (e.g., Renoir –
impressionism) -- or several different artistic styles/art genres.

Students who finish early

- Give students who finish early the option to create another collage using another artist,
or collage themselves: incorporate their picture and symbols that define him/her.

Homework:

There is no assigned homework. Those students who need more time to work on a file
can arrange a time to meet before or after school to finish.
Assessment/Evaluation:

All students will be graded on their final project, reflection write-up, and presentation for
a total of 35 possible points. Students will need to turn in a printed color copy of their
completed project, their reflection sheet, and an electronic file (PSD) labeled under their
name.

- Visual representation (craftsmanship, creativeness, concept) and following

directions. 25 pts possible - see attached rubric.

Benchmark: Demonstrate an improved ability to integrate structures,

characteristics and principles to accomplish commercial, personal, communal,
or other purposes of art (ART.2.VA.HS.5).
Benchmark: Be involved in the process and presentation of a final product or
exhibit (ART.1.VA.HS.4).

- Reflection write-up and presentation (directions, effort, grammar, articulation)

10 pts possible (5 pts reflection/5 pts presentation)

Benchmark: Analyze the effectiveness of selections in communicating ideas

and reflect upon the effectiveness of choices (ART.3.VA.HS.1).
Benchmark: Be involved in the process and presentation of a final product or
exhibit (ART.1.VA.HS.4).

Project Reflection:

1. What problems did you encounter (if any) when creating your practice file?

While creating my practice files, I encountered simple layering mistakes, that is, I
would attempt to make changes to the wrong layer, or move one layer while
selecting another. I also had a hard time making the elements I chose in one
of the practice files work aesthetically (i.e., making everything look good visually
as a collage).

2. What problems did you anticipate your students encountering?

I imagine students might face some of the same problems – especially execution
and getting stuck trying to make Photoshop do what they have in mind. They
might also get stuck creatively… trying to find all 5 elements to incorporate into
the collage and understanding the role of aesthetics creating and successfully
completing their projects.

3. How do you plan on managing common student problems (examples could be

computer errors, problems not understanding the lesson, students who become
easily frustrated)?

To help the creative process run as smoothly as possible for the students, I plan on
managing common problems, like computer errors, by having students save files
to CDs or USB drives periodically (ringing a bell as a reminder to save!), and
 having a few extra computer stations available should students need another
one to work from in lieu of technical difficulties. I will offer extra help (before
or after class) for students who do not understand the lesson, as well as one-
on-one encouragement talks with students who become easily frustrated
(privately, if possible). All students are to be encouraged to ask questions, seek
help when stuck on ANYTHING, and reminded, at a minimum, to always try
their best. No matter what!

4. How do you anticipate resolving the following situations; absent students who
weren’t there for instruction, students who finish early, students with special
needs?

For students who were absent and missed instruction, I will offer before/after
class make-up sessions. He/she will also be given extra class time to work. As
mentioned in my lesson plan, I will give students who finish early the option
to create another collage using another artist, or collage themselves by
incorporating their picture and symbols that define him/her. Similarly, learning
disabled or special needs students will be given an option to collage
themselves. Pre-prepped files that contain several different objects and words will
be provided and students will have help transferring these files to their desktops to
use in creating their personal collage.

Bibliography:

Allfamousartists.com, Globalgallery.com, Artistbiography.com, Libraryspot.com,

Artnet.com, Artoftheprint.com
Student Reflection

The Making of an Artist! Collage in

Photoshop

Name:
Class:
Date:

In two or more paragraphs, please write a brief reflection of this

assignment. Include a description of your project, the elements you
chose to incorporate and why, what you liked least/most about this
project, and what you found the most interesting about the artist you
researched.
Visual Representation Rubric

The Making of an Artist!

Collage in Photoshop

High
Level

Middle
Level

Low
Level
Craftsmanship (5 pts)

Creativity (5 pts)

Concept (5 pts)

Point checklist:

___ Photograph/Portrait of Artist (1 pt)

___ Appropriate Scene – Native land/favorite place, etc. (2 pt)
___ At least 5 symbols (1 pt for each symbol)
___ Color print-up turned in (1 pt)
___ Digital copy (PSD) turned in (1 pt)

Total pts possible: 25