Animal Anatomy– Shape and Form Stamp Prints

SCHOOL PROGRAM LESSON PLAN – 4 to 6

Animal Anatomy– Shape and Form Stamp Prints

Final Project Description:

Students will create a simple stamp print. Using a bear outline as a template, students will fill in the joints, internal anatomy and detail of the animal using shapes they cut themselves. Students will reference form line design in Northwest Coast art.

Description:

Students will review the basic principles of Northwest Coast form line design and its cultural connections. We will discuss appropriation as a term and describe why we’re creating our own shapes to build the body of a bear. Bears are important local animals and can be observed in the Kamloops area.  

Theory:

Students will (taken from the BC Curriculum PLOs):

- apply visual elements and design principles including contrast

- create images using rhythm, asymmetrical balance and space to create mood

- self-assess and refine use of materials

- visualization and sharing

- summarize a story in logical order

Creation & Analysis:

-       Revisit and reference the artists in unlimited edition that use form line design in their work.  Explain that artists are from different geographic areas and have different traditions, stories and lineages based on where they are from. Haida artists have different styles than Kwakiutl artists, for example even though they might look similar at a glance. Sometimes different colours are used or certain animals or beings will be represented based on the shared stories of a group. Artists also individually interpret the form and add their own style and voice to each work.

-       This imagery is very complex. It carries a lot of meanings, some of which we may not be able to fully understand. These prints can communicate spiritual information or act as family crests, communicating the background, history and story of a family or society and as such, are deeply personal. Appropriation is the use of images from another culture, sometimes without fully understanding the rich meanings of the culture they come from. Can students identify examples of cultural appropriation? Why would it not be a good idea to directly copy the style of the prints we saw today for inspiration?

-       Review the basic principles of Northwest Coast design from the Native Online handout in the instructor files. Handout copies of shape templates from the website for reference. Help students make the connection between creating their own shapes to stamp and the shapes that coastal First Nations use – that we’re designing our own shapes based on our stories and understandings instead of using the designs of others, because using information that isn’t meant for you is offensive.

-       Help students brainstorm a number of shapes that could be used to represent the internal workings of a bear – imagine the joints where body parts come together, imagine the bones and structure that gives a bear its shape, imagine also the spirit or character of a bear – its habits and demeanor. Use this information to create simple stamp shapes that will build the bear’s inner body, the space inside the animal’s outline.

-       Bears have significance to many cultures. Talk about students ideas of the importance of bears. Use these stories to make artistic decisions.

-       Foam shapes that they cut out can be mounted on any flat surface like cardboard pieces, wood blocks or bottle caps. Use glue to mount pieces into a personal stamp set. You can either use stamp pads or paint on paint colours using brushes or use rollers to ink stamps with block printing ink. Have students stamp print their works using two different colours. Explain that where they stamp is important, connect legs to hip joints, hips to spine, spine to neck, neck to head, etc. Make several prints experimenting with the placement of different elements.

-       If there’s time, have students cut their bears out and glue to a nice background. They can fill in details of the bear’s environment with marker.

Duration:

60 minutes in the studio – 10 mins on approach, 5 mins explaining how to achieve different effects, 40 mins on project, 5 mins for wrap up and possible discussion or look at other’s work to end class. Works will need to dry.

Materials:

Foam or styro pieces

Wood blocks, bottle caps, cardboard for stamp mounting

Ink, paint or stamp pads

Bear templates

Scissors

Pencils

Glue

Paper

Markers

Look & Discuss:

-HAVE STUDENTS PUT THEIR NAMES ON THEIR work! This is important.

How has this activity made them consider the use of elements from other cultures? Do they have an understanding of the different styles of Northwest Coast art? Can they name some coastal First Nations artists in the exhibition? Do they understand the significance of animals in different cultures?

Prep:

-Layout templates and examples

-Layout scissors, foam, cardboard and glue

-Layout paint and/or ink stations and brushes

Take it further:

Ask students to look at each other’s work at the end of class to see how other students approached their project. How are they similar? How are they different? How has this activity made them consider forests as a setting and a special place?