Lesson #2: Sketching and storyboarding to visualize dream poems

Part of the unit: Digital Storyboarding |
Download PDF of Lesson
Download PDF of Lesson

Goals

Students will be able to:
use their poems to inform their art making.
select words from their poems to inspire ideas for visuals
use symbolic imagery to imaginatively visualize their poems.
sketch ideas for at least three related digital collages that demonstrate a narrative and the integration of various media.
create storyboards that help them keep track of their ideas.
Materials
Student dream poems, Black Sharpie markers, Ebony pencils, Storyboard templates, 80lb. 9X12 white drawing paper, Computer paper,
Resources
Janet Wong's Night Garden, Print-outs of art work - Bruce Conner Bombhead, Hannah Hoch Beautiful Girl, Kara Walker Harper's Pictorial, Leonora Carrington Los hombres, Man Ray Self-Portrait Peacock, Richard Lindner's Man Walking,, David Weisner's Tuesday

Motivation & Demonstration

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Motivation: 
Students will close their eyes and listen to the teacher read a poem from Night Garden. What are some of the images that popped into your heads as you heard the poem? What words helped you come up with these images? Listen to the poem again as I stress certain words. What are some images that might describe ________? What are some colors that you would associate with _______? How does the word ________ make you feel? What image do you associate with this feeling? Discuss how different artists might interpret words differently, and that there is no single right answer.
Demonstration: 
Students will observe the 5-7 images placed at each of their tables (Julie Paschkis's corresponding image from Night Garden, Man Ray, Installation with Self-Portrait; Peacock feather and Metronome; Hannah Hoch, The Beautiful Girl;Richard Lindner, Man Walking a Rooster by a Crested Moon;Leonora Carrington, Los Hombres Pajaro de Burnley;Bruce Conner, Bombhead;Kara Walker, Bank's Army Leaving Simmsport;Harper's Pictorial History of the Civil War) Look closely at each of these images and work with your group to identify the one that best illustrates the ideas in the poem you just heard. What are some clues in the image that led you to choose this one? What are some words in the poem that Julie Paschkis might have used as inspiration for her illustration? How is this illustration different from or similar to what you had pictured? How has Julie used her imagination and symbols to visualize this poem? How can you use your imagination and really challenge yourself when visualizing your own poems?
Worktime
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Look at the rest of the images and, in your table groups, select one and try to guess its meaning. Look at the questions posted at the front of the room and discuss the answers to these questions: What do you see? What seems real and what imaginary? Where do you think this takes place? Why do you think the artist placed these objects next to each other? What are some of the colors that you notice? What do you think the artist is trying to express? Let these dream-like images inspire you. Use the drawing paper, pencils, and markers to brainstorm and sketch ideas for visuals for your own poems. Make the sketches as detailed as possible, as you might want to use them in your final work. Have fun with your sketches. Remember these are dream images, so don't worry about being realistic!
Reflection & Assessment
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Now that you have had some time to sketch out your ideas, let's look at three illustrations from David Weisner's Tuesday. What do you see? How does David Weisner tell a story without using any words? Is there a narrative in your poem? Think about how you can arrange your images so they tell a story. Organize your images so they form a narrative, based on your poem. Select one student's work to show to the class and ask questions such as: Where do you think these images take place? What are some similarities in the images? Does one character appear repeatedly in these images? Why do you think the artist chose to do this?