By: TwitterButtons.com
By TwitterButtons.com

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Surreal Artwork with Perspective using GIMP

Surreal Artwork Intro


To get my students to make Surreal Artwork, they at first have to study some Surreal Artwork. On the day that I am not in class, I give them a handout with basics on perspective drawing that can get the students to independently draw the one point perspective of a room. Drawing in One Point Perspective has some great tutorials. I took a good chunk of them and turned it into this PDF of perspective_drawing directions for my students.






Surreal Artwork Drawing to Digital Art


When I returned from my sub, my students had to take a picture of their drawing on their iPad and send it to their Kidblog account. We used these directions on how to send surreal artwork to kidblogtheir perspective drawing to Kidblog.


Surreal Artwork outlined/painted in GIMP


By using my GIMP tutorials, students learned the basics of layers when working with their Surreal Artwork.  One layer was an outline of their lines in correct perspective. Another layer became their paint. Their final layer became pieces of Surreal artwork from artists like Salvador Dali, or they made their own by combining two unrelated photos together – such as out of a dream. Check out the lesson plan


Why GIMP for Surreal Artwork?



  • GIMP is free version of Photoshop

  • Gave students time to work on desktop instead of just mobile devices

  • Great tool to make straight lines (perfect for perspective drawing)

  • Utilize numerous layers while creating artwork

  • Potential to save image to different file types


I only wish there was a GIMP like tool for the iPads. It is a little difficult to try to request the computer lab for a few days to get the students to do the project. I have also done this very similar project with my 6th graders with Surreal Perspective Drawing. But when not drawing/painting, GIMP is also a great tool to cut and edit photos to make a new and different piece of art. We have also used it to make some interesting Anti-Obesity Colleges or turned their Photos Into Celebrities.



Have you used GIMP as a Surreal Artwork tool? How so?


 



Check out my GIMP Tutorial YouTube Playlist




Surreal Artwork with Perspective using GIMP

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Perspective Drawing of the Renaissance with GIMP

Perspective Drawing Intro


To get my students into Perspective Drawing, they at first have to study some art from the Renaissance. On the day that I am not in class, I give them a handout with basics on perspective drawing that can get the students to independently draw the one point perspective of a room. Drawing in One Point Perspective has some great tutorials. I took a good chunk of them and turned it into this PDF of perspective_drawing directions for my students.






Perspective Drawing to Digital Art


When I returned from my sub, my students had to take a picture of their drawing on their iPad and send it to their Kidblog account. We used these directions on how to send their perspective drawing to kidblogperspective drawing to Kidblog.


Perspective Drawing outlined/painted in GIMP


By using my GIMP tutorials, students learned the basics of layers when working with their Perspective Drawing.  One layer was an outline of their lines in correct perspective. Another layer became their paint. Their final layer became pieces of artwork from the Renaissance that they pasted utilizing the Perspective tool. Check out my old Google Drive Slideshow lesson plan


Why GIMP for Perspective Drawing?



  • GIMP is free version of Photoshop

  • Gave students time to work on desktop instead of just mobile devices

  • Great tool to make straight lines (perfect for perspective drawing)

  • Utilize numerous layers while creating artwork

  • Potential to save file to different file types


I only wish there was a GIMP like tool for the iPads. It is a little difficult to try to request the computer lab for a few days to get the students to do the project. I have also done this very similar project with my 7th graders with Surreal Perspective Drawing. But when not drawing/painting, GIMP is also a great tool to cut and edit photos to make a new and different piece of art.



Have you used GIMP as a Perspective Drawing tool? How so?


 



Check out my GIMP Tutorial YouTube Playlist



 


 



Perspective Drawing of the Renaissance with GIMP

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Flipped class on Google Sketchup and HTML

Flipped Class – How to get one started



Flipped class you say? Luckily, I have had a little bit of experience with a Flipped Class before. I had my students show me how to use Minecraft in class. They have also helped me to create a flipped class showing off pieces of technology, which I have turned into future tutorials.


 flipped class on google sketchup


Flipped Class is all about….


I like to think that a Flipped Classroom is when the students become the teachers, and the teacher becomes the facilitator of the learning. I also like to be the student in the classroom as the kids show me a thing or two.


flipped class on google sketchup building


Flipped Class Intro


A lot of the media that you will see on this site was raw footage from the flipped class that I created. BUT the best way to see the learning is the combined video that I created at the top of this post.



Basically, it all started off with one of my students who won the 3D modeling category at our HCS Tech Fair. I wanted her to showcase her knowledge and skills of using Google Sketchup with her peers. I was also frustrated with previous Google Sketchup classes where I taught my students, so I thought she could do it a bit better.



LUCKILY, this flipped class was a 2 for 1 deal….


My Google Sketchup Pro had a friend that didn’t want to be in class by herself. LUCKILY, this girl was also quite knowledgeable with HTML. These students also had some previous Coding and Programming experience using the Hopscotch App. The girls worked together to divide the classes in half. They assisted each other for when it was their flipped class, and when it was their partners.



Sometimes they were the teacher, and sometimes they were the teacher’s assistant. Together, they both learned things about Google Sketchup and HTML coding. There was actual learning held by all, including all of the students and myself.



 


Ms Jada ran the other half of classes as she taught them HTML to design their own web site from scratch


 



 DO YOU LIKE FLIPPED CLASS? Hit reply below and tell me how you feel about the Flipped Classroom – pros, cons, lessons?


flipped class on html color coding



Flipped class on Google Sketchup and HTML