We call certain pieces "art" because the artist has used a material and formed something with care and interest and skill. We experience visual arts mostly by our sense of sight, and sometimes with the sense of touch.

There are many forms of visual arts, each having its own characteristics that make it different from the others. Here are some of the major types of visual art forms.

Drawings and paintings make the major type of visual arts. Here is an example of a painting, the application of pigments to a flat surface. The painter would use tools such as a form of brush, a type of paint, a surface to paint upon, and perhaps an easel or a palette to create his picture.	Still Life with Apples and a Pot of Primroses, by Paul Cézanne, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Here is an example of a sculpture, the development of a three-dimensional solid form. The sculptor would need a material to shape (such as clay, metal, wood), and carving tools to help him shape the material.	Statuette of a Hippopotamus, Moyen Empire, Egypt The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Here is an example of architecture, the building up of a structure to enclose space. Like the sculptor, the architect would need materials and tools to plan his building, monument, or bridge. His creations are very large. He gets construction companies to help build them.	The Eiffel Tower, by Gustave Eiffel, Paris, France, Boston College
Here is an example of printmaking, where a picture or design is made from pressing an inked plate to paper. The printmaker would need tools such as a plate on which to carve his art, some ink, and paper to transfer the ink onto. Some printmakers use large presses to press the ink onto the paper.	St. Jerome in His Study, 1514, Engraving by Albrecht Dürer Olga's Gallery

Two more types of visual arts are photography and digital art.

Here is an example of photography. The photographer uses a camera and puts his image onto special paper. In some cases, they change, or alter, the picture.	Gondolas, by Alex Donnelly, United Kingdom
Here is an example of digital art. In this art form, the computer and the painting program are the main tools of the digital artist. Sometimes these artists combine their computer art skills with photographs taken with a digital camera.	Approach, by Karin Kuhlmann, Germany

Because we are working on a computer, it will be very difficult to tell the difference between a painting and a print, photography, or digital art. We will be creating some art on the computer, so you will actually be a digital artist! Thus, we will not use too many examples of these forms of art.

  TRY THIS!

Look at the pictures below. Can you tell which one is a painting and which one is a picture of a sculpture? Click on your answer.

	The Thinker (Le Penseur), by Auguste Rodin, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.   I think The Thinker is a Painting Sculpture Click here for an explanation!
	The Starry Night, by Vincent Van Gogh, Museum of Modern Art, New York   I think The Starry Night is a Painting Sculpture Click here for an explanation!
	Charing Cross Bridge, by André Derain, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC   I think Charing Cross Bridge is a Painting Sculpture Click here for an explanation!
	Child With Cat, by William Zorach, Museum of Modern Art, New York.   I think Child With Cat is a Painting Sculpture Click here for an explanation!

How did you do? Did you think correctly? Be sure to go to the explanations for each art work.

Activity #1 - Make a sculpture!

Materials needed:

• One or more containers of Play-doh.
• Waxed paper or similar to protect your table.
• Carving tools found at home: plastic knife, chopstick, garlic press (ask parent).

Directions:

• Make a sculpture using the Play-doh. It can be about anything. Make a person, or an animal, or a model of something you enjoy. It may be done in several pieces or it may be one piece. Color does not matter. Be creative!
• Use tools to carve parts or textures into the sculpture.

Using a digital camera, take a picture of your sculpture. Try to get as close as you can to get a close view.

Send your picture of your sculpture as an attachment to Mrs. Ogata through e-mail.

If you need directions to attach to e-mail, click here.

Response #1

Open the e-mail message window . Be sure to include the activity number, #1, and your name. Write your response to the following:

¶ Describe what you made for your sculpture. Why did you pick that subject? What meaning does it have for you?

¶ How did you feel while working with the dough? Did you enjoy using it or not? Explain.

Now send the e-mail by pressing the "send" button.

 

Activity #1 Grading Rubric

3 - Proficient	2- In progress	1 - Needs improvement
Sculpture has a definite shape.	Sculpture has a definite shape.	Sculpture is shaped like the container it was in.
Sculpture has texture or markings from the use of tools.	Sculpture has little markings from the use of tools.	Sculpture has little markings from the use of tools.
Response answers all questions.	Response answers most of the questions.	Response answers one question.
Response uses good sentences, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.	Some sentence, capitalization, and punctuation errors are in the response, but the reader can still get the message.	Many writing errors do not help get the message across. Cannot understand what the message is.

Go to Lesson #2.

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