Arts Explorer #6 Illustrating With Scissors

SUNDAY, MARCH 27, 2011

Arts Explorer #6 Illustrating With Scissors

Illustrating with Scissors


What do you think about these two pictures depicted in the carpets? At the top of the carpet, it shows the farm with a farm house, mill, warehouse, sky and birds. This is exactly like a photo. However, this photo is not recorded on an SD card or on film - it is exposed using a much more painstaking approach. The makers of the two carpets cut thread to length and sewed each one into a frame to make a carpet. Although one thread is a small part of this one carpet, if it were missing there would be a hole laid bare to see.

This carpet, just like a photo, captures a scene of life from a moment in time. Of course there is a story, but this is only the illustration.

ACTIVITIY

You will need:

1) Fabric Paint
2) Plastic (or cardboard) sheet
3) Box cutter or exacto knife
4) Carpet rectangle
5) Sponge or paint brush
6) Spray Fixative (optional)

Step 1:

A great way to save on a carpet piece for your mat is to go to a carpet sales place and ask them if they have any discontinued samples. Some places will give them to you for free and some will charge $1 or $2 each.

Step 2:

Decide on a design. You can keep it simple or as extravagant as you can cut for the stencil. Draw out the design on a piece of paper first to make sure it is what you want it to look like.

Step 3:

Transfer the design onto the plastic sheet or cardboard sheet.

Step 4:

Cut the image out with an exacto knife or box cutter.

Step 5:

Line up the stencil you made onto the carpet piece where you would like your design to show. Tape down the stencil.

Step 6:

Cover the other areas of the carpet not to be painted with newspaper so you don't accidentally paint in the wrong spot.

Step 7:

Take your fabric paint and sponge paint it onto the carpet piece. Try to stay in a straight up and down motion, so the paint does not go under the stencil.

Step 8:

Allow to dry for a couple hours, then remove the tape and stencil. As Schirmacher & Fox (2009) found, "In kindergarten through grade four, young children should experiment enthusiastically with art materials and investigate the ideas presented to them through visual arts instruction. They exhibit a sense of joy and excitement as they make and share their artwork with others" (p.195).