Students will be able to:
- create an edition of 4 relief prints;
- create a non-objective Op Art design;
- demonstrate technical accomplishment and creativity;
- support their ideas with evidence found in the works.
OP ART PRINTS – Using Geometry to Fool the Eye
Steps
Step One
- Trace the shape of your craft foam on a piece of drawing paper.
- Use the instruction sheet to carefully measure and draw your op art design on this rectangle. (Downloads - GRID.pdf)
- Shade in the alternating pattern.
Step Two
- Use your plan drawing as a guide to transfer your design to the self-adhesive craft foam.
Step Three
- Use your plan drawing as a guide to transfer your design to the foam core board.
Step Four
- Carefully cut out the shapes.
- Remove the paper backing and stick the shapes that are shaded in your plan drawing to the foam core board in the appropriate spots.
- This is your printing plate.
Step Five
- Place the printing plate on an open magazine.
- Pour some tempera paint into a plastic tray.
- Gently roll the soft roller into the paint.
- Roll the paint over the printing plate.
- This is called inking the plate.
Step Six
- Gently lift the inked plate off the magazine page which probably has paint on it.
- Turn the magazine page and place the inked plate face up on the clean magazine page.
- Place a piece of paper on top of the inked plate.
- Rub a wooden spoon over the paper to transfer the paint to the paper in a smooth way.
- This is called burnishing.
Step Seven
- Carefully pull the paper off the printing plate to see your print.
- This is called pulling the print.
- Place the print in a safe place to dry.
Step Eight
- Make an edition of 4 good prints.
- Number and sign them.
- An edition of 4 prints is numbered 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4.
- The first number shows the order the print was made - first, second etc.
- The second number shows the number of prints in the whole edition. - Signing and numbering are done in pencil at the bottom of the print.
- Usually the number is written in the lower left corner.
- The title of the print goes in the middle.
- The artist’s name in the right corner. - Mount your prints on construction paper for display.
Learning Goals
Extensions
Have students:
- research information about an important Op artist such as Claude Tousignant, Victor Vasarely or Bridget Riley;
- experiment with ways to create a Op Art design based on their research and using different media such as coloured pencils, tempera paint, watercolour pencils or markers;
- share their work with the class;
- compare the works of the artists and their contributions to modern art.
Prepare
- Prior to this lesson provide time for students to explore optical illusions using the available worksheets. (Downloads – STAR.pdf, Bulge.pdf, TUNNEL.pdf, GRID.pdf)
- Download images of Op Art from the Internet, for example,
Vasarely
Vasarely2
Tousignant
Riley - Collect newspapers and magazines for the printing area.
- Make sure you have a drying area for the prints.
- Create a sample.
Introduction
- View and discuss the OP Art images and make a list of characteristics of the art, for example,
- although the works are flat they fool the eye into thinking they are 3-dimensional, or actually moving
- a mathematical form of art based on geometry
- non-objective
- uses contrasting colour, line and shape to create a sense of movement
- uses perspective
- positive and negative spaces are equally important - Compare the student designs with the artworks.
- How are they the same?
- How are they different? - Explain the printing process.
- Introduce the challenge.
Activities
The Challenge
- Create an edition of 4 relief prints.
- Create a non-objective, Op Art design.
- Demonstrate technical accomplishment and creativity.
- Support your ideas with evidence found in the works.
The Process
- Make sure everyone understands the challenge.
- Establish success criteria with your students, for example,
I know I am successful when I have:
- measured spaces carefully
- created an optical illusion
- used contrasting colours to create the illusion of depth
- made the positive and negative shapes equally important
- created 4 identical prints in my edition
- numbered and signed the prints in pencil
- numbered the prints accurately
- kept the paper is in good condition - Guide students through the steps outlined in this lesson plan.
- Encourage students to make several proofs before beginning their edition.
- Observe students as they work.
- Provide individual assistance and encouragement.
Sharing
- Once editions of prints are complete display them for a group discussion. Remind students of the challenge.
- Look closely at the prints.
- Share thoughts about the work.
- During the discussion include references to:
- design - effects of the use of colour, shape, positive and negative space
- technical accomplishment - how condition of paper, cleanliness of paper, signature and numbering, and attention to detail contribute to technical accomplishment - Ask students what they found satisfying about doing this project and why.
- Ask them what was difficult about doing this project and why.
Assessment
- Observe students as they work – thoughtful focus, discriminating, seeking more information, elaborating, experimenting.
- Observe students as they discuss the artworks – active listening, insightful contributions, supporting ideas with evidence found in the artwork and from personal experience.
- Use a checklist to track progress. (Downloads - OP_art_tracking.pdf)
- Have students use the self-assessment form to evaluate their work. (Downloads - OP_ART_self-assessment.pdf)
