Concept Art: Character Design

This Unit was about Visual Literacy.

Student created: Character Design, Environment Design, Resident Design.

Character Design:

Central focus:

Students will be introduced to concept art and character design. Students will start creating their own character. Each student will respond to visual concepts, such as style and visual representation, through creating a character, and answering questions put forth through class.

Lesson Rationale and Summary:

This lesson is important because it shows student a career in the art field, allows them to explore literary and visual concepts, and explore creativity. It is also important in leading into other lessons. This lesson is being taught in this manner to allow students to see, and allow them to explore subjects through their own practices.

In this lesson students can choose a medium out of the options to what suits their character best. Students might think about the expression their character has to show the personality of their character. Students may use graphite, charcoal, color pencil, or pen and Ink, and any techniques shown or known of. This project will be greatly of their choosing and personalization. Students may create their character in any style of their choosing.

Lesson Objectives and State Content Standard Statement/Connection:

Students will be introduced to:

Concepts Art/Artists, Character design,

Students will discuss:

Concept Art, Style, identity, and culture in the context of visual literacy;

Students will focus on:

Character designs, creativity, and visual literacy;

Students will complete:

a character design that shows the culture, and identity of the student’s character.*

*If students wish to depict a character from a novel, they may illustrate what they interpret.

Students will begin to:

• (2PE) Determine professions that use artistic skills and problem-solving (determine that being a concept artist uses skills and problem-solving).

• (5PE) Analyze designed object and identify processes and decisions made to produce them with attention to purpose, aesthetics, social issues and cultural and personal meaning (analyze character designs and know how it was made and why it was made that way);

• (6PR) Demonstrate understanding of visual literacy, illustration and graphic communication (demonstrate how a self portrait which embodies their identity, personality, and culture/background, using a style of their choice).

Students will be able to:

Define concept art, and character design;

Academic Language:

Content Vocabulary:

• Concept Art: a depiction of what an idea might look like; Often hired by studios or authors to create a depiction of a story. Character: a “person” in a story.

• Design: a concept of somethingRender: to shade.

• Resist: A substance that does not let liquid through; Often used in water colors to keep the paper white

• Style: The way in which an image is done, often unique to the individual artist

Instructional Vocabulary:

• Determine: To realize and decideAnalyze: to study and explain

• Demonstrate: To show or do

• Visual Literacy: Being able to look at something and be able to understand what it is “saying.” Depict: Show through a picture

• Culture/Background: A mix of shared actions, beliefs, values, traditions etc. by a group of people. Identity: Who someone is.Personality: How someone acts

Planned Assessments:

Preassessment:

Students will be Asked questions verbally to gauge what they know:

• “Does anyone know what concept art is or how to define it?”

• “Can anyone tell me how they might define a character design?”

• “Can anyone tell me anything about this character’s culture or identity?”

Formative Assessment:

Students will be asked questions verbally and on paper to see if they understand:

• “Who is your character?”

• “How are you showing your characters identity/personality?”

• “How are you showing your character’s culture?”

Summative Assessment:

Students will write a short paragraph explaining why they chose to depict their Character in the manner they did. It should include a possible name, and something about identity and culture, in order to deduce the student knows the definitions of the words.

It might look similar to: “I chose to draw my character, Lenka , in a slightly stylized way to give it more personality. I dressed her in lots of layers to show she lives in a cold place. I gave her a heavy based body type to show she works hard and is active.”

Differentiated Instructional Strategies:

Verbal teaching for auditory learners. Allow students to verbally answer questions for auditory learners. Visuals for visual learnersHand outs for visual learnersPhysical project for Kinesthetic learnersAllow students to come to the board and point for Kinesthetic learnersIncorporating students’ interests to help with focus and personal connectionsThe lesson will be broken down into steps for focus and recall.

Lesson Resources:

• Drawing the Human Form Handout: (http://www.picassoartpage.com/how-to-draw-manga-people.html, http://learnmangadrawing.com/3393/manga-boy-clothes-2/, )

• “Thinking About your Character” for Character Design

• Rubric

• Mirrors

• 8x10in. Heavy Weight Paper

• 8x10in. Bristol Paper (for pen and ink, and color pencil)

• Graphite Drawing Pencils (preferably H-9B)

• Charcoals (Hard-Ex. Soft, White, Vine, Stick)

• Needed Erasers

• Vinyl/Rubber gum eraser

• Blending stumps

• Facial tissues

• Color pencils

• TurpenoidBrushes (various sizes, short bristles work best for turpenoid methods)

• Black waterproof Markers (Many sizes if possible)

• Watercolors in tubes

• Water cups/metal or glass Turpenoid cups

• Pallets

• Resist

Procedures (Four Components):

I. Readiness/Motivation for Lesson: Engage Allotted Time: 30 min.

• A: Students will be asked questions, and shown images (from the power point) to which they can discuss and answer the questions? (ie: What can you tell me about this character? Where do you think this character comes from?)

• This lesson will get students thinking about how to create their own characters, and how to show details about the character in the drawings.

• This lesson will prep students for future lessons.

• Students’ interest in the content will be gained by using imagery that they are interested in (based on the questionnaire filled out prior).

• Students will also be able to put their interpretation into the works that are being discussed.

• The lesson will transition to the creation part of the lesson by saying a statement such as “We got to know the materials a little last week now if you will come over to the studio tables I will show you a couple more techniques, and we’re going to use them for our next assignment.”

• B: Students will be shown techniques with the mediums available. These techniques are using salt (sprinkle salt on the wet water color, remove when dry) and resists on water color (use crayon on the paper then add water color), and using water and charcoal (charcoal can be brushed like paint with water: draw the charcoal then use a wet brush).

• The lesson will transition to the next part of the lesson by saying a statement such as: “Your project is to create your own character of your own.”

• Assessment: Students will be asked frequent questions to answer and keep them thinking about the images and concepts being taught. “Who is your character? What is their culture? How will you show their identity?”

II. Lesson Development: Explore, Explain, Extend Allotted Time: 50 min.

• Students will be told their character designs should show their personality and attempt to show culture.

• The educator will explain that first students will draw in their sketchbooks to come up with a design for the character they would like to create. The educator will show the sketchbook examples.

• The educator might ask students why it is a good idea to use a sketchbook for project such as this one.

• Students will be asked to think about what style will suit their character best, and how they will show the character’s identity/personality and culture.

• If the students have finished their sketches and color options, then students may choose the appropriate paper, materials, and begin to draw their character designs.

• When student finished, they will be asked to write a small paragraph as to why they drew their character this way.

• Assessment: Can students say what a character design is is? Can students define words such as concept art, identity or culture?

III. Lesson Closure: Summarize, Link Allotted Time: 10 min.

• The lesson will be brought to an end by allotting time for students to write a small paragraph as to why they drew their character this way. Students will answer how the show culture/background, identity/personality, and style.

• Then After cleaning up, the educator will discuss with the class briefly about the next lesson

• The next lesson will be to continue their projects. Students will be told they may bring in reference materials that might be desired for next week.

IV. Evaluate:

Students will be evaluated using a rubric based upon their drawings and writing.

V. Extension/Enrichment Activities:

Early finishers may draw in their sketchbooks, work on the self-portrait, or create another drawing of their own.

#visualliteracy #conceptart #characterdesign #7thgrade #ohio #statestandards