Yarn and Foil Relief

Elements of Art 

Line: the flat path of a dot through space. Moves in either a straight or curved way.
Space: the area between and around objects. 
-      Negative space: the empty space surrounding a shape, figure, or form in a two- or three-dimensional artwork. 
-      Positive space: the actual space taken up by the line, shape, or form. 
Texture: surface quality that can be either seen and/or felt.

Principles of Design

Pattern: the repetition of the elements of visual arts in an organized way.

Additional Vocabulary

Emboss: a process of carving, molding, or stamping a design on a surface to allow it to standout or in relief. 
Raised Relief: a surface with some areas raised.

Materials & Supplies

Context (History and/or Artists)

Since 6000 BC, people have been making and using utensils, adornments, art and weapons out of metal. Very quickly, people started making them beautiful as well as useful.  The 'ancient' metals were gold, silver, tin, copper, lead, iron and mercury. The most commonly used were gold and copper because of their prevalence. Please refer to Metal as an art medium reference page for more about the history of the various ways metal is used in art.

Advanced Preparation

Collect samples of embossing.
Collect a sample of print making or a rubber stamp, stamped on a piece of paper.
Cut cereal box cardboard into 6 x 6-inch squares - one for each student.
Cut 2 yards of yarn for each student.
Cut foil large enough to fold double and cover the area of the board plus 2 inches on each side. 
Fold foil in half and press smooth.

Tips & Tricks

Sharp jerky motions or too much pressure can rip the foil. A drop of Elmer’s glue can repair it.
Many students have shoes with thick tread patterns in the soles. This is a perfect example of a surface in relief that students can easily identify with.

Discussion Points

Explain the process of embossing as an altering of a surface by carving, molding or stamping a design so that the design (positive space) stands out against the negative space. There are many different kinds of embossing. 

Embossing can be for aesthetics or functional. Most familiar examples are jewelry, paper embossment for formal invitations or business cards, embossed names on credit cards, braille, and notary seals. Embossing has been associated with quality, permanence and authenticity. It can imply importance.

Texture is the surface quality of an object: how it feels (tactile) or appears to feel (visual). Every surface has a texture. There are certain textures you enjoy touching and textures you avoid because of the way they feel. Textures may influence the clothes you choose to wear and the food you eat. Pick out textures in the room and describe them. 

On scrap paper, practice repeating small lines and shapes to create visual texture, using the attached lines & patterns worksheet. 

If you have time you can show the students the print Village Feast by Miguel Garcia Vivancoe and discuss all of the places you see texture in this painting.

Reflection Point (Assessment of Learning Objectives)

Students will:
Observe and describe examples of embossing.
Observe and describe examples of visual & tactile textures
Create a work of art that employs raised relief to create tactile texture and simulate embossing.
Add details of color, pattern or texture

Instructions for Lesson

1. Demonstrate cutting uniform or random .5” slits along each side of the 6” square cardstock. These should be no closer than 1” apart.
2. Pass out squares and have students measure and cut out their own slits.
3. Demonstrate taping one end of the yarn on the back and wrapping the cardstock to create patterns of vertical, horizontal or diagonal lines. (To avoid bending the cardboard, don't wrap too tightly.) Be careful to feed the yarn into each slit. This pattern can be rearranged until you like the composition. 
4. Pass out yarn. Have students do the same.
   
5. Demonstrate spreading the glue stick liberally on the cardstock between the yarn lines. Lay the foil on the table and lay the sticky cardstock face down in the center. Fold the excess foil loosely over the edges and secure with tape. 
6. Hand out the foil. Have the students do the same.
   
7. Flip artwork back to the top side. Starting from the center, have students find the ridges of the string and gently rub alongside the design using a small cotton ball. It really works well for buffing the foil around the yarn and helps avoid tearing the foil. Take your time with this step- the more you carefully rub around the yarn, the better the final artwork will be. Some students tend to rush this step.
8. Go slowly, work from the center out to the edges.
9. Demonstrate the different ways to create texture using lines and repeating shapes with a dull pencil to fill in the shapes created by the yarn lines (see Lines and Patterns worksheets.)
10. Remind student to be careful because if they press to hard the tin foil will tear. (If foil tears, push it back into place with your finger or fingernail. A drop of Elmer’s glue can repair it.)
11. Even simple dots, cross-hatching or small squiggles are fine as long as they create texture.
12. Once students have filled all of the spaces, it's time to add color. You can use Permanent pens for a colorful look or black shoe polish for an aged silver metal look.
13. Permanent Markers: Use colored Sharpies to color the recessed areas and leave the embossed "lines" silver.
14. Shoe Polish: rub over the whole thing with black shoe polish, wait a few seconds, and wipe off with tissue. (The kind that comes in a bottle with a sponge applicator lid is recommended.)
15. Let artwork sit overnight to dry completely. Attach finished foil covered cardboard to a piece of black card stock or poster board then it is ready to display.

References and Attributions: 

Lesson written by Beth Koontz. 
What Is Embossing? online article.
TOSBlog. “Article Spotlight ~ Back to Basics – The Seven Art Elements – By Pat Knepley.” The Old Schoolhouse, 16 May 2014.
Village Feast Art Print by Miguel Vivancos at Art.Com.

Notes for Educators 

21st Century Thinking Skills
Thinking flexibly, persisting, creating, innovating, taking responsible risks, observing, making connections, visualizing, sequencing, comparing and contrasting, problem solving, decision making, evaluating.

WA State Learning Standards
(VA:Cr1.1.3) a. Elaborate on an imaginative idea.This happens as the multi-step process unfolds in this lesson.
(VA:Cr.1.2.3) a. Apply knowledge of available resources, tools, and technologies to investigate personal ideas through the artmaking process.This happens when the student makes design choices.
(VA:Cr2.1.3) Organize and develop artistic ideas and work. Create personally satisfying artwork, using a variety of artistic processes and materials
(VA:Cr.2.2.3) a. Demonstrate an understanding of the safe and proficient use of materials, tools and equipment for a variety of artistic processes.This happens when students are introduced to working with foil, yarn, shoe polish etc., in this lesson.
(VA:Cr3.1.3) Refine and complete artistic work. Elaborate visual information by adding details in an artwork to enhance emerging meaning. This happens when multiple steps add details of texture, line and color in this lesson.
(VA:Re7.1.3) Responding – Perceive and analyze artistic work.Speculate about processes an artist uses to create a work of art . This happens when embossing is explained in this lesson.
(VA:Re.9.1.3) a.Evaluate an artwork based on given criteria.This happens when students critique their own work, looking for evidence of the learning objectives.
(VA:Cn10.1.3) a. Develop a work of art based on observations f surroundings. This happens when students apply the creative process and use a variety of media to create artworks that represent or express observations, personal experiences, feelings or ideas.

Arts Integration Opportunities
Have students write an expository piece on the process of metal embossing.

Please note:  These lesson plans are intended for non-profit use only. Use of these plans for commercial purposes should give attribution to the Issaquah Schools Foundation and be accompanied by a nominal donation at www.isfdn.org/donate. Thank you.

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