Objects of Unusual Size

Elements of Art

Color: the visible range of reflected light.
Line: a long narrow mark or stroke made on or in a surface.
Shape: a two-dimensional (flat) area enclosed by a line.

Principles of Design

Contrast: refers to the arrangement of opposite elements, or using very different qualities next to each other to create visual interest, excitement and drama. In this lesson the shape’s expected sizes contrast, creating visual excitement.
Scale: the size of a whole object compared to another whole object or its environment.

Additional Vocabulary

Craftsmanship: A way of working that includes following directions, demonstrates neatness and the proper use of tools.
Sketch: a quickly made or loose interpretation of the intended drawing.  Holding the pencil loosely and making multiple marks until some of them are what you want.

Materials & Supplies

Context (History and/or Artists)

Surrealism was an art movement that developed between World War I and World War II.  Artists would use everyday objects in unexpected ways to surprise the viewers.  One of the ways they did this was to play with scale. They created visual excitement by combining objects that were completely out of scale in relationship to each other (too big or too small). These extreme contrasts and detachment from reality made an optical illusion, meant to confuse and amuse viewers.
  Magritte, The Reading Room

Advanced Preparation

Find an image of Magritte’s The Reading Room (see above) to show the students. 

Discussion Points

Reflection Point (Assessment of Learning Objectives)

Students will: 

• Learn about visual scale
• Create a drawing that is out of scale.
• Use art vocabulary
• Use good craftsmanship

Instructions for Lesson

Post the vocabulary words and briefly go through them. Refer to these words during the lesson.

Demonstrate: You are will draw a person in an environment, and something else (an animal, a building, a plant or any everyday item) whose size we already know.  You can decide which thing should be comparatively ‘out of scale.’  You want the viewer to wonder which one is too big or too small for its environment.  Talk about the process as you go.

1. Show students the sheet with every day, easy-to-draw items on it (flower, house, cupcake, ice cream cone, bee, tree, a star, a ladybug, a spider etc.)
2. Tell students that as you draw the person, you’re deciding if it’s going to be in or out of scale compared to your next item. 
3. Tell students which item you’re going to put in the drawing with the person.  If the person would usually be bigger than that item, like an ant, then you will draw the ant very big.  If your person would usually be smaller than a large item, like, a tree, then you will draw the tree very small. Either your person or that thing will fill the page. 
4. Orient your construction paper vertically, or like a portrait, on your desk.
5. Demonstrate how to lightly draw the horizon line behind about 3” above the bottom of the paper.
   

    

6. Lightly sketch the “larger” thing on one side of the paper. Place it slightly below the horizon.  The lower something is placed below the horizon, the closer it appears to be. Draw quickly, you are just ‘suggesting’ placement and size.  The lighter you draw, the easier to erase unwanted lines at the end.
7. Have the students draw their “larger” thing on one side of their paper as you just did. Be sure it’s “standing on the ground”, not on or above the horizon line. Now they may erase any marks they don’t want.
8. Demonstrate sketching a “usually smaller” thing next to your first drawn object, but now make it large enough to fill the page.
9. Have the students sketch their “smaller” thing on one side of their paper. Make sure it is standing “on the ground”, not on the horizon line. After they sketch it, they may remove the marks they don’t want.
10. Once the students have their sketches done, they may go over the lines they want to keep and add color. ​​​​​​

References and Attributions

Lesson written by Juliette Ripley-Dunkelberger.
Henry, Sandi, and Sarah Rakitin. Cole. Making Amazing Art!: 40 Activities Using the 7 Elements of Art Design. Williamson Books, 2007.

Notes for Educators

21st Century Thinking Skills
Thinking flexibly, persisting, questioning, creating, innovating, listening with empathy, taking responsible risks, observing, making connections, visualizing, sequencing, predicting, comparing/contrasting, determining main idea, finding evidence, problem solving, cause and effect, determining point of view, decision making.

WA State Learning Standards
(VA:Cr1.1.2) a. Brainstorm collaboratively multiple approaches to an art or design problem.
(VA:Cr3.1.2) a. Discuss and reflect with peers about choices made in creating artwork.  This happens if you have time to share drawings.
(VA:Pr4.1.2) a. Categorize artwork based on a theme or concept for an exhibit.
(VA:Re7.1.2) a. Perceive and describe aesthetic characteristics of one’s natural world and constructed environments. 
(VA:Re8.1.2) a. Interpret art by identifying the mood suggested by a work of art and describing relevant subject matter and characteristics of form.  The mood of out of scale juxtapositioning can be confusion, unease, amusement.
(VA:Cn11.1.2) a. Compare and contrast cultural uses of artwork from different times and places. This happens if you talk about the meaning of Surrealism in its era—intended to shake up the concept that art should depict real life (it doesn’t have to).

Arts Integration Opportunities
Read a map’s scale guide.
Observe realistic toys who are built to scale: e.g. dollhouse, train set.
Story prompt about their “object of unusual scale”.

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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