Metal Embossing

Elements of Art 

Line:the flat path of a dot through space used by artists to control the viewer’s eye movement; a long narrow mark or stroke made on or in a surface.
Texture: Actual texture is how something feels when touched; visual texture (also called simulated texture) is how something appears to feel.

Principles of Design

Pattern: repetition of elements in an organized way. This creates unity.
Unity: the connection of parts so as to create a sense of completeness.

Materials & Supplies

Advanced Preparation

Cut the metal and construction paper. The metal comes in a 12” width so a 6x6” size works well. Find examples of visual texture in artwork and examples of tactile or textured embossed or hammered metal pieces to show students.An artwork with an amazing array of visual texture is The Arnolfi Portrait by Jan Van Eyck or Olive Trees by Vincent Van Gogh. The Pointillist style of painting uses patterns of dots.

Discussion Points

This is a great project to pair with any work of art. Have students examine a great work of art and try to find as many examples of visual texture as they can. Then task them to transfer those textures into their metal project. Ask the students what the artist was trying to convey through the use of texture. What is the texture communicating? 

Introduce the elements, principles and vocabulary words used in this lesson by writing them on the whiteboard. Define the meaning of each and ask how they apply to the lesson so far.

Instructions for Lesson

Before the lessons begins:
Give the students a 2x2”inch piece of metal to practice on. Ask them to test pressing down so as to create as much depth as possible without pushing through the piece. Then task them to push hard enough to poke through. This helps them learn the amount of pressure needed to emboss. Explain that they should build depth slowly by going over their lines multiple times. Work from both sides of the metal.

1. Give each student a 6x6” inch piece of metal, a foam sheet, colored pencil, and assortment of oil pastels (at least 5 different colors).
2. Have the students place their metal on top of the fun foam sheet. 
3. On the backside of the metal, have students draw a diagonal line dividing the metal in two. It is more visually interesting if they offset the lines rather than drawing them from corner to corner.
4. On one half of the line, draw one additional line from the center line outward to the edge of the metal. Again, it is more visually interesting if the students do not draw the line directly through the corner of the metal.
5. On the other half, draw two additional lines coming out from the center line and extending out to the edge of the metal. The metal should now be divided into 5 sections. Refer to photo at the top of this page.
6. Remind students of the difference between tactile texture and visual texture. Have them create a different pattern in each section. Continue to have the students work on the front and back of the metal to create a different pattern in each section. Encourage the students to allow the pattern to continue off of the edge of the metal. This is the most time consuming step.
7. If you have used colored metal, you can lightly sand the raised images with the steel wool. This will remove the color coating and leave an aluminum finish. This really emphasizes the patterns created. You can also emphasize the design with sharpies at this point as well. Both of these are optional steps.
8. After all 5 sections are decorated, the students can glue their metal into the middle of the 9x9” square construction paper. 
9. Students will now move on to using the oil pastels. They will choose the first of 5 different colors. They will be creating visual texture by extending their patterns onto the construction paper with the oil pastels. Have the students draw the first pattern with their first color of oil pastel. 
10. Continue extending the pattern out for each section with an additional color of oil pastel.

Tips & Tricks

• When making repetitive marks, go slowly so that they are uniform in size and distance apart.
• Draw some simple marks on the white board: spirals, dots, dashes, asterisks etc. to suggest patterns.
• Use dull colored pencils to emboss the metal.The waxy property helps the pencils glide across the metal.The color doesn’t transfer and the tips are less prone to break. Be sure the pencil is dull. If the pencil is too sharp, it will pierce the metal.
• If creating an original drawing to transfer onto the metal, first use a graphite pencil. Attach the drawing to metal and trace to transfer with colored pencil. Color helps students tell which lines they have already transferred.
• Use a thin sheet of fun foam under the metal when embossing.This is an inexpensive material that can be reused many times before having to be replaced. The foam gives an excellent cushion to emboss upon. 
• 36 or 38 gauge metal can be easily cut with a guillotine style paper cutter. You can also use metal shears or tin snips but you will get the cleanest, straightest lines from the guillotine paper cutter.
• Make sure students understand that the edges are sharp! Do not run fingers along the edge.

References and Attributions

Lesson written by Laurelle Graves.

Reflection Point (Assessment of Learning Objectives)

Students will observe and create visual and tactile texture to make an interesting composition. They will learn and use art vocabulary. They will use art tools responsibly. They will use good craftsmanship.

Notes for Educators 

21st Century Thinking Skills
Observing, Making Connections, Visualizing, Sequencing, Comparing/Contrasting, Problem Solving, Decision Making, Evaluating.

WA State Learning Standards
(VA:Cr1.2.3) a. Apply knowledge of available resources, tools, and technologies to investigate personal ideas through the artmaking process.
(VA:Cr2.1.3) a. Create personally satisfying artwork, using a variety of artistic processes and materials.
(VA:Cr2.2.3) a. Demonstrate an understanding of the safe and proficient use of materials, tools, and equipment for a variety of artistic processes.
(VA:Cr3.1.3) a. Elaborate visual information by adding details in an artwork to enhance emerging meaning.
(VA:Re8.1.3) a. Interpret art by analyzing use of media to create subject matter, characteristics of form, and mood.
(VA:Cn10.1.3) a. Develop a work of art based on observations of surroundings.
(VA:Cr1.1.4) a. Brainstorm multiple approaches to a creative art or design problem.
(VA:Cr2.1.4) a. Explore and invent art-making techniques and approaches.
(VA:Re8.1.4) a. Interpret art by referring to contextual information and analyzing relevant subject matter, characteristics of form, and use of media.
(VA:Cr1.2.5) a. Identify and demonstrate diverse methods of artistic investigation to choose an approach for beginning a work of art.
(VA:Cr2.1.5) a. Experiment and develop skills in multiple art-making techniques and approaches through practice.
(VA:Cr2.2.5) a. Demonstrate quality craftsmanship through care for and use of materials, tools, and equipment.
(VA:Re7.1.5) a. Compare one's own interpretation of a work of art with the interpretation of others.
(VA:Cn10.1.5) a. Apply formal and conceptual vocabularies of art and design to view surroundings in new ways through art-making.

Arts Integration Opportunities
Writing: procedural essay, or persuasive essay:“which texture, visual or tactile, is my favorite and why?” Math: devise ways to quickly count the marks within each pattern.

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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