I am happy to say that this title is a good thing as I (on the whole) LOVE my job. I teach in a mixed comprehensive in London, England. I teach students from 11 – 18 so post junior school right up to helping them prepare for University. It is incredibly rewarding, frustrating, exhilarating and the only job I have ever had where I wake up and actually want to go in on a regular basis.
On Friday I took in all my Year 9’s work (age 13/14 years for non-brits) from their most recent project for marking. At my school we firmly believe in looking at other artists in order to inform your own work, learn skills and inspire yourself. This project is designed to introduce the Year 9’s who have just started GCSE Graphic Communication to looking at artists, doing copies of their work to understand their methods and then blending two artists styles together to make a new style.
They really enjoyed this project and achieved so much more than they could ever have hoped for! Here are some highlights. These are all either artist research pages or their studies of the artists work.
Study of Steven Wiltshire drawing
Study of Sabine Pieper Illustration
Original and Study of Shepherd Fairey illustration
Artist research and study of Beeslar Design illustration
Original image, sewing machine drawing test sheet andfinal study of Montse Bernal illustration
Original image and study of Alison Casson illustration
Original and student study of Emma Sheldrake Illustration
Original and student study of Montse Bernal llustration
Student study and original image by Florian Nicole
Which ones which? Original image (left) and students study (right) of Christina K’s illustration
Douglas Alves illustration and student study (right)
Another Emma Sheldrake study
Artist research on Florian Nicole and (right) an A4 study of the image on the bottom left.
Christina Drejenstam illustration (top) and student study of it (bottom). Watercolours and indian ink.
Here are some of their own photographs drawn in a mix of the two artists that they looked at.
Mix of Emma Sheldrake and Alexandra Compain-Tissier (you can see the original studys above)
Mix of Emma Sheldrake and Doug Alves
Another Emma Sheldrake and Doug Alves
If Florian Nicole were to work with Rayban this is probably what would happen.
Florian Nicole style with Rayban style photography
close up on the face of another Florian Nicole style with Rayban inspired photography.
Montse Bernal and Alison Casson mixed together.
We also ask them to take photos in the style of the artist that they will then be able to work from to create their own studies, we think that art is not just about being able to draw/paint etc but that understanding photography and the resultant digital media options is also hugely valid in this day and age. Whilst I have shared some of the resulting work I wont be sharing their actual photos – some of which are just phenomenal – due to child protection. (Most of their models are their friends).
It’s worth remembering at this point that this is work by students aged between 13 and 14 years so I am so incredibly proud of them for all their achievements! They have had 8 weeks to create this project which included:
2 x artist research including a detailed study of one of each artists illustrations
2 x sets of photographs each set inspired by the work of the artists they looked at
2 x A4 studies of their own photographs blending the styles of the two artists together
1 x A3 study of their own photographs blending the styles of the two artists together.
They will study for another two years after this one before their exam and I just can’t help thinking if they can achieve this now what they might be capable of in two years time.
Please comment and let me know what you think of their work (and my teaching I suppose!)
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