8th Grade Art: INVENTED ALPHABET

INTRODUCTION TO THE RENAISSANCE:Sprint 2013 -- 8th Grade Art


WATCH:  Here is a great video that introduces a couple of artists of importance from the Renaissance.

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT:

• What does Renaissance mean?
• Became less God centered and more __________ centered.
• Which artists were mentioned?
• What techniques were invented during the time?
• Which famous artworks did you recognize?

 Common things to look for during each project:

• Being Inventive -- Like a true Renaissance (wo)man
•  Connections to Renaissance Artists
• Contemporary artists who use Renaissance Techniques

 Project:  INVENTED ALPHABET

Renaissance Connection:

Why did Da Vinci write backwards in his sketchbooks?
 
Did he use it to hide his writing and ideas?
Very unlikely – it is hardly difficult to mirror it back!

Because he wrote left-handed?
Again, unlikely – the advantage is minimal.

I believe he did it to slow his thinking and tap his inner creativity.

To encourage inner silence and stillness.

To increase levels of awareness and higher, finer concentration.

To ground himself in the present moment, harness new, fresh thinking and ideas.

Using mirror writing slows you down and the pauses create a calmer, clearer, meditative state that increases the quality of your thinking, and unlocks rigid reasoning.

Perhaps he read it back to himself in front of a mirror in order to see himself whilst reading – not out of vanity; in order to test what he had written from a different perspective and further contemplate his writing.

Try writing the words in the image below in mirror and you will see that it takes concentration not to write some of the letters normally.

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Project Criteria:
 
Try to be as inventive as Da Vinci! You are going to invent your own design for an alphabet!  

• Sketch 3 different ideas
• You may use upper or lower case, print or script
• The entire alphabet needs a connected theme
• Fully color your design.  Use colored pencils

• Final Artwork:
• Each letter must be 1 inch tall
• Measure a 1/2 inch gap between lines
• Draw each letter A-Z
• Use colored pencils to enhance your alphabet
• Erase guide lines
• Turn in Sketch w/ Final Artwork

 
Project Examples: