da Vinci, Fresco, Navy ES 12-13

Objective: To familiarize students with fresco techniques used by Leonardo da Vinci.

Background: Our fresco material is similar to what da Vinci painted and drew on during Renaissance times.  Perhaps the most famous fresco project completed by da Vinci was The Last Supper. Artists today still use this technique.  In Renaissance and modern times the same artistic technique is used; artists draw and paint directly onto plaster when is still wet.  The damp plaster absorbs the drawing medium thus making it more permanent.  (And more of a challenge, as the artist must work quickly in small areas.)  During Renaissance times frescoes would have been found in a church or palace and actually was drawn and painted onto walls!

Materials:

Fresco – 1 per student (dried plaster on burlap)

da Vinci Handout - 1 per student

Chalk Pastels - (browns, natural colors) shared among students

Paper Plates – for pastels to be shared in groups

Glue – 1 per classroom, to be used by Docent

Tongue Depressors  - 1 per student

Spray Bottle – 1 per classroom, to be used by Docent (you may want to bring in another one also)

Example Fresco – 1 per Docent to be used as example (yours from the training session or a blank one to be used today)

Newspaper – 1 piece per student - to protect each student’s desk

Extra Materials needed from classroom

**Smart Board - (teacher will have it set up with the portfolio ready)

**pencils

**baby wipes

**stapler

Vocabulary for Docent and students:

Fresco – a style of drawing or painting on plaster; especially popular in Renaissance times.

Renaissance - (= re-birth) It is the time between the late 1400s-1600s. A time when Italians became more interested in art, music, reading and book collecting.

Portrait – a piece of art where the main idea is a person.

Invented/envisioned – to be the first person to think of something.  To dream of; sometimes to actually make or build a working example.

Pastel – colored chalk used for drawing.  Good for blending, smudging colors to show shadows. 

To Age – to make plaster look old. Could be broken or smudged to become more aged.

Set up – While one Docent is presenting the portfolio on the Smart Board (20 mins max!)

Second Docent is:

1.      Preparing pastels for groups of students. Place one of each color on paper plates (should be in baggies) for each group to share (depending on how desks are set up)

2.      Put water in spray bottle, if needed

3.      Separate newspaper to make it easier to pass a piece to each student

4.      Get ready to pass out materials when other Docent is introducing the project, after the portfolio presentation

Docent introduces art project: (5 mins max)

Procedure –

1. Show blank fresco – Tell the students there is only 1 fresco per student, and there is no erasing or starting over. Smearing the pastels to create soft lines is important, and that can also help hide any mistakes.
2. Discuss what they will be drawing (depends on grade level; see below)

 Grades K-2 – Draw a Portrait – can be self-portrait or portrait of family, friend, made-up person and head and shoulders only.  Make sure they choose 1 person only because of space.  Each student has recently had a lesson on self-portraits in their art class, so students should only need a quick review of drawing portraits.  Remind them to make the face about the size of their hands. Demo drawing on damp plaster with pastel. Oval for head, eyes half way down head (not in forehead) and other facial features.  Demo smudging chalk in hair, under chin, one side of nose (around the larger features, not eyes, etc.) to create shadows similar to daVinci’s style of sketching on fresco. 

Grades 3-6 – Draw an Invention – can be one of daVinci’s inventions or one of their own.

Discuss thinking of something they’d like to have in their everyday life, something that could help others, etc. Demo drawing on damp plaster with pastel.  Big, simple shapes will work best, not tiny details.  Show how to hold pastel to find the “point” as it’s worn down.

3. While one Docent is introducing project, the other Docent should pass out a piece of newspaper and blank fresco. Spray each fresco with a couple of sprays of water; so, damp but not dripping wet

4. Let them work. Circulate to assist with questions.  Do not draw on their artwork!  Remind K-2 to do their best work, if they have “mess ups” to turn it into a creative idea, as daVinci would have.  Add a hat, or longer hair, or a scarf, etc.   Remind 3-6, if necessary, da Vinci was an inventor, so are they now. They can invent whatever they want, and it can look however they want.

5. When students are finished drawing:

K-2 – leave as is – no breaking or cracking

3-6 – demo gently bending over edge of desk, drop carefully on the floor, to create cracks (from 1-3 large cracks) to “age” the piece. Aging is optional! 

6. Seal the plaster. Dallop a generous tablespoon of glue on every student’s fresco and pass out spreaders (tongue depressors). Demo to all grades how the glue should be spread with the tongue depressor, careful not to scratch or overwork pastel drawing under glue.  The glue will dry clear. Messy fingers can just be wiped on the newspaper, and wiped clean with wipes after project is complete. 

7. When the children have finished gluing/sealing their art, slide the daVinci handout under completed fresco, staple it twice along the top in each corner, and have children write their name on the bottom of the paper, so name shows when stapled!

8. Children carry completed work out to a hall wall to dry (or somewhere directed by the teacher). It will likely be wet for up to 24 hours.  After that it’s up to teacher to send home. 

9. Clean up: get all unused materials back into box (frescos, pastels in baggies, plates, glue and spray bottle) and make sure to leave teacher’s stapler and wipes. Please make sure the room is how it was when you arrived!