I wanted to develop a project that required a higher level of thinking, that would help recall students' previous knowledge, and that would add a significant measure of creativity to the picture. The project would review the use of vanishing points while posing a much more complex and demanding problem. The aim was to drive home the principles of perspective and challenge students creatively.

Problem:
Students will apply the principles of two- and three-point perspective to a drawing. Students will develop an image of an art museum that will appear to float in space.

Materials:
colored pencils
fine-line markers
12" x 18" white drawing paper or illustration board

Start Up Activity:
Review basic information regarding the use of vanishing points in one-, two-, and three-point perspective. Share examples generally found in cartooning.

Process:
In two-point perspective, each point is places on the horizon line and any horizontal angle is grounded to these points. Explain that the importance of utilizing vanishing points is to create consistent angles in the figure-ground relationship. The third point can be added at the top of the page so that all vertical angles line up to that point. This will exaggerate the angles of any structure. Cartoonists use this technique to exaggerate the size and scale of buildings. Once students understand how to use the third point at the top of the page, they will also understand how to place a fourth point at the bottom. This adds drama as it builds both up as well as down. It is at this point the structure appears to float. The fourth point may remain optional but many students choose to use it.

Have students use a No. 2 pencil to begin the process of initial sketches. Allow students to choose the medium they will work with. Have students work on 12" x 18" illustration board or 12" x 18" white drawing paper. Tell students that this is not to be just any art museum but their own personal art museum. Ask: "In the future, if people could fly throughout the universe and they came across your museum, would it be visually inviting?" "How do you envision it looking?" "Would it catch them by surprise?"

Some students may express an interest in the field of architecture, so various examples may be shown to increase their awareness. The work of Frank Lloyd Wright is particularly striking to students. They are impressed by the structures and by how long ago the work was actually created. Because Wright's structures reflected his visionary mind, students are motivated to use their own visionary qualities.

Choices:
media
development of image

Evaluation:
Have students respond to a verbal critique. Ask:

What makes any structure inviting?
Will people be attracted to your museum?
What aspects of this project were most challenging?
Were you satisfied with your visual solution to this problem?

Results / Observations:
Students who were developing portfolios for college entrance often found the idea of their own art museum very appealing. Students were inspired to take risks and make numerous decisions. This project balanced technical skill with imaginative abilities. Even though a variety of media were available, most chose colored pencils and fine-line markers to highlight the forms they created.

Conclusion:
Students' understanding of the principles of perspective drawing can balance with the freedom they experience to think creatively and produce highly successful works. Out of frustration can come growth for both the student and the teacher.

In most cases, as artist/teacher, I did the problems along with the students in order to gain a greater appreciation of students' thinking process and to offer suggestions to some unforeseen difficulties. Students observed my willingness to put my work on the line for outside comments and even criticism. This also continues the important theme of being an artist/teacher in the classroom -- not always easy to do.

As we all know, the creative process sometimes requires many setbacks before success. Encourage students to keep trying until they have exhausted all of the visual possibilities in the piece of work. In other words: Don't give up too soon and work the image to death before starting over! Failure is not fatal; instead it is an opportunity to learn.

All of these projects begin with a focused visual problem, stimulating questions, and an open dialogue with students. Projects focus first on developing students' skills and then finding ways to encourage the artist within each student. As artists, we understand the significance of being expressive and it is vital that we give our students opportunities to do the same. The teacher plans the creative direction and then motivated the students in that direction. Directions that encourage problem solving and lead to unique expressive qualities will produce the most student learning.

National Standard:
Create art works that use organizational principles and functions to solve specific visual arts problems