Lesson Plan
Carbon dust:
Basic Methodology on Claybord
Instructor: J. Marie Mullett
Date: Thurs. April 2, 1998

Attending: Back row (left to right): Mark Metz, Steve Gaimari, Kevin Holston, Shaun Winterton, Trish Metz Front row: Jill Mullett, Gail Kampmeier, Mike Irwin

Learning Objective(s): Given tonal scales, erasers, a scribe, brushes, carbon pencils, ebony pencil, claybord, sandpaper, chamois, graphite pencils, burnisher, a completed sketch on tracing paper, and a visual to reproduce (slide of a drawn fly) students will learn basic methodology in carbon dust technique by rendering tonal gradations in a completed, transferred, sketch on claybord while paying close attention to light, form, contrast, varied line, contour, and texture.

Concepts: Tone, contrast, form, light, contour, varied line, texture, transfer methods, dry brush, additive media, subtractive media, and other basic carbon dust techniques.

Teacher Materials: Slide projector, slide of an illustration of a fly head, sketch on tracing paper of the illustration of the fly head on the slide, GNSI handbook, light and form handouts from the GNSI handbook.

Learner Materials: Tonal scales, erasers, scribe, brushes, carbon pencils, ebony pencil, claybord, sandpaper, chamois, graphite pencils, burnisher.

Motivation: GNSI hand book and a slide of a completed illustration, (fly head) in carbon dust used for students to reproduce, much in the same style students learned to render while reproducing great art made from the old masters.

Illustration of Lesson:

Procedures:

1. Begin by handing out tonal scales, explain the great diversity of gray and the importance of learning to create a large number of grays in an illustration.

2. Explain the basic method of carbon dust technique dry brushing additive and subtractive medias

3. Ask students to complete one tonal scale using the method of carbon dust.

4. Now allow those who feel comfortable to progress forward to the completed sketch transferring this to claybord.

5. Those who feel not yet ready will be asked to complete their tonal scales and other geometric objects, (show as examples shaded geometric objects from GNSI handbook and other art books on hand).

6. Project the slide of the fly head so to allow students to begin to copy form, varied line, contour, light and tone from the slide.

7. Do not expect the students to complete their rendering; however, make sure that they get far enough for you to explain, and the students to try highlighted details scratched out with the scribe.

8. As students work explain all formulas you have developed to accurately depict 3D reality on a 2D surface such as:

photographers gloves, shields for neatness
accurate basic sketches , neat clean transfers (recheck necessary proportions before this time)
light source (upper left)
slight exaggeration of tone
not too dark, leave the image slightly lighter in tone than you wish the reproduced image to be
(carbon dust will reproduce darker than it is in actuality)
use subtractive and additive processes as a drawing comes into completion this will add needed detail
(erasers, scribes, ink, washes, water color, direct carbon, ebony pencil, as well as black conte and pastel, and ????)
Big brushes cover large areas while small brushes cover small areas, long haired brushes do not control the carbon dust as well as short haired brushes. You can cut your brushes or burn them into needed shapes.
Same of erasers - you can cut them into needed shapes, Multilith erasers are a secret weapon. Different types of erasers do different jobs, experimentation is the key. The tool you need to get that mark may not come from the art store!

Assessment: Group evaluation

Preparation time for teacher: 4 hours

Estimated time for activity: 2 1/2 to 3 hours

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