Metaverse Artist

In a nutshell, this is an outline I designed and a little about my teaching method: (A good Artist creates, a great Artist shares! ;)

So this was the curriculum I used for the New Digital Art Class I helped craft that was never offered  before, for the last school I taught at. This is what I put together for the fundamental digital / virtual art path for any aspiring young artist; and for those not interested in art, -with at least good exposure to seeing & learning about their world / environment and being creative. 

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Every class started with a "Do Now" (which if you are a teacher, learn this!), rebranded to Think It / Ink It, which is basically a great technique for students entering a classroom, (i.e. have the students draw a robot combined with a butterfly), this really peaks their interest, & gets them to stop staring at their phone, (this is rt before the new no cell phone law came out),  -so instead of being disruptive they come in enthusiastic, happy, challenged & are eagerly sitting down, ready to work with pencil or brush in hand in hand. Do this EVERY day for the first 5-10 minutes of class, then pick the coolest one(s), or one that the student has improved the best; essentially anyone that truly tries. Figure a reason as to how each student can be chosen for that day.

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The first part of the year I would start off with the basics in drawing, and depending on the grade level the complexity; whereas sixth grade classes we would start with basic shapes, to which the seventh grade students might be learning about optical illusions and the eighth grade class could be learning how to draw the Marvel comics way. Not only do they compete against each other, each grade level does masterful works of art and it divides across all grade levels where every students comes together in art appreciation no matter grade level, as well as weekly remind the students that at the end of the year the best of the best will be displayed in the Student Art Show (LINK). 

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Next I would dive into color theory, personally believe having the students paint a color wheel or strip depending the grade level, with an actual brush and physical paint rather than first through a digital screen could be a missed opportunity. Sometimes it's the kids first time ever painting and they love it! Or the kid remembers painting when they were younger and is happy to be painting again! and sometimes you have trouble makers and you just let them paint whatever they want to revolt against, lol, (there's always trouble makers). Ir-regardless, the student in one way or another learns color theory because they love to paint; plus!, when they and the tables are grouped together they sit there painting, talking amongst themselves and having a great time, bonding and being productive. I would align this with winter break this project would be due. It's awesome watching the kids start to notice the frequency of colors and their subconscious influence in things like advertising. It's funny for me, but most of the kids I've taught really never understood color theory and just how much was hidden to them. For instance, think of the color red, stop sign might come to mind, don't walk sign, a red light, etcetera; but did you know it's also used in advertising because they found that the wavelength for the color red induces hunger. But then again it also signals frustration, anger, resentment. Not every student is destined to be an artist, but every student should be exposed to the beauty of what is not clear within their minds.

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Color Theory sets the course to perfectly align the students to their digital artistic journey by introducing graphic design or animation. Both subjects should start of with sturdy examples, like photography, &/or  animation devices from the 1600's, then take the kids through the journey to the early film years just before the 1900's to modern times, with overlapping cartoon animation growth and progression over the short century of our recent past. I try to get the information in as quick and cool as I can, and out of the way. Almost like being a magician: you dazzle the audience with one hand well the other is enabling the trick. Start with Eadweard Muybridge: Talk about the million dollar bet. Talk about how people that lived in a time honestly didn't know if a horses legs all left the ground when they ran because they ran too fast for the human eye to comprehend. Hence a bet was made, a wager waged. The first camera setup similar to the technology of the first matrix. is a great way to introduce either graphic design or animation. Show the kids a cool video of 10 awesome camera angles and how that can shape their movie, then give them iPad's and let them create a movie using what they've learned.

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Introduce the importance of audio. Have the students take the video from one trailer and re-cut it with opposing music and watch their creativity expand! Next they have to recreate a famous song with whatever platform software available, and as best as they can. Eventually by the end of the year the students are creating scores to their fully-produced masterpiece mini -movie they put together.

(LINK)

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They use the word synergy a lot in education, it's a great word & concept. In everything, meaning all the subjects you teach throughout a year should be able to reconnect to day one and interlock with every piece of learning information acquired at the end of the year to where they are all well rounded story tellers. 

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Their minds are still very much chaos and by teaching in a fluid manner you can help direct that chaos and connect with the students - you never have to be cool or impress the students, you're number one job is to inspire the students! Fore you have the privilege to grow a mind and help shape them on their journey to adulthood. 

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At the end of the year the students have made amazing creative therapy-like drawings of their feelings; they learned to comprehend the world in one dimension, and two to three dimensions and can be able to reconstruct it. They learn to balance color and about repetition, the 12 principles of animation, walk cycles, (which Flip-a-Clip is Amazing!), they learn about camera angles, how to write a movie script, how to narrate a story, design their own logo's, layout & design, typography, artificial intelligence and the hundreds of amazing apps available. They learn to animate particle physics, 3d modeling and animation, painting, filming techniques, create their own personal website and depending on the level of school coding as in creating their own video games. 

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I also always kept my other guitar in the classroom & sometimes keyboard. Was great watching the kids learn to play guitar in my classroom in the mornings. It's memories like this that make me smile. To be a teacher it's a privilege. 

-Patrick Joseph