I began a tradition 5 years ago that when students leave our school to enter high school they create a canvas which incorporates their image and also some graphic work incorporating their name in a unique style and words that may describe them. I started off by photographing them and then Photo shopped their faces into Warhol style black and white images. Originally I would cut stencils but found as the school grew this was too huge a task and now we carefully glue a photocopy of their face onto the canvas.
Over the past few years the project has evolved where now the students have selected their own lettering style- I use Dafont.com as a source for funky fonts. The three examples demonstrate 3 completely different approaches to the canvases and individual style.
To complete the project the students paint the backgrounds with a quality acrylic and I seal with a clear polymer.
Very cool project - the kids will definitely keep these. Approx how many kids a year?
ReplyDeletePhil it varies from about 40 - 50 students but I now have a dilema where many of our year 6's leave early to attend private colleges and they dont graduate but as they have been part of my school for up to 7 years I feel they miss out. I have out of the 16 classes I teach 14 mixed grade classes. So what to do with those in years 6/7 that are leaving and those who aren't. Time to speak to the boss again!! And Yes they keep their canvases for ever - they sign the edges and the backs as a memento.
ReplyDeleteLooove this idea!
ReplyDeleteI love Dafont!
ReplyDeleteI teach graphics and art; it is so fun to combine them both--I like this idea.
wamegoart.blogspot.com