Step 1 - Introducing the Maurits Cornelis Escher Slideshow Guide BEGIN READING HERE MOTIVATION Raise your hand if you like to put puzzles together. Are you good at doing puzzles? On what kind of puzzles do you like to work? (JIGSAW, ALPHABET, ANIMAL, ETC) Today I am going to introduce you to a fascinating artist named M.C. Escher who made it his life s work to create puzzles. But these puzzles aren t like any puzzles you ve ever worked on. Even the name of these puzzles sounds fun tessellation! Can you say that with me? What makes these puzzles fun and different? Let s take a look and find out more! Say tessellation and one will appear! Click Start Lesson To Begin 1. REPTILES I Does it look like any puzzle you ve ever seen? (NO) Let s be art detectives and discover how a tessellation is different and special. First, what animal do you see? (LIZARDS) Show me with your fingers, how many different colors of lizards you see. (THREE) Which color lizard is easiest for you to see black, white, or red? (ANSWERS WILL VARY) Look carefully at each color of lizard. Are the shapes all the same? (YES) Are the eyes all the same? (YES) Are the tails all the same? (YES) That is one special thing about a tessellation. All the shapes are the same. Is this true in most puzzles you have put together? (NO) Are any of the lizards on top of each other? (NO) There is no overlapping in a tessellation. Are there any empty, blank spaces? (NO) That is another special thing about a tessellation. So let s review what s special and different about a tessellation by looking at another work of art by our artist. Will you see another animal? Click Next To Change Slide 1 MAURITS CORNELIS ESCHER Ages 5 7 MeetTheMasters Online Edition
2. HORSEMEN What do you see in this tessellation? (MEN RIDING HORSES) Which color horseman did you see first, dark or light? (ANSWERS WILL VARY) Is there overlapping? (NO) Are the shapes all the same? (YES) Are there any empty spaces? (NO) Very good! Our artist was the first person to invent tessellations. He loved patterns and shapes, and working out how they would fit together perfectly was fascinating to him. We ve seen reptiles and horsemen. What animal will Escher create in this next tessellation? Here is your hint: you find it in water. Click Next To Change Slide 3. FISH What do you see? (FISH) Which color did you see first: red or yellow? (ANSWERS WILL VARY) Look carefully. Are all the red and yellow fish exactly the same size and shape? (NO) Point to a fat fish. Point to a long fish. Which do you like better, fat or long? (DEMONSTRATE) Show me with your hands. Can you count how many directions the fish are swimming? Let s investigate together. If you find any fish swimming up, point up. (YES) If you find fish swimming down, point down. (YES) Can you point in any other direction the fish are moving? (LEFT & RIGHT) Very good! Look at the lines Escher has drawn for the details eyes, fins, tails. The lines are simple and nearly the same on all the fish. Do they look a little like cartoon characters? (YES) Let s meet M.C. Escher in his self-portrait. To prepare to see this very unusual view of himself, do this with me. Place your left hand, Escher was left-handed, with your palm up about chin level (DEMONSTRATE) like you are holding a heavy, mirrored ball. Pretend to look very seriously into that ball and see yourself looking back. Click Next To Change Slide 4. HAND WITH REFLECTING BALL Did you imagine something like this? Let s see if you can guess Escher s personality from this self-portrait. Was he shy or out-going? Escher said, I am shy and find it very difficult to get along with strangers. I need to be alone. 2 MAURITS CORNELIS ESCHER Ages 5 7 MeetTheMasters Online Edition
Was he mysterious or very open? Again, listen to Escher s words. I walk around in mysteries. Let s investigate his mysterious and different world further. Raise your hand if there is a lot of detail in this self-portrait. (YES) Can you see the wrinkles and tendons in his hand and wrist? (YES) But once our eyes wander from the realism of his hand, things turn mysterious. Point to the table lying on its side. (LOWER RIGHT CORNER) Point to the lighting fixture not hanging straight down. (TOP RIGHT) Remember I told you Escher created two kinds of puzzles. We ve discovered one in his tessellations. Now let s see what else he developed. Remember the reptile tessellation? Look at what Escher did with those lizards! Click Next To Change Slide 5. REPTILES II What are the lizards doing now? (MOVING, CRAWLING, COMING ALIVE) We see Escher s sketchbook, but out of the lower left hand corner the little, flat, sketchy reptiles begin to come alive! They develop into fantastic moving creatures that can creep right out of the sketch. Point in the direction they are traveling. (RIGHT) As the reptile reaches the top, what does he do? (SNORTS, BLOWS SMOKE FROM HIS NOSTRILS) Do you think it s his snort of triumph at reaching the top? Then the game is over, so he shrivels back again into a flat figure on the page. Escher makes the impossible come to life. He makes up impossible worlds and the fun for us is in the discovery. Did Escher have a really great imagination? (YES) Let s see what he does next with his fantastic imagination. Click Next To Change Slide 6. SELF-PORTRAIT 1943 Have you ever looked through a peep hole on a door? Do you think this could be similar? Look at the expression on Escher s face. Raise your hand if he looks shy. (YES) Can you wrinkle your forehead and open your eyes wide like Escher? Do you think he might not want to open the door? Do you see something strange where the top of his forehead would be? (BULGING OF SURFACE) Could you really press so hard against a door to make it bulge like this? (NO) Again, Escher had a great imagination. 3 MAURITS CORNELIS ESCHER Ages 5 7 MeetTheMasters Online Edition
Click Next To Finish Lesson to exit this unit click Back To Units 4 MAURITS CORNELIS ESCHER Ages 5 7 MeetTheMasters Online Edition
Step 2 - Learning From: Maurits Cornelis Escher A pattern is a shape, color, or line that repeats. Color these patterns. A tessellation is a pattern of shapes. It has no gaps or overlapping. Shapes in a tessellation are like puzzle pieces that fit together. Can you find the fish? Color each fish green. Can you find the bee? Color each bee orange. M.C. Escher used simple details to make his shapes come alive. 5 MAURITS CORNELIS ESCHER Ages 5 7 MeetTheMasters Online Edition
Add a few simple details to these shapes to make them come alive. Use your imagination. 6 MAURITS CORNELIS ESCHER Ages 5 7 MeetTheMasters Online Edition
The last few pages of this section contain the Art Activity for Maurits Cornelis Escher. This step-by-step outline will be a guide for instructing your child(ren) through the activity. The parent/instructor should review all steps necessary to complete this project before beginning any work. Cut out the Artist Profile Slip below and attach it to the back of the completed art project. MAURITS CORNELIS ESCHER (ESH-er) Dutch 1898-1972 The magical and mysterious world of M. C. Escher was opened to the children. His tessellations and optical illusions invited and challenged their imaginations and creativity. They created their own tessellation and added simple details to make it come alive. ART ACTIVITY EMPHASIS: Shapes, Contrasting Colors, Line Details MEDIA: Cut Paper, Dry Tempera, Colored Pencil MAURITS CORNELIS ESCHER (ESH-er) Dutch 1898-1972 The magical and mysterious world of M. C. Escher was opened to the children. His tessellations and optical illusions invited and challenged their imaginations and creativity. They created their own tessellation and added simple details to make it come alive. ART ACTIVITY EMPHASIS: Shapes, Contrasting Colors, Line Details MEDIA: Cut Paper, Dry Tempera, Colored Pencil 7 MAURITS CORNELIS ESCHER Ages 5 7 MeetTheMasters Online Edition
Step 3 - Working With: Art Activity Instructions ARTIST M.C. Escher (Maurits Cornelius ESH ur) 1898-1972 Dutch ART ELEMENTS Tessellation MEDIA Dry tempera paint EMPHASIS Interlocking geometric shapes LEVEL Beginning VOCABULARY Tessellation, contrast, detail, pattern, horizontal, vertical PRINT Lizard SUGGESTED MUSIC Music of the 1900s MATERIALS FOR INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENTS One 9 x 9 white construction paper One 4 x 4 tag board One 12 x 18 sheet of newsprint paper (as placemat) Two sticker labels 2 cotton balls One paper towel (for wiping fingers) Artist Profile Slip Two colors per student of dry tempera paint (choose between Blue, Purple, Magenta, and Yellow) Spoons (one for each color of paint) Plastic cups Black pencils Glue Pencil Scissors Completed Learning Packet PREPARATION Place the Escher print in front of the room. Construct an example to become familiar with the project. Tape the white paper to the board. Have black pencils, tag board, 2 stickers, scissors, cotton balls and paint nearby. SET-UP [ 5 minutes ] Distribute the materials: 8 MAURITS CORNELIS ESCHER Ages 5 7 MeetTheMasters Online Edition
SUPPLIES [3] 2 stickers, 2 cotton balls, black pencil to each student PAPER [5] One sheet of newsprint, One piece of white paper, one tag board square, one paper towel, and artist profile slip to each student ORIENTATION [ 5 minutes ] Today we will use shapes and our imaginations to create interesting and unique tessellations. Who was the artist who originally created tessellations? (M.C. ESCHER) Do shapes in a tessellation overlap? (NO) Do the shapes fit together like a puzzle? (YES) Do you need good imaginations to make the shapes come alive? (YES) Let s begin! Demonstration AND ACTIVITY ORGANIZE YOUR WORK AREA [ 2 minutes ] 1.Place your newsprint like a placemat in the center of your desk. 2.Place the white paper, Artist Profile Slip, and paper towel in one corner of your desk. 3.Put the black pencil, glue, and cotton balls in the other corner. 4.Put the tag board square, scissors, and stickers on the newsprint in front of you. CREATING THE SHAPE STENCIL [ 10 minutes ] 1.Cut the stickers in half, making four pieces. Cut \ Set stickers aside. 2.Draw two s at the top corners of the tag board square. 3.Hold the square in front of you and cut it in half vertically with a curved line. You now have two pieces. 2. 3. 4. 4.Keeping the s at the top, slide one piece over the other piece so that the outside straight edges meet together in the center, straight side to straight side. Use two sticker halves to tape together. (See above right.) 5.Turn the shape, so that the straight edges are now on the left and right sides. Make s at the top of the shape on either side. See below drawing 5. 9 MAURITS CORNELIS ESCHER Ages 5 7 MeetTheMasters Online Edition
6.Cut again vertically through the center with a curved line. 7.Follow the same procedure, keeping the s at the top, slide one piece over the other, placing the two side straight edges together in the center vertically. Use the last two sticker halves to tape together (below right). 5. 6. 8.Using the black pencil, draw two straight lines crossing the center of the shape. One drawn following the horizontal straight edges that were taped together and one drawn following the vertical straight edges that were taped together. Put directional arrow heads at both ends of each line. (above) 9.There should be no scrap. TRACING THE SHAPE [ 8 minutes ] (While the children draw the tessellations, teacher can be giving out cups with dry tempera paint. Students may share. Each student will use two colors. Very little powder is needed. DRAWING THE TESSELLATIONS 10 MAURITS CORNELIS ESCHER Ages 5 7 MeetTheMasters Online Edition
1.Place the white paper on the placemat and place the tag board shape in the upper left hand corner of the white paper. Place it close to the edges without overhanging. Make sure the arrows are horizontal and vertical using the white paper edges as visual guides. Trace around it with the black pencil. 2.Following the arrows, slide the shape to the right, matching edges, like fitting puzzle pieces together, as it moves into place. (If the arrows were not horizontal and vertical, the shape might have to slide somewhat diagonally.) It may also overlap the edges of the paper which is okay. 3.When the shape fits and interlocks into the original tracing, trace around the shape again. This time only three sides of the shape need tracing. 4.Repeat the procedure, SLIDNG the shape straight down, and then again to the left. All four shapes should fit together in a mosaic tiled look. COLORING THE MOSAIC [ 10 minutes ] 1.Choose two of the four colors to create a composition with contrasting colors. Contrasting colors show up very clearly next to each other. They are far apart on the color wheel. Examples: red-blue, yellow-red, pink-green. 2.The shapes should be colored in alternating design. (The top left shape will be the same color as the lower right shape.) See figure on the right. 3.Use the cotton ball and dip it in one color of dry tempera. Tap off the excess powder. Rub the color onto the top left shape. Now find the other shape in the next row on the right that will be the same color. Rub color onto that shape. 4.Repeat the procedure with the other cotton ball and color, rubbing color onto the other two remaining shapes. 11 MAURITS CORNELIS ESCHER Ages 5 7 MeetTheMasters Online Edition
5.The outside border spaces (if any) can be colored also. 6.Trace heavily over black pencil lines to emphasize the shapes. DRAWING THE FIGURE [ 8 minutes ] (Instructor and volunteers can pick up paint and cotton balls during this part.) 1.Lift the white paper and focus on one of the colored shapes as you turn it around and see what appears in your shape. It might be an abstract animal, person, object, or cartoon character. Use of imagination is essential! 2.In that shape, using the black pencil and a few detail lines, create a figure from your imagination. (Refer to Learning Packet for ideas.) 3.Repeat those same FEW lines in the other three shapes, in the same places within the shapes. Try to make them all the same to create a pattern. MOUNTING THE ARTIST PROFILE SLIP [ 2 minutes ] (Profile slips for each artist are provided. They give a brief description of the artist, the technique, and the media used in the art activity. They should be mounted on the back of each art project after it is completed.) 1.Write your name on the front of the artist profile slip. 2.Using glue, mount the profile slip on the back of your artwork. 3.Encourage students to discuss their artwork at home using this artist slip of information. CONCLUSION Your tessellations are very special. Each one is different and colorful. Escher would be so pleased to see how you used your imaginations along with your scissors and colors! CLEAN UP The paint can be put back into the jars if it is clean. CONCLUSION As Escher grew older, he became very popular and made a lot of money selling his artwork. But he had no interest whatsoever in the money he made. Having everyday people choose to buy his artwork was the most important thing to M.C. Escher. Let s see what YOU liked the most from what you ve seen today. We will quickly review his work, and you can vote for your favorite. Will it be a tessellation or a picture from his wonderful imagination? (REVERSE TO ALL ARTWORK FOR A SECOND VIEWING, THEN FORWARD TO VOTE FOR FAVORITES) THIS CONCLUDES THE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC UNIT. 12 MAURITS CORNELIS ESCHER Ages 5 7 MeetTheMasters Online Edition