Lesson 2: Experimental Media
Duration of Days: 10
Lesson Objective
Students will build their own drawing tools and "DIY" inks to discover new ways of making marks that a factory-made pen cannot do.
Why would an artist choose to use a messy, homemade tool instead of a perfect pencil?
What kind of "mark" does a feather make versus a piece of rusted wire?
Mark-making: The unique patterns, dots, and lines created by a specific tool.
Homemade Media: Inks or "paint" made from everyday items like coffee, tea, or berries.
Experimental: Trying something without knowing exactly how it will turn out.
VA.CR.HS.3. Refine and complete artistic work.
VA.PR.HS.5. Develop and refine artistic work for presentation.
VA.RE.HS.9. Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.
Innovation: Solving the problem of "how do I draw without a pen?" uses the same creative logic needed for high-level science and engineering questions.
Description, Purpose, DOK Level: * Description: Students will go on a "scavenger hunt" for items like twigs or sponges, tape them to handles to make brushes, and use "inks" made from coffee or juice to create an abstract drawing.
Purpose: To let go of the need for "perfect" lines and embrace "happy accidents."
DOK Level: 4 (Extended Thinking).
Description: Students will go on a "scavenger hunt" for items like twigs or sponges, tape them to handles to make brushes, and use "inks" made from coffee or juice to create an abstract drawing.
Purpose: To let go of the need for "perfect" lines and embrace "happy accidents."
DOK Level: 4 (Extended Thinking).
History: Exploring how ancient cultures created cave paintings using sticks, fur, and crushed rocks.
Graphic Design: Many modern logos are first "sketched" with messy, homemade tools to give them an organic, human feel.
Misconception: "I can't control the tool, so it’s a bad drawing."
* Correction: Explain that the "loss of control" is actually the goal—it makes the art look more energetic and unique.
Peer Support: Work in "Tool Teams" where students build brushes together and swap them to see who can make the weirdest mark.
Mark Library: A sheet where students test their homemade tools and label them (e.g., "The Twig Brush" or "The Coffee Wash").
For Tools: Twigs, sponges, feathers, yarn, tape, and skewers.
For Media: Strong coffee, dark tea, beet juice, or liquid charcoal.