7th Grade Graffiti Unit- "From 'Tags' to 'Pieces': Creating a Personal Identity" For the next couple weeks we will be working on creating a personal identity and showcasing it through our artwork. We will be learning about the history and art form of graffiti. The term graffiti is writing or drawings that have been scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly on a wall or other surface in a public place. Graffiti ranges from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings, and it has existed since ancient times, with examples dating back to Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and the Roman Empire. In modern times, paint, particularly spray paint, and marker pens have become the most commonly used graffiti materials. In most countries, marking or painting property without the property owner's consent is considered defacement and vandalism, which is a punishable crime. We will be using the website https://graffitiknowhow.com/ for a lot of info. Graffiti History DAY 1-3 During our first week you will decide on a tag, or nickname, to use for the graffiti unit; practice creating graffiti letters and brainstorm ideas for your first piece. 1. We will work together and discuss some characteristics that are showcased in graffiti fonts, such as layout, letter structure, overlapping, add ons/break offs, and shading techniques. 2. Practice creating different lettering ideas. You should use your initials for this step. You can take a look at one of the links below for help and inspiration. You can also use sites like 1001fonts.com to find graffiti inspired fonts. 3. Create a nickname for yourself that is at least four letters long. Fold a piece of paer in half and practice your nickname using two different graffiti fonts. Choose a color scheme and practice blending some of your colors together to make interesting color combinations. Think about how you will create contrast between your background shape and your name. KEEP YOUR SKETCHES FROM THESE TWO DAYS. YOU WILL NEED TO SUBMIT THEM FOR CREDIT. https://cooltourspain.com/graffiti-letters/ Here is a link to a site that discusses creating graffiti letters. It could also be helpful as you work on creating your different design ideas. Here is another website with a good tutorial on word placement and blending colors. Here is a wikihow with two font design tutorials with step by step instructions. Here is a Youtube site, DK Drawing that has a ton of graffiti tutorial videos. DAY 3-8 Our final project will be creating a small fence sculpture with your graffiti painted on its side. We will be using paint and posca pens to paint your graffiti design on the side of your fence. Take a look at the link below for a bunch of step by step pictures of the entire process. https://amslerartroom.wordpress.com/student-work/graffiti-fence-name-designs/ Remember to make your piece bold and colorful. This is a personal art piece that represents you. Use colors that you like and choose a style of letters that you enjoy. 7th AR Standards: CR1.7.1 CR 2.7.1 CR2.7.2 CR3.7.1 P5.7.1 R7.7.2 CN10.7.1 CN11.7.1