study guide sixth-grade fsa exam
Critical Thinking For these types of questions, you should be thinking about how you solve problems in art. When you designed illustrations, thought about what words would accompany your illustrations, discussed with your group what attributes the creatures in your chapter should share, or worked with other students to develop a chapter divider, colophon, or book map—you were using critical thinking skills. When the test shows artwork from another artist, you should think about how the artist was trying to solve some kind of art problem with his or her artwork. Look at the subject-matter, materials, and tools the artist used, and try to figure out how that helped the artist to make a statement or to solve a problem. These questions will likely be the ones you will be trying to answer on the FSA test. For example, look at the image called Starry Night, by Vincent Van Gogh (1889). Van Gogh was trying to depict the movement of the stars in the night sky. He used art along with critical thinking skills to decide what art tools, mediums, and techniques would best show the turbulence of the heavenly objects over the course of time. Recent studies show that Van Gogh must have had an extraordinary understanding of the concept of turbulence, which is perhaps the most difficult concept to grasp in all of physics. Van Gogh was able to use the painting medium to accurately represent this concept. On the test, you may be shown a work like this and asked: How did Van Gogh’s choice of brush strokes help him illustrate the concept of movement? Think about the broad, long, curvy strokes of the painting, and it will help you answer the question correctly. Art Study Guide Page 2
Reflection Reflection is thinking about the results of something. You can reflect about things in your personal life, or you can look at the outcome of a piece of artwork and reflect about what you think the artist may have been trying to say. In the image on this page, Frida Kahlo painted two portraits of herself holding hands called Las Dos Fridas (The Two Fridas, 1939). The two Fridas are wearing different clothing. Notice that they each have their hearts external to their bodies, and that their hearts are connected by an artery or vein that is sown to bind the two Fridas. Please also notice that the Frida in the white dress has a pair of scissors or forceps in her hand, and the end of the vein or artery is open and bleeding onto her dress. Additionally, if you look at the picture you will see the Fridas are outside. The sky is dark and threatening looking. Reflecting on the artwork requires you to make these kinds of observations about the image, and to make connections between the artist and your own experience. Think about why she would paint herself in this manner. What is the mood of the picture? If you said that you think she might have some medical issues she is dealing with that are life-threatening, you would be correct even though you may not be familiar with the painting or Frida Kahlo’s life story. There are many possible interpretations of the other elements of the painting. The test could ask you about any of them. Be reflective and try to put yourself in the artist’s shoes—have empathy for the possible reasons that the artist is trying to convey this message—and you will likely be able to narrow down the choices. If, perhaps, one of the choices said that she was celebrating her wedding day, then although there is a white dress, you might be able to rule that out from the other elements of the painting. Art Study Guide Page 3
Assessing Art When we are working on an art project in school, we are trying to master a learning goal. That is why we have a learning goal and targets at all times to show us whether we are getting to the mastery level or not for that particular goal. When we assess our own work or the work of our fellow students, we are looking for evidence that the work has reached the target level 3 or higher. Let’s take a look at one of our learning goals from earlier this semester Learning Goal: The student will be able to manipulate content, media, techniques, and processes to achieve communication with artistic intent. To assess whether the artist accomplished his/her goal, one should look at the presentation of the image for evidence about whether the work meets target level 3, which is “The student will be able to manipulate content, media, techniques, and processes to achieve communication with artistic intent.� If so, then we can see if he or she reached level four, which is to communicate his or her message effectively without adding any words. If not, the artist has met the goal, but not gone beyond it. Similarly, we can try to figure out what an artist is trying to accomplish with his/her work, and assess how successfully it was done. For example, Andy Warhol created screen prints and other kinds of art to express things about commercialism and pop culture. Look at the image, and decide whether you think this screen print met or exceeded his goal: Art Study Guide Page 4
Critiquing Art A critique in art is defined as a detailed assessment of someone’s work. Therefore, it is similar to assessment, which was discussed on the prior page, but it has dimensions not discussed in the assessment process. This work is a painting entitled, “Number One” by Jackson Pollock (1949). Pollock was working on exploring more abstract aspects of art, which involve depicting feelings or ideas instead of physical forms. Pollock’s abstractions include art that iss completely void of recognizable form. His art is full of energy and emotion, but it doesn’t attempt to show tangible things. The images are made from paint drippings and spills. There are several approaches to critiquing artwork. First, one can try to assess the artwork for it success at rendering objects, but in Pollock’s case, there may not be any objects that one can recognize, so that kind of critique is not useful. One can also talk about the artist’s intent, but unless you specifically know that that is, then it would be difficult to say whether Pollock’ work matched his intent. Deconstruction looks at the artwork itself. It make no attempt to figure out intent or form, but evaluate the actual strokes, colors, and other art elements on the canvas. This kind of critique allows the viewer to put his own interpretation into the work based on the elements on the canvas that he or she sees. This may be the best method for critiquing works like Pollock’s “Number One.” Although there are many ways to critique works of art, the important thing to remember is that the critique should always be specific (state evidence), and it should be constructive (helpful). Making comments that are mean-spirited or general are not helpful toward the artist’s growth, so they should be avoided. Art Study Guide Page 5
Art History The important thing to remember about art history is that it varies from place to place, from time to time, and from culture to culture. Here in America, we are very familiar with art from the European art movements. Yet, art started back 35,000 year ago or more. It is found on every continent, and it has changed depending on who influenced the culture at the time. For example, art in the Americas looked very different before Columbus brought Europeans with new tools, methods, and techniques to the continents. Pre-Colonial art in the Eastern cultures looked very different before the Europeans colonized parts of Asia and Australia. Conversely, modern artists in the post impressionist, cubist, and surrealist movements have been strongly influenced by the primitive art that had been brought to Europe and the Americas from Africa. Folk arts, which are usually made to be functional or decorative—as opposed to fine arts, which are more aesthetically motivated—express the differences between cultures within the same country. For example Southwestern folk arts in Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico, have more of a Mexican influence where art from Pennsylvania has strong German influence. Studying art around the world is a way to look into the cultural experiences of its people. I suggest that you should find a good book about art history, or at least a timeline of art movements online to familiarize yourself with world art for the test.
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Art and the Other Disciplines Art has always been a way to explore other content areas and disciplines. Leonardo da Vinci explored ideas in science, mathematics, and technology through the use of art. Literature has a strong connection with visual art as means of communicating messages. Art has also helped aid comprehension of difficult reading passages through illustrating the meaning of the text. Much of what historians know about people and societies of the past comes from art, photography, music, and artifacts that still remain long after other records have been destroyed. Therefore, art is uniquely capable in that it is a means for exploring and understanding things in all other content areas. On the FSA test, you may see some questions related to how an artwork communicates to historians about a society or event, or how one can use a grid (math) to aid in drawing, or how science and art are related. Think about the picture above where da Vinci illustrates the muscular structure of an adult man. Think about the technologies that we used to print our bestiary pages. Think of all of your textbooks that are full of art. Notice that art is everywhere, on signs, in stores, in school, and even in graffiti on the sides of buildings, and you will see that art has a connection with nearly every part of life.
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Art Careers Earlier in the school year, we discussed some of the art related jobs that you might consider in the future. Aside from being a freelance artist, who survives by selling artwork that is independently made or commissioned, there are a wide range of art careers. They include the following: • Illustrator—creates artwork to demonstrate the meaning of an existing story • Graphic Designer—creates innovative documents for web, print, and interactive medium • Web Designer—designs the look of web pages based on the elements of art and principles of design • Web Coder—writes the computer code to the designer’s specifications to make it function properly • Architect—designs buildings • Draftsman—makes technical drawings and illustrations • Fashion Designer—creates clothing • Layout Artist—typically works for a publication designing the layouts of books, magazines, or newspapers • Photographer—takes and edits photographs using digital tools like Photoshop • Medical illustrator—draws the human anatomy for science and medical books • Police Artist—draws images of the perpetrator of a crime based on descriptions from witnesses • Court Artist—draws illustrations of proceedings of a trial to show the public • Animator—draws/creates moving images • Comic Book or Graphic Novel Artist—creates stories primarily from images • Motion Graphic Artists—use digital, film, and animation tools to create moving words and avatars for web pages, movies, and television • Print artists—uses Printmaking and Printing technologies to create publication arts Art Study Guide Page 8
Art Tools and Technologies Technologies can include anything from simple tools to complex digital and analog equipment. Here are some art technologies you should remember for the test. • Pencils (h and b scale)
• Linoleum Plate
• Adobe Illustrator
• Charcoal
• Monotype plate
• Adobe Photoshop
• Pen and Ink
• Scissors
• Adobe InDesign
• Quill
• Paper Mache
• Windows Paint
• Stick
• Clay tools
• Adobe Sketch
• Pastels
• Glue sticks
• Procreate
• Conte Crayon
• Saws
• iPads and Tablets
• Paint Brush
• Files
• Drawing Tablet and Pen
• Paint Knife
• Sand paper
• Ruler
• U gouges
• Brayers
• Straight Edge
• V gouges
• Barens
• Air Brush
• Chisels
• Etching Press
• Kiln
• Carving Knives
• Relief Printing Press
• Hammer
• Letterpress
• Mallet
• Book Press
• X-acto knives
• Composing Stick
• Mat Cutters
• Imposing Stone
• Wire cutter
• Lead or Wood Type
• Lithograph Stone
• Computer
• Wood Block Plate
• Software
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Mediums and Bases Mediums
Bases
• Acrylic Paint
• Digital media
• Construction Paper
• Oil Paint
• Film
• Printer Paper
• Tempera Paint
• Collage
• Multipurpose Paper
• Watercolor
• Mixed Media
• Finger Paint Paper
• Spray Paint
• Clay
• Watercolor Paper
• Finger Paints
• Wood
• Japanese Printmaking
• India Ink
• Wire
• Relief Printing Ink
• Pipe Cleaners
• Wood
• Etching Ink
• Sticks
• Canvas
• Monotype Ink
• Folded Paper/Origami
• Metal
• Silkscreen Ink
• Paper Mache
• Fabric
Papers
• Collograph
• Textiles
• Pencils with various
• Sidewalk or street
hardness ratings
• Building materials
• Ball Point Pen
• Cement
• Charcoal
• Concrete
• Chalk
• Plastics
• Pastel
• Glass
• Conte Crayon • Crayon Art Study Guide Page 10
Seven Elements of Art • Line— A path created by a moving point, mark or object. It is a dot that takes a walk. Line can be straight, swirly, wavy, jagged, dotted, dashed, broken, thick, thin, zig zag, diagonal, vertical, horizontal, curved, bold, parallel or perpendicular. • Shape— A two-dimensional (2D), flat enclosed area. Examples of shapes could be geometric, organic/natural, irregular, circle, square, rectangle, diamond, oval, crescent, heart, triangle, octagon. • Color— The element of art derived from reflected or absorbed light. The primary colors are red, yellow and blue. The secondary colors are created by mixing the primary colors. They are purple (violet), orange and green. Colors have temperature (warm and cool). They can be analogous or complimentary, and we can use them in triads. • Form— Objects having three dimensions (3D), or height, width, and depth. Examples of form can include cubes, cylinders, and spheres. Can be real or implied. • Texture— How something feels or looks like it would feel if you could touch it. There are two kinds of texture: Real (how something actually feels, such as a sculpture) and Implied (when an artist paints or draws a texture but it is artificial). • Value— The lightness or darkness of an object. The degree of lightness or darkness. The effect of light and shade in a picture. Value terms can include tint, hue, shade, highlight, shadow, and local color. Art Study Guide Page 11
Seven Elements of Art Continued • Space— The element of art that refers to the emptiness or area around or within objects. Positive space is the area that is filled by an object, and negative space is the space around the object. Sometimes artists play with positive and negative space, blurring the lines between the for effect. Space also includes the foreground, middle ground, and background areas of an image.
How many of the seven elements of art do you see in this image? Art Study Guide Page 12
Example of an image using all seven Elements of Art In this example, the artist uses all seven elements of art in one picture. Line is shown in several areas. many of the letters and shapes have outlines, and line is implied where the diamond shapes in the background meet. Line is also used in the stripes and swirls. The next element of art is Shape. In this drawing the diamonds and stripes form geometric shapes. Areas of this image make use of primary and secondary Color. Because the image has more emphasis on the reds and yellows, it can be said to have a warm color temperature. Analogous colors are ones next to each other on the color wheel like blue, green, and yellow. Complimentary are on opposite sides of the wheel like the green and red in the heart. Varying Value in the heart by showing shadows and highlights, the artist has created the illusion of three dimensional Form. Additionally, the letters I and A have design elements that give them the illusion of depth on the left side of the letters. The wood grain look of the diamond in the lower-right corner behind the bottom of the T of the picture is tactile looking, so it adds Texture to the piece. Finally, the artist plays with positive and negative space by having objects show through one another. The words and the heart are clearly in the foreground of the page, while the diamonds are in the background. Therefore, the artist effectively uses the element of Space in his or her work. Art Study Guide Page 13
Techniques and Processes • Linear Perspective—the process of drawing lines toward one or more vanishing point to show depth. The artist should place the vanishing point(s) along a horizon line. Always use a straight edge or rule when drawing in linear perspective. • Aerial or Atmospheric Perspective—the effect of the atmosphere on the viewer’s ability to see things that are far away is that only the shorter wavelength colors make it through distance, so mountains may appear to be blue. Also, far away things are blurrier with less detail, and the colors that do come through are muted. • Depth can also be shown in art by having objects in the foreground, middle ground, and background. Objects are closer if they block parts of other objects, if their base is lower on the page, and if they are larger than objects of the same actual size. • Form can be created in 2D art by rendering shadows and highlights along with variations of local color. • Paying attention to the negative space, that is the space around an object, helps the artist correctly render the positive shapes. • Correct proportions are important for realistically rendering an object or person. Using general proportion rules can help. A grid is a helpful tool for getting the placement and proportions of subjects correct. • A grid can also be used to reduce or enlarge an image easily. • The grid can be a visible part of the artwork, or it may be eliminated after it is used. It is the artist’s choice. • Color Theory—Colors that are next to one another on the color wheel are analogous. Colors that are opposite on the color wheel are complimentary colors. Triads are three colors that divide the wheel into even thirds. Warm colors are the ones nearest the reds, oranges, and yellows. Cool Art Study Guide Page 14
Techniques and Processes Continued colors are nearest the blues, greens, and purples. Monochromatic color palettes are made by varying the value of a single hue of a color. These are a few of many ways to choose color palettes for a project. • Watercolor paints can be used wet on wet, wet on dry, dry on wet, or dry on dry to create different effects. • Acrylic and Oil paints require a medium to thin the paint and help even application. • Clay building techniques include pinch pot, coil building, and slab building. Pieces are connected using the slip and score method. • Type is set on a composing stick before transferring to a galley or press bed. It is aligned upside down and from right to left. • When using carving tools, knives, or other sharp objects, one should use a bench hook to ensure that the block doesn’t slide. Hands should be kept off the block, and the artist should carve the block away from all parts of his/her body to avoid injury.
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