Paper Cutting

 The Art of  Paper Cutting

In the many years gone by the use of paper (mainly kite paper and crepe paper) were regularly used to decorate the homes and temples of the East Indians who decorated for celebratory and religious purposes. 

Even though simple, they were most beautiful, effective and elegant. Paper cutting allowed for many  intricate patterns highlighting curves and geometric shapes and the more talented and patient craftsman would create silhouettes of the Gods and Goddess. Paper folding and cutting also resulted in the popular "bird nests" which added great dimension to the decorated areas. 
Wedding marrows of long ago entailed the beautiful crepe paper art work highlighting intricate and complex geometric designs combined with vibrant colours. This was a sight to see by the invited guests of the Hindu weddings long ago. The craftstmen took great pride in this as the wedding marrow was of course one of the main focal point of the wedding. 

Below are some links showing you the art of paper cutting and how elaborate it can sometime be. Make sure and check them out!!!

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3m73lMEw_s
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph-aepabXpY

Share your experiences on this lesson topic!!! 

• What was most exciting experience for you during this lesson? 
• How have you benefited from this new skill learnt? 
• What do you think about this art form? 

Decorative Wall Hangings

Wall hangings re used as a form of decoration to beautify our homes, schools, even work places. They serve primarily as a decorative element although in some cases it can also manage to be functional as well. Such an example is a KEY HOLDER wall hanging or a Mail wall hanging.

  An example of a Functional and Decorative Wall hanging        Key Holder

In class, we looked at examples of decorative wall hangings and we spoke about the various materials which can be used to help embellish your designs and we also looked at some tools often used in decorative art.

You were all given the task to source an old piece of cardboard (from your old sketch pad or note book) and use it as the base for a decorative wall hanging reflecting the  East Indian Culture as we celebrate 169 years East Indian Arrival or another of some flora or fauna. I am very impressed at the level of craftsmanship, the various designs and the originality of your work. Keep it up!!

Examples of Students' Work. 

 

 

 

REFLECTION 

Please reflect of your development of skills in this area of decorative craft. 

1. What was most interesting during the lesson? 
2. What did you discover on your own as you were designing or decorating the piece? 
3. How can you use this art form in your life? Give examples if possible. 

The Art of Mehndi

The Art of Mehndi

During this period of  Heritage Month and as we approach Indian Arrival Day, the art of Mehndi will be displayed on the hands of many individuals throughout the country. This art form which uses the human body as its canvas is part of the East Indian tradition in beautifying the body for celebratory functions.

In Trinidad and Tobago there are some misconceptions about male using mehndi. 

A groom waves showing an intricate mehndi pattern

The purpose of mehndi is to beautify the body, primarily for a wedding(dulha/dulhin) or for other celebratory purposes. In this present time, we are also seeing the use of mehndi being used as a modern fashion/style. 

Amitabh Bachan getting mehndi done prior to his son's marriage in India. 

Males also decorate their hands with mehndi for marriages and even create mehndi artwork on their bodies as temporary tattoos. In India, the UK and parts of America it is not uncommon to see males keeping the tradition alive by donning their hands with this art work. 

Abhishek Bachan's palm is decorated with a mehndi pattern. 

This is a beautiful art form which uses the henna paste to create different types of lines, in a repetitive manner, resulting in a splendor of motifs and patterns on the human body. Mehndi artists can be both male and female. 

                                          A male mehndi artist at work. 

Simple Mehndi Video Link

Intricate Mehndi Video Link

My Blogging Experience

You have been exposed to a new tool this term- Blogs. I am sure you had great fun using this new tool of learning !!!

You have used this tool to help reflect on the lessons that took place in class, and also it influenced you to probe deep within and think how the topics impact on you. 

• Do you feel more confident? 
• Are you more willing to respond to questions in class? 
• Are you brave to contribute to a class discussion and not remain quiet and afraid? 

Share in this last post for the term, what you think of the use of blogs in helping develop your skills and confidence in expressing yourself. 

Enjoy the Easter holidays!!!!  and Remember---------------->

Sir Dilip Denesh Maharaj

For 1B Students Only. Final Comic!

Congratulations on submitting your final Comic Page!! I am sure you are all proud of your accomplishments! You all did a wonderful job for the past few weeks and I congratulate you once more.

                Comic on Societal Issues- Bullying/Theft 

Share your thoughts on the journey with us readers. Here are some guided questions to assist. Feel free to add any other personal experience you may wish to share.

• How was the journey for you?
• What was one of the most difficult lessons for you and why?
• What was one of the most interesting lesson for you and why?
• Has the blogging of your journey helped you in any way? How so?
• How did you feel submitting your Completed comic Page?

Form 1B ONLY. Critique of Drafts

A wonderful  experience was provided when you were placed in groups and asked to critique a draft of a comic page provided to you. You were to use all the knowledge provided to you on designing Comics and make your comments on the piece provided to you.

                                            Art Criticism

Reflection

• Please reflect on how it felt to critique your fellow colleague's work. 
• How does it make you feel? 
• Is it to your colleagues benefit when you critique? 
• Do you it beneficial to you as well and why?

Form 1B ONLY. Reading: Creation of Comic Characters

In this post I am including information that will help you better understand Comic Characters. There are two link that will great add to your knowledge learn in class and they will help you in developing your skill even more.  Do not forgot to Comment on This Blog. At the bottom of this page you will find the Guided Questions for your Reflections.

I am sure you had a wonderful experience creating your own characters. Keep a collection of the characters you created and you can always add more to your collection. This is a nice way of bring life to your environment.

Remember, a comic character can be created from anything- a shoe, tin, pencil, eraser, lunch bag, spoon......... Even a shape can come to life by simply adding eyes, nose, a mouth, even arms and legs.

               Pencils coming to life by adding facial features. 

One of the most important aspects in drawing comic characters besides the facial and body features would be Expression of feelings and mood of the character. These would include happiness, sadness, showing agitation, hostility, envy, hate, anger and so on.

Below is a Chart that can help you better create emotions in your characters. You can also click on the link to get a larger view of the Facial Expression Chart .

                                    Facial Expression Chart 

In the next link  you will see many other characters. It is a page that focuses and provides information on Character Design . This link will show you step by step guidelines to help you better design your characters for your Comic Page. Please read it through thoroughly and ensure that you make use of the information learnt. 

Remember to write your thoughts on the information provided to you. 

Here are a few guided questions to help you: 

• What do you think of the information provided to you in this blog? 

• Has the information benefited you in any way? If so, please explain. 

• Are you feeling more confident about your development as a Comic Artist? Why?