Art Math Integration at New Roberto Clemente School and Don Bosco Technical Academy

At New Roberto Clemente School (NRC) art teacher Ms Aramayo recently created an art lesson for her middle school students that integrates art with math. She used the "grid method," a method for transferring the details of a photograph or a sketch to a larger format where an enlarged artwork can then be created.

Above:  The grid technique to enlarge a sketch or photograph.

The grid technique is based on math, especially measurements and proportions.

Above:  Drawings by NRC students

The grid technique has been used throughout time. "Since Ancient Egyptian times, artists have been using the "grid method" as a drawing tool to improve accuracy. The Egyptians used this method by 'snapping' a string soaked in red dye against their drawing surface to create the lines" LINK. During the Renaissance Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) used a drawing machine to create his grids.

Above: Albrecht Durer with his time machine.

Ms Aramayo taught the students to take photographs of their faces with their cellphones first.  Next she explained to students how to place a grid on their photographs and then to make a proportional grid on a larger piece of paper.  She explained that the trick to grid art is to keep the two grids proportional.  Next students created enlarged drawings on their larger paper block by block.  Finally they used pencil and graphite to create their finished artworks.

Above:  Finished Self Portraits by NRC Students

AT Don Bosco Technical Academy (DB) art teacher Ms. Kaminski created a self portrait drawing lesson that relied on another mathematical concept: symmetry.  Her students also photographed themselves and printed out their photos.  But in Ms. Kaminski's class, they learned to cut their printed photos lengthwise in half and to glue one half of their portrait to a plain white paper, leaving room for the other half.  

Next students completed their drawings with pencils by drawing the other half of their face based on what they could see in the photographs.  They used symmetry as well as proportion and measurement in this process. Their finished drawings are equal in size to the original photo.  These artworks, now in the display case on the first floor on the first floor of Don Bosco Technical Academy attract many viewers.