Faux Paper Cut-Out Illustration with Photoshop

Minnesota 9-12 Media Arts Standards
Used in this Lesson

  • 1. Demonstrate knowledge of the foundations of the arts area.
  • 1A. Analyze how the elements in media arts such as image, sound, space, time, motion and sequence, are combined to communicate meaning in the creation of, presentation of, or response to media arts.

  • 1b. Evaluate how the principles of media arts such as repetition, unity and contrast are used in the creation of, presentation of, or response to media artworks.

  • 1c. Analyze how the characteristics of a variety of styles and genres such as documentary, narrative or abstract, contribute to the creation of, presentation of, or response to media artworks.

  • 1d. Apply understanding of the health and safety issues related to creating in media arts.

  • 2. Demonstrate knowledge and use of the technical skills of the art form, integrating technology when applicable.
  • 2a. Integrate tools, materials, and techniques to create original products for artistic purposes.

  • 2b. Integrate linear and non-linear software including video- and sound-editing software to create original products for expressive intent.

  • 3. Demonstrate understanding of the personal, social, cultural and historical contexts that influence the arts areas.
  • 3a. Analyze how a work in media arts influences and is influenced by the personal, social, cultural and historical contexts, including the contributions of Minnesota American Indian tribes and communities.

  • 3b. Synthesize and express an individual view of the meanings and functions of media arts.
  • 4. Create or make in a variety of contexts in the arts area using the artistic foundations.
  • 4a. Create a single, complex work or multiple works in media arts.

  • 4b. Revise creative work based on artistic intent and using multiple sources of critique and feedback.

  • 4c. Justify an artistic statement, including how audience and occasion influence creative choices.

  • 5. Perform or present in a variety of contexts in the arts area using the artistic foundations.
  • 5a. Present, exhibit, publish or demonstrate collections of media artworks for different audiences and occasions.

  • 5b.Revise a presentation based on artistic intent and using multiple sources of critique and feedback.

  • 5c. Justify artistic intent, including how audience and occasion influence presentation choices.
  • 6. Respond to or critique a variety of creations or performances using the artistic foundations.
  • 6a. Analyze, interpret and evaluate a variety of media artworks by applying self-selected criteria within the traditions of the art form.

  • 6b. Justify choices of self-selected criteria based on knowledge of how criteria affects criticism.

    • Additional Tie-ins

  • Paper art
  • Shadows, curves, highlights
    • Students are shown a variety of paper cut-out illustrations and sculptures as inspiration. (Some real paper and others done in Photoshop.)

    Then the teacher leads students in a quick tutorial on how to make a simple paper cut-out illustration using photoshop. Drop shadows and inner shadows are utilized as well as blurring effects and layer groups.

    Evaluation:
    1 point -- Save as "Paper-yourname.psd"
    3 points -- Includes Background, Middle Ground and Foreground items.
    3 points -- Utilizes drop shadows
    3 points -- Use of inner shading to "curl" the paper
    10 points total


    PSD