Unit 2: Saying It with Symbols

From the course: Foundations in Visual Arts

From cave art to animated movies, from medieval books to video games, illustration is an essential part of communication—and increasingly important in modern digital media. The unit project is to create promotional artwork for a film, TV show, or video game. To do so, students develop drawing and photography skills while creating and using symbols to convey ideas. Throughout the unit, they analyze contemporary symbols in graffiti, wearable art, and advertisements to understand how visual elements can represent ideas and values.

Length: 20 50-minute sessions

Unit Project Description

Using the visual power of symbols, students create an original work of art that they will use when they apply for a (fictitious) internship in the marketing department of a movie studio, TV studio, or game development company.

Optional: Teachers may choose to include a photography component in the unit project as an extension. In this case, students work in teams to design and execute a photo shoot of their still-life setups, and then choose two photos for their portfolios.

Unit Supplement

The unit supplement includes additional information about essential activities, notes on timing, one or more activities to support students' developing art practice, sample rubrics, and differentiation strategies.

Preview the Unit
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