Amazing Animals in Art ART ACTIVITIES Howling Dog (image) Using a single continuous line and his imagination, Paul Klee created this "howling dog." He allowed his hand to wander spontaneously over the page and then gave the resulting work a title. Klee called this process "taking a line for a walk." A. Draw animal contours. 1. Take a long piece of string and drop it on the floor or on a table. 2. Look at the shape made by the string and try to find the form of an animal in it. (Drop the string several times, until you get an arrangement you like.) 3. On a piece of paper, draw the animal you see in the string. Follow the line of the string carefully, without taking your pencil off the paper--as if writing in cursive. (Pretend the pencil is a magnet, attracted so strongly to the paper that you cannot take it off.) Try drawing with a dark-colored crayon and then painting over it with watercolors, to create an environment for the animal. The waxy crayon "resists" the paint and will not be covered up. B. Make continuous-line drawings of animals from pictures in magazines or books. Pay special attention to the contour lines (the edges of shapes within the animal), not just the outline. C. Create wire animal sculptures based on your drawings, using only one long piece of wire. It should be thin wire, with the ends taped to prevent injury.   Teacups with Scenes from "The Fox and the Stork" (image) Design and draw an eating container for another animal perhaps one in this unit (Index of Images). Keep in mind the size and shape of the animal's mouth, the height of the animal, and the kind and amount of food the animal eats. Consider: In the story of the Fox and the Stork, why was the plate a bad container for the stork's dinner? Why did the tall vase work better for the stork than for the fox?   Moths, Caterpillar, and Foliage (image) Maria Sibylla Merian was both a scientist and an artist. She drew insects in order to study them and to record how they appear in nature. A. Collect some insects and examine them under a microscope, or collect pictures of insects. Draw the insects, paying special attention to patterns and shapes. B. Print your insect drawings, using flat Styrofoam printing plates, as follows: 1. Draw the design on the Styrofoam, pressing lightly to make indentations in the surface. 2. Using a brayer or a rolling pin, roll acrylic paint or printing ink over the printing plate's surface. Spread the ink evenly and not too thickly. 3. Gently lay the printing plate face down on a piece of paper cut slightly larger than the plate. Then press down firmly. 4. Keeping the paper and printing plate pressed together, turn them over so the paper is on top. Then roll the brayer or rolling pin over the paper several times. Be sure to roll evenly over the paper's entire surface. 5. Gently peel the paper away from the printing plate to see the image. Many prints can be made from one printing plate. Experiment with different colors of paper and ink.   Bridge-Spout Vessel in the Form of a Fish (image) This ceramic vessel reflects the importance of fish and of the natural environment in the world view of the Nazca people of ancient Peru. A. Choose an environment (such as the desert, the North Pole, or outer space) and draw an animal that would live there. Use your imagination! B. Imagine that you live in the same environment you chose for the animal, and make a vessel out of clay that reflects that environment. Keep in mind the climate, the animals, the needs of the people (such as food, clothing, containers, tools), and the people's level of technology.   Benin Bronze Leopard (image) This leopard was made to symbolize the power and status of the Benin king, called the oba. Draw an animal that would be your symbol. Consider: What makes this leopard a good symbol for a king? What do you think the king is like? What qualities do you think the leopard and the king have in common? What is your personality like? Are you kind? gentle? funny? a fast runner? Can you think of an animal with those characteristics?