Inspired by a lesson in My Art Book: Animals, and artist Andy Scott, students created these giraffe sculptures using Twisteez colored wire (one of my favorite products at the NAEA Convention this past March.) First they chose a color for their cardboard bases and painted them with acrylic paint. They then learned to make a basic armature, plotting out the anatomy of their giraffes. Starting with the legs, additional wires were added to flesh out and strengthen their sculptures. Photographs of giraffes were available for reference.
I really enjoyed watching these sculptures come to life! I also loved seeing how each student made their creation unique from others by choices in color, placement, and all of their hard work wrapping, attaching and bending the wires. It was also a great lesson for balance. The legs of the sculptures had to be strong enough to support the rest of the body. If someone started building the head, they would soon realize that they had to stop to focus on building up the lower areas. Then they could return to the top of the sculpture. Enjoy!