Drawing M C Escher Tessellations

Sixth-Eighth grade

DISCUSSION: show any of MC ESCHER's art work
Discuss the repetition of images
Discuss the mathmatical aspects of the artwork
get feedback from the students about their feelings on the endless themes

ARTIST: MC ESHER 1898-1972
Dutch graphic artist
Know for his mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithpgraphs, mezzotints
These feature impossible constructions explore infinity, architechture and tessellations
Hand drawing themselves
Circular waterfalls
Very mathematical

A tessellation is created when a shape is repeated over and over again covering a plane without and gaps or overlaps.

PROJECT: EACH STUDENT CREATES THEIR OWN BIRD TEMPLATE USING THE FOLLOWING STEPS:
Step1: 3x3 inch cut tag board card
DRAW A DIAGRAM ON THE BOARD:
Step2: number corners as shown: left top corner 1
Right top corner 2
Left bottom corner 3
Right bottom corner 4
Step3: cut off corners numbered 3 and four diagonally
Step4: tape them to the top touching not overlapping: 3 on top of one creating straight edges
Step5: tape four on top of two creating straight edges
Step6: draw a triangle on the backside as shown, label H
Step7: cut out the triangle and tape it to piece labeled 4 creating a head
http://www.artprojectsforkids.org/2008/02/mc-escher-tessellations.html

Use this bird as a template to fillin your page of construction paper trace the bird over and over again until your page is full of birds

Take your time filling in the birds
Use two complimentary colors
Or Try Black and white
Rainbow palette could also be interesting

MATERIALS:
3x3” tag board
Scissors
Tape
12x18 white construction paper

LINKS: I found this project on another one of my FAVORITE sites. For more information and detailed drawing of bird directions please visit: http://www.artprojectsforkids.org/2008/02/mc-escher-tessellations.html