Whimsical Slab
House
Slab Building Vocabulary
• Slab building: Building a form by joining
sections that have been cut from sheets of
damp clay.
• Relief Sculpture: to give the impression that
the sculpted material has been raised above
the background plane.
• A bas-relief or low relief is a projecting image
with a shallow overall depth. Example: coins
• High relief is where in general more than half
the mass of the sculpted figure projects from
the background.
Relief Sculptures
Bas-Relief or Low-Relief
High Relief
Elements
Shape:
Value:
• an enclosed space
• Geometric: have clear edges
one achieves when using
tools to create them.
• Organic: curvy shapes,
found in nature. Shapes
without straight edges or
corners
• lightness or darkness of a
color.
• Value range: the range of
grays from white to black
• Color Value: showing the
shades and tints of one
color.
Shapes:
geometric and organic
Value:
transition of glazes
Principles
Harmony and Unity
Balance
• all of the elements of a
piece combine to make a
balanced, harmonious,
complete whole work of art.
• composition with similar
elements.
• The way in which the
elements of a piece are
arranged.
• Visually weighs the same on
both sides of a piece.
• Symmetrical-same on both
sides.
• Asymmetrical-not the same
but still balanced.
Principles in sculpture
Harmony and Unity
Balance
Symmetrical
Asymmetrical
Whimsical House Unit
• 1st grade-sketch 3 houses with 3 views each.
• 2nd grade- You will create a final drawing with
color or value drawing.
• 3rd grade-create a slab house using clay
• 4th grade- you will write a whimsical children’s
poem based on your design or drawing in the
style of Shel Silverstein.
Sketches:
3 different ideas
3 different views
Final Drawing:
with background and details
This should be a good illustration for
your poem
Clay Slab House
Steps to build the house:
• Start by cutting the walls and base
• Score and slip the edges you will be attaching
Attach the walls and add reinforcing
coils to all the edges
Try to keep your houses under 12
inches to keep it manageable
Get Creative!
Tree House
A tree house, a free house,
A secret you and me house,
A high up in the leafy branches
Cozy as can be house. A street house,
a neat house,
Be sure and wipe your feet house
Is not my kind of house at all-Let's go live in a tree house.
• -Shel Silverstein
Whimsical Poem
• You will create a poem based on the house
you draw and construct.
• The poem should be written for children, but
can be weird or creepy as long as it fits the
design of your house.
• Read Shel Silverstein poems for inspiration
• This needs to be completed by the turn in
date for the house project.
Today: Start sketching ideas for your
Whimsical House, or start writing your
poem…
Either way, get busy!!!