ART ACTIVITIES for the BLIND...and for READERS of PAINTING IN THE DARK

 

Art Activities 

using techniques described in

PAINTING IN THE DARK: 

ESREF ARMAGAN, BLIND ARTIST

  *Read the book before trying the activities

Print copy, AUDIO download and CD, BRAILLE edition

For sighted students, try the activities using blindfolds

#1 Esref taught himself to draw by carving shapes into cardboard with a nail.

SUPPLIES:

*Thick CARDBOARD and/or FOAM meat/vegetable trays from supermarket cut in workable squares (foam requires less pencil pressure)

*PENCILS, PENS OR NAILS

*Tape to attach paper over the cardboard/foam board.

àCreate a tactile picture (directly into the board, or onto paper taped on the board) by pressing hard enough to create indentation.

àColor the picture using techniques in #8 below.

#2  Esref developed ways to create tactile borders for images in his paintings
*String or yarn (for students with some sight, use a dark colored yarn for contrast against white paper. However, string is a bit easier to work with than yarn since it’s less likely to stick to your fingers)

*Scissors

* White (elmers) glue

*Paper

à Have students coat short pieces of string with glue by dipping thumb and forefinger into the glue and then sliding fingers down the length of string. Shape it onto paper to form outlines of flowers, butterflies, hearts or other simple (or random) shapes. When dry, color or paint inside the raised lines created by the string.

Wiki sticks can also be used in a similar fashion, though lines created will be much thicker.

 #3. Esref handcrafted stencils to create repeated patterns in a painting

*Stencils (can create custom shapes by cutting cardboard)

*Pencil, pen, or nail
*Crayons and/or color pencils

*Paper placed on cardboard, foam, or raised drawing board

àPlanning a picture first in their head, have student draw picture using stencils. Examples: 4 repeated oval or teardrop shapes can be drawn to create butterfly. Circle surrounded with teardrops for a flower. 3 or 4 small triangles atop a larger, longer one makes a windmill. A fish can be made with a teardrop (body)  and triangle (tail). Fill in with colors or glued mixed media (rice, sand, glitter, etc)

#4   PORTRAITS

*Large, close-up photos of faces (from photographs, magazine images, coloring books)

 

àHave sighted assistant outline the facial features using paper placed on foam or cardboard. The students can then feel the lines and understand the features.

Describe colors of eyes, hair, skin, so student can color then in. (can outline the features with glued string as well before coloring)

 

#5.   SCENES

*coloring books, photos, magazine pictures

àUsing Same technique as portraits, create scenes or other objects and describe colors.

 

#7.  FEEL AND DRAW
*something to -- a small figurine perhaps? A favorite stuffed animal? Even something as simple as a pencil.

 àStudy the shape and try to draw it tacitly

 

#8. TECHNIQUES TO FIND THE DESIRED COLORS

●     Buy our make a braille version or colored pencil holder. Braille stickers to label paint containers

●     Esref memorized his preferred order for lining up his paints. Determine your order (color wheel-rainbow : purple red orange yellow green blue, white, black) and place crayons/colored pencils/paints in this order on a tray. Memorize!

àAfter creating a picture using the techniques in #1, color within the lines by feeling the borders of the picture

OTHER TACTILE ART PROJECTS TO TRY

MIXED MEDIA ART

●     After creating tactile outline, create mixed media picture by gluing macaroni, salt, beans, glitter, sand, rice, buttons, popsicle sticks, yarn, string, etc. ( these items can first be painted, or dyed with food coloring)

●     Spread glue on paper plate and add various craft items to create a picture

​
SPIDER WEB ART

Place several push pins into cardboard either a picture pattern or abstract. Weave colored yarn around and between the pins--sort of a 3D Spirograph

How to describe color to a blind person (using other senses)

 

  

SPECIALIZED BLIND ART SUPPLIES

Take a look at the website called The Braille Superstore

**Check out this Braille crayon organizer. I'm not sure it's available except with this book. If it's not available independently, I wonder if you could make them using a braille printer? Tape braille labels onto cardboard or foamboard and carve slots (for horizontal placement)  or holes (vertical) for the crayons.

 https://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/BC1504-CRAYONS.html

** RAISED LINE DRAWING BOARD. Eliminates need for drawing atop cardboard or foam: http://www.braillebookstore.com/Raised--Line-Drawing-Board.1

add: ​

Paper plates to put glue on

Dip fingers into blue rather than a yarn or string. Cut the yarn and small pieces in advance. Use black or dark yarn for those who have some site so they can see it on paper. Blindfolds for those who are sighted and want to try. Enough scissors for everyone.

Paper towels for using glue and cleaning off fingers. Coffee stirrers or toothpicks for helping get string from fingers to paper