Lines to Music

I'm choosing this project first because it's great for knocking down the fear wall.  This is a project I use to warm up for myself. It's great for getting in a "right brain" mode.  I think it is a great way to loosen those arm and finger muscles and to get rid of the "no scribbling" rule.  Plus, it's just fun, I love creating art to music.

It's pretty simple.  Cover your table (or floor) with paper or use a large piece of paper, put on your favorite music, grab some crayons, charcoal, markers, or finger paints and scribble away to the music.  Choose some fast music and some slow music.  Be expressive.  Think about how the music makes you feel and what kinds of lines you paint to the different tempo and notes.  Are some lines thick?  Are some lines thin?  Big strokes?  Little strokes?  Angled lines?  Curved lines? 


For some this assignment takes some getting used to, but it is very liberating once you can free yourself to do it.  Here's some examples of the projects and variations of this assignment that we have done:

Finger painting to music- fast and slow
For this particular lesson in the photos we used Barber of Seville & Act 3 of Carmen; crayola finger paints, & finger paint paper- it doesn't tear as easily with wet paint & has slick side for easy sliding of the fingers, butcher paper could work too

Drawing lines with crayons to different styles of music
This time the song was "I've Got Rhythm", and we used crayons and Ikea's roll of paper

Painting with feet to music
This time we used a wide variety of music, but the song I remember off the top of my head was Benny Goodman's "Sing, Sing, Sing"; and we used sheets as canvas or you can also get large amounts of muslin fabric at a fabric store for a fairly good price, and crayola washable paint.  Down side to the paint is it is more of a tempera and has a powdery feel and the color dries much lighter.  So if you're brave enough to use non washable acrylic paint, also more expensive, you can get better color and your masterpiece will be washable.  I should also warn you that it can get slippery dancing in paint.

The first time I ever did lines to music was in a 2D design class at Utah State University.  The assignment was to draw one line to music that expresses the music. I found this assignment to be a favorite and really inspiring for me.

Beatles- Cry for a Shadow

U2-Exit

I've adapted or done variations of it for myself and for assignments and projects I've given out to students.  It is okay if you or your children (or students if you're teaching) don't get this right away.  Some people get it and love it right away and others need to be shown what to do or what you expect.  In my design class there were only a couple of us that understood what the instructor was asking for, that you can express mood or a song in this case, with one line.  A handful of the class turned in a page with something resembling a heart rate monitor.  Since I am not teaching a college/university class of potential career artists I don't limit to one line and am not so concerned about one line expressing the emotion of the song as I am about giving an opportunity to scribble- to break down a barrier, and to "feel" art or make an emotional connection.