Digital Fabrication

Spheros

This semi-digital art tool functioned as an extension of our hands for this project. We downloaded a special app that allowed us to connect to the computer chips inside the spheres. Once we were connected, we could control the direction, speed, and kind of movements the ball made. By practicing this skill, we gradually became able to gain enough control to be purposeful with our movements. You can see part of this exploration in the process photos section below. As a group, we each made smaller sheets exploring ways that we could get the Spheros to create art for us - we put the ball under a cup with markers, crayons, and pastels attached to it to make lines on our papers. For our final touches, we covered the Spheros in concentrated watercolor and rolled them across the collaged papers.

This is a great art tool to use with students of all ages and you could adjust the challenges as needed with ease. Especially in this day and age when even young students have access to technology and are probably very comfortable using apps like the one used with this tool. For the sake of this post, I'll apply it to middle school students. I enjoyed the prompt we had while creating which was to "create art using only the Spheros". I think this may be a little too open-ended for younger students so I may instead use a prompt like, "See how many different kinds of lines/marks you can make by combing various art materials with the Spheros", or "Using Spheros, create an artwork that has at least 4 colors and uses 2 different art materials". This would give them a little more to start with but still keep it open-ended enough that they can get creative. This is not the tool to use to create fine, detailed work so maybe introducing it during a unit on abstraction could be helpful in preparing students for the likely messy, but beautiful, results.

My learning objectives would be similar to the following:

The learner will have used creative thinking skills to find unique ways to create marks on their canvas (whatever surface that may be).
The learner will have created an art piece with the help of a semi-digital tool and because of this...
The learner will have gained an understanding of how art can be integrated with technology.

Process photos

Makedos

The goal of this project was to create a cardboard sculpture of sorts using only Makedos as the connecting factors. To start off we were introduced to the tools available to us - the cardboard perforator, screws, screwdrivers, and cardboard scraps. We were then allotted some brainstorming time to draw up the plans for our designs. I chose to make butterfly wings - I started with a sketch of my initial idea as well as some plans for how/where I was going to be using the cardboard screws to attach each element (see images in the planning section below). I then created some stencils for myself and then traced and cut out the four wings. While decorating, I started by covering them all in a delicate white fabric as a base. I then added the blue fabric to create a butterfly-like wing design.

This was a very accessible project that didn't pose any digital problems. The tools were easy to use and fairly self-explanatory. I would use Makedos in any classroom starting from elementary to high school. They are great for 3D modeling and constructing forms without all of the hassle and safety concerns of heavier machinery and tools. I think this would be very a accessible art form for elementary or middle school students. I might have them work as a class to create a large group installation piece centered around the idea of a cardboard city or an iSpy-inspired collection of random items that can be displayed together. Either way, the students could be involved in creating individual pieces that would be gathered as one piece in the end.

My learning objectives would be similar to the following:

The learner will have practiced kerfing techniques (or scoring) to create a bendable element to their design (to encourage more complex forms).
The learner will have created at least three connection points using Makedo screws, showing their ability to plan and create 3D forms (to show their ability to use the tools on hand).
The learner will have worked collaboratively with their peers to create an installation of their combined artworks.

Planning stages and stencils

Laser cut sculpture

To begin this process I created a digital .ai file the size of the laser cutting bed. I sourced the information to create a box and added it to the file. I then created freeform, organic shapes that I planned to include in my piece later. Once my file design was complete it could be sent to the machine for cutting. My original idea was to create a 'sculpture box' where the small oval piece you can see on the left stuck out of lines I cut out of the sides - but I failed to place the kerfing incisions close enough for the wood to bend easily. Once I figured out my original plan wouldn't work, I began rethinking the construction of my piece. In the end, I decided to use what was once the sides of the box as a hanging plate. I continued with my original idea of having the oval pieces protrude from the cutouts and gluing them to the base to help move the eye along the piece.

Working with Adobe Illustrator has never been a very easy task for me so creating my design file was definitely a bit of a challenge. Being able to source certain designs from the internet was very helpful in reducing barriers for me in starting this piece. This is a project that I would only do with older kids - maybe upper-middle school and high school students due to the complexity of the designing software. I do like the idea of having students create their own sculpture boxes. Sourcing the box design would be permitted and then they would be in charge of creating the design elements that would later be attached to their piece. I think this would open it up nicely to students of all ability levels.

My learning outcomes would be similar to the following:

The learner will have created a sculpture box design using up to two sourced designs (one being the box) and as many original designs as they can fit in the allotted space.
The learner will have experimented with how to attach the design elements to their sculpture box.
The learner will have modeled their box by drawing a rough sketch of their full design or elements of their design on paper before crafting in the digital space.

Testing different placement options

Digital .Ai File

3d Printing

To begin the process of creating a 3D print I first oriented myself to the design system of Tinkercad - this is where the designing would be done. I completed a couple of tutorials on how to navigate the program and then began experimenting with creating forms. I struggled a bit with the design process but was able to create a blueberry shape that I was happy with. I grouped all of the individual shapes I used to create the berry once it was complete. I came up with the idea to duplicate and transform the multiples to create a small pile of blueberries. In the digital design, I made sure that each berry was touching the adjacent ones so that it would stay together as a cluster once printed. Once each form was in the place I wanted it I did a final grouping of all of them and then sent the file over to the printer to be printed.

The process was fairly simple and easy to achieve. I did struggle a bit with how to create more complex forms and never fully got the hang of all the navigation tools within Tinkercad - but that just takes practice. I think recalling my experience in the design phase will be important if I ever get the opportunity to use 3D printing in my classroom. I would definitely only do a project like this one with older students - maybe upper middle school to high school. I would also maybe do a practice design together step by step to ease students into the process and tools - the tutorials are also a great resource for this. My first idea for a project with this in mind is to have students use basic shapes to create figures or objects that inspire them. I'm thinking about how students could use Tinkercad to simplify complex forms (constructing a fox using only triangles and rectangles for example).

My learning objectives would be similar to the following:

The learner will have used basic shapes to simplify a complex form (and therefore experimented with abstraction).
The learner will have created a freestanding sculpture of an object or figure using Tinkercad programming.
The learner will have created two different designs based on the same figure or object and choose the best one to print (practicing repetition and drafting to revise original designs).

Tinkercad tutorial completion and final design in a digital space

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