Choosing An Idea

Step 1:

The first step of this challenge is a very important step; you have to decide what is your design/composition going to be about. For this challenge the topic will be "your choice." Doing this will allow for a larger variety of illustrations plus a larger array of Haiku's.

Some students create an Illustrated Haiku in the traditional way, one that focuses on a nature or seasonal theme. Other students choose animals, favorite food/item/person/toy, or simply a random object that they found in the house or outside; if you think about it, everything that is man-made has a purpose, it does something unique and it helps us accomplish something (scissors, a sock, a glass, a blanket, a hose, a bicycle, a ladder, a sprinkler).

Developing Your Idea

Step 2:

Once you decide on an idea you can begin to develop (plan) your composition/design:

1. Where will your subject/object go on the paper (the location)?

2. How big or small are you going to make the subject/object (the size)?

3. What will be around the subject/object (foreground, middle ground, back ground)?

4. What do you want your Haiku to say about the subject/object (the message)?

***At this point you do not have to have the Haiku completely written, having an idea of what you would like to say is all you need right now (a reason for this, your design might change a little as you draw it out). If you adjust or alter (change) the design, your Haiku may not make sense anymore -or- you might get a better idea as you draw out the illustration.***

5. Where will your Haiku be located in the design (neatly written on the side or hidden within the design)?

Writing The Haiku

Step 3:

After you finish drawing the subject/object, you can begin to write the actual Haiku. You will have an idea of what you want to say, the difficult part is writing it out using the 5 - 7 - 5 syllable limit.

A quick review of Syllables; the dictionary definition is: a single unit of speech, either a whole word or one of the parts into which a word can be separated, usually containing a vowel.

For example: quick is 1 syllable, re•view is 2 syllables, syll•a•ble is 3 syllables, dic•tion•ar•y is 4 syllables.

One more thing: for this challenge, your words can rhyme but they do not have to (traditionally, they did not).

You can click on the links below for more information and help on, "How to Write a Haiku." Thank you to Mrs. Gorsky for providing the links (they are on her webpage under the "Week 8 - Poetry" section.

Details and Color

Step 4:

After you sketch in the subject/object, add foreground/middle ground/back ground, write the Haiku, add the Haiku to your design, you can begin to add in the final details. The more "fine" details that you can add to your design the more engaging the design will become. The viewer will be looking, reading, thinking and interacting with your "rich" (pleasantly deep or strong, complex) illustration.

Color is optional and "is up to you" and the materials that you have. Using color can influence the way your Illustrated Haiku looks and feels. Use a color palette that supports what you are trying to say in your Haiku (for example: if you are making a hot, dry desert and your Haiku mentions this trait, then you will probably stick to "warm colors" (reds, oranges, yellows, browns) to emphasize this.