Unit Plan 7 (Grade 8 Art): Studio Project I — Production Phase

Focus: Begin and advance a major artwork that shows technical skill, intentional composition, and a clear expressive purpose, using the full planning work from previous units.

Grade Level: 8

Subject Area: Art (Visual Arts • Studio Practice • Creative Process)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

Students move from planning to production, using their completed project plans (concept, composition, value/color studies, media choices, and process steps) to create a full-scale artwork. The emphasis is on following their plan thoughtfully, making purposeful adjustments when needed, and demonstrating control of media, strong composition, and expressive clarity. Along the way, students practice studio habits: managing time, solving problems, responding to feedback, and preparing their work for critique and documentation.

Essential Questions

• How do artists use a plan while still staying open to creative adjustments during production?
• What does it look like to show technical skill and intentional composition in a finished artwork?
• How can I keep my expressive purpose clear as I add detail, color, and texture?
• What strategies help me solve problems when something in my artwork isn’t working as planned?
• How can I tell when a piece is truly finished, not just “stopped”?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Set daily studio goals based on their full-scale project plan and track progress toward completion.
2. Transfer or redraw their refined composition onto final surface, maintaining visual hierarchy and key design decisions.
3. Apply media techniques with increasing control to build up value, color, texture, and detail in alignment with their plan.
4. Make informed adjustments to composition, media, or details when issues arise—without losing expressive intent.
5. Complete a major artwork that demonstrates technical skill, intentional composition, and clear expressive purpose (VA:Cr3.8b).
6. Participate in in-progress critiques and use feedback to refine and resolve their work.
7. Document their finished piece and complete a brief Artist Reflection on process, choices, and growth.

Standards Alignment — 8th Grade (NCAS-Aligned)

• VA:Cr3.8b — Complete artwork that demonstrates technical skill, intentional composition, and clear expressive purpose.
  • Example: Students finalize a mixed-media artwork based on their plan that communicates a personal or social theme.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can use my project plan to guide what I work on each day in the studio.
• I can show control of my chosen media (lines, value, color, texture) so my artwork looks intentional, not accidental.
• I can maintain a clear focal point and strong composition as I add details and color.
• I can explain how my finished artwork expresses my idea, story, or mood.
• I can describe at least one problem I solved during production and what I changed to improve my work.