The sixth graders are working on NARRATIVE ART, art that tells a story. How do you tell a story without words? We need to consider the same things that a story does. Who is the main character? How do we know that? Where are they? Who is the antagonist? How do we know that? What is the action happening in the story? What do you think is going to happen next? How can you tell that?
Reading a picture is called VISUAL LITERACY. The artist must leave enough clues in the picture so that the reader can figure out the story. If he artist isn't clear on what is happening and in what order, the reader will be unclear as well.
Look at this picture of the three little pigs. How do we know the pigs are the main characters. See how they are right in the center of the picture? They are painted a bright color and they are walking, so they have an action to them that draws your eye to that spot. Where are they? We can see trees and grass and a river and a bridge, so we conclude that they are walking through the countryside. Who is the antagonist? The wolf. How do we know? He seems to be hiding behind a tree. What is he doing? He is trying to get some food. How is that going. Poorly. He must be the bad guy because the worms are cutting his fishing line and the fish are hopping out of the frying pan. What is the action here? He is looking at the pigs and licking his chops. We assume since he is hungry, that he sees the pigs as a much better and bigger meal than the tiny fish trying to hop out of his pan.
All this information is in the picture. What can you do to make your pictures read like a story?
