Egyptian Parody in 6th Grade

A parody is a work that imitates the characteristic style of another work, either for comic effect or ridicule.

In the 6th grade, we are working on Egyptian parodies. But you can't make a parody until you understand what you are making fun of. We are learning some of the most dramatic rules of drawing Egyptian art. Using at least five of those rules, we will be making modern ideas, drawn in traditional Egyptian style. Imagine an Egyptian skiing down a pyramid, or going to a mall, or an Egyptian rock star. By putting modern images into a painting that follows the old Egyptian drawing rules, we not only learn about the art, but transform it into a parody.

Some of the rules we are learning are:

How to draw people: face in profile, shoulders front, legs and arms in profile, eye facing front

Borders: geometric over organic

Perspective: Profile, Bird's Eye View, Frontalism, Mixed perspective

Stacking: one on top of another

Standards: like comic strip formats

Size Changes: the more powerful the person, the bigger they are

Horror Vacui: fear of empty spaces