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Oiseaux de papier

During a plastic expression workshop, the students at Entertainment prep in Lyon had to imagine and make a bird before taking a photo of themselves with it. It was a great opportunity to work on volume, colour, texture and cutting.

The bird is an animal that has always fascinated humans through its unique ability to fly. The bird can soar gracefully across the sky and cover prodigious distances. For a long time, birds were also invested with divine messages, making them the gods’ privileged spokespeople.

It’s not for nothing, then, that birds are often depicted in art. Its shapes and curves have inspired artists from realistic proposals to sleek, contemporary concepts. The different species that make up this class of vertebrates offer a wealth of possibilities and symbolic representations linked to their specific characteristics.

A vast subject, proposed by teacher Olivia Vidil, which opens up a wide range of possibilities to the students of Prépa Entertainment as part of their learning in visual expression.

SUBJECT OF THE EXERCISE

Working in pairs, make a bird and then take a photograph of yourself with it in a staged scene.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE EXERCISE

  • Make a bird in pairs,
  • The bird must be real or enlarged,
  • The bird can be in a static position or in flight simulation,
  • Use only paper/cardboard (metal rods to reinforce the structure),
  • Imagine an artistic direction with the bird for a self-portrait,
  • The composition of the image must be meticulous and include a conceptual notion (vanity, witch, exoticism, luxury…).

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE

This creative workshop combines a number of concepts: volume, colour, textures and cutting. The students first had to think about and carry out graphic research on paper before trying their hand at a prototype and then the final production of the animal.

The students needed a good deal of patience and precision to complete this exercise. Almost all the components are assembled one by one to make up the bird. Teamwork was important, as was communication and the division of tasks.

Finally, the students had to use their imagination to create a graphic environment in which the bird would take root. Throughout the project, the students had to maintain this graphic consistency right through to the final photo.

TECHNIQUES USED

Paper, cardboard, wire, paint, staples, glue.