Visual Art: Costumes, Sets, Props
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Visual Art: Costumes, Sets, Props
The children are the designers and will produce the ideas to illustrate the scenes,
not the teachers or the volunteer helpers.
During this process the students will learn to follow directions and
have patience while waiting for instructions, specific tasks, and
assignments. They will surprise themselves in finding that they may
have a unique talent in this area.
Process: Prepare the children to begin the visual art portion of
creating opera by telling them:
• The visual part of the opera that you will create includes the costumes
Set
the characters wear, the props they use and the scenery that will act as
a backdrop on the stage. This visual effects will help to tell the Where
When
audience where your opera is taking place, and when or what time
period it may be happening
• This will allow the audience to involve themselves and participate in Minimal
what you are trying to convey
Costumes
• Remember to keep your "set" minimal. Elaborate scenery and
costumes are not necessary and can be a distraction to performers and
the audience.
Costume supply ideas:
• Sweat suits are great to use as a base for costumes.
• You can add anything to them.
• Paper plates - to make dragon scales
• Torn pillow form
• Cotton balls - for sheep wool
• Felt-to cut in to whatever shapes, leaves, etc.
• Napkins-layer to look like bird feathers
• Tin can lids - armored costumes
• Contact paper - will stick to sweat suits and easily come off
• Duct tape - you name it-it will do it
• Foam rubber - to make hats and other objects (purchase old crib
bumper pads at D.I. and pull foam out.)
• Packing bubble wrap - can be used to make a skirt flare out (gather
top part on wire to fit around waist to wear under skirts and dresses.) (find at
furniture stores)
Remember the opera is to showcase the student’s own creativity: Do not make costuming a
focus thus requiring endless hours at the sewing machine by you or a parent volunteer.
Complicated costumes can become problematic and may also be a stumbling block for you, the
teacher. Ask the children to bring items from home that they imagine will help create the illusion
of their character or others in the story. Allow students to discover their great ideas.
Costumes, Sets, Props 96Set Development Process:
Ask questions to help the class visualize their set:
1. Where does most of the action take place?
Visualize
2. How many scenes will be needed? What is the minimum amount
Scenes of scenery?
Past 3. Is there one major item that will show what your scene
Present
Future is about?
Fantasy Example: A kitchen / a stove; a street / a lamp post.
4. What period of time is it?
• Past, Present or Future
• Fall, Winter, Spring or Summer
• Night or Day
• Real or Fantasy
5. Ask the children questions that will help them think and
create:
a) Should your props be old fashioned, modern,
or futuristic?
b) Where should they be placed?
c) What details could be painted in the scene?
Example: If it is a jungle scene, should there be a waterfall, a swamp or pond, trees,
foliage, tropical birds? Try not to lead the children. Accept their ideas – never insist on
your own.
6. Make assignments and determine who will be working on which item, area or detail.
(Save this list for reference on paint day)
7. Design: Ask the children to draw a picture of the specific area or object they will
work on. Have them do research- library books are great sources.
8. Record: Ask the children to draw the pictures in their Opera Journal. Opera
Journal
When all the illustrations have been completed by the class, determine which ideas will be used
by having the class vote in a way that will not hurt anyone.
Set Make a set list. Ask the children to list all of the things they will need for the set. Tell
them to remember what the purpose of the set is: to tell the audience where and when
Props
their story takes place. Remind them, continually, that less is better – we never want
to have the audience paying more attention to the set than to the singers!
Make a props list. Tell the children that props are things sitting on the stage or carried by the
actors that help the audience know a little more about the story by “seeing” rather than
“hearing.” Ask the children to list all of the things they will need for props.
Visual Art Specialist: The teacher certainly may do this without a
specialist. If UFOC provides an art specialist, he or she will visit the class for
approximately one hour to plan, educate, and organize. (The teacher, not a
substitute, must be in the class during these visits, or the visit will be
rescheduled. This is a mentoring process.)
97 Costumes, Sets, PropsFirst Visual Art Day: Approximately one hour.
Discuss with the class the best way to transfer their designs to the
backdrop/scenery cardboard. (Refrigerator boxes work well.)
• Tape drawing
• Free hand sketching
Break down the chosen illustrations into categories (house, barn, field, forest, etc.) and then
assign the categories to your students. Take your assignment list with you on paint day!
Example: One group can work on the sun, sky, and clouds. Another group can work on the
ground, house and fence, while others work on flowers and trees. (Smaller objects can be cut out
of construction paper, such as flowers, birds, clouds, etc. then stapled onto the scene.)
Discuss what supplies will be needed and how to obtain them.
Discuss the importance of wearing paint clothes and shoes, and set up a time for "paint day".
(Teachers, please send a note home with students so they will be sure to wear paint clothes
and old shoes on paint day. Many paints do not wash out!)
Second Visual Art Day: "Paint Day” is approximately 4 hours for painting the
scenery and clean up time. It works best if you can paint for 2 hours before lunch,
then have lunch break, re-energized, and come back to finish painting and clean
up the last 2 hours.
The specialist or the teacher will guide and direct the process. Painting techniques and
art principles will be taught to help create and enhance the scenery. Young children are perfectly
capable of understanding concepts such as simple shading, highlighting and perspective.
Set Design includes:
The set: Painted scenery, backdrops, furniture or objects.
• Dressing the set: Using lamps, rugs, mirrors, etc. (Do not overdo)
• Character Props: Small carry on objects such as a sword, a magic
wand, etc. (Character props will be placed in a designated area)
• Background: Far away, small objects, less detail, muted colors
• Foreground: Up close, large objects, more detail, bright colors
•
Basic supply list for creating scenery:
• Refrigerator (great for backdrop scenes), dryer/washer (great for caves, bushes, and
other props) boxes-any appliance store: Home Depot, Lowes, etc.
• Paints-from school
• Brushes-from school. Outlining brushes are necessary. These are long handled ½”-1”
brush width. Your school always has these, but may need to be barrowed from other
teachers. Use larger brushes donated from home, whether good or bad quality. Many
bring sponge brushes or bristle brushes from the dollar store.
Costumes, Sets, Props 98• Sponges-for making brick patterns, faux finishes, or shading
• Scissors
• Staplers/extra staples
• Masking tape
• Pencils to sketch with
• Razor knives (for adults to cut out scenery pieces with)
• Ice cream buckets with lids-to mix paints in (approx. 10-12)
• Two 5- gallon buckets to rinse out brushes while painting, and to keep clean water in
for clean up (approx. 4-5)
• Tarps-to protect floor while painting. (Stores like Wal-Mart have inexpensive tarps or
rolls of painters plastic) If you do not have access to these, the colored paper on rolls
at school work well
• Paint shirts-if you have them
• Rags or old towels- for clean up
• At least three parent volunteers- preferably more
Prop supply ideas: Our focus here is to give you ideas on using what you have on hand or
spending very little-in other words –
"Garbage Art":
• Carpet tubes-for making trees, columns, forts, log cabins,
rafts, etc.
• Boxes-can become a fireplace, big black kettle, jukebox, etc.
• Garbage bags-can be stuffed and painted to look like rocks.
• Newspaper/tape-formed, painted, made into rocks.
• Plastic milk jugs-can use to make helmets.
• Cellophane gift wrap-to make fire flames or other shimmering objects.
• Fishing line-to wrap things, hang things (very strong and transparent)
Paint Day
Prepare Set Up: Set up time takes approximately one hour. You will need to
cardboard
for Paint
lay out the tarps, and then place the cardboard on them.
Day by
taping slits NOTE: Some cardboard will have slits in them. They will need to be
prepared by running a piece of duct tape over the slit. Cut the tape a
little longer and fold over the edge and pinch to secure it. Then run about a 4" strip
horizontally at the edge and more tape further down if needed. (Place tape on the
opposite side of the cardboard that you will paint on.)
Score Freestanding Props: Smaller pieces of cardboard will also need to be
cardboard
Costumes, Sets, Props
99to create
free
standing
sceneryset out if bushes, caves, dungeons, etc. are to be painted. After these are painted and
outlined, an adult will need to cut these out with a razor knife or steak knife. The
piece must then be scored by cutting a vertical line partially through the cardboard
down the center on the back of the cardboard. This will allow it to be folded so that it
will free stand upright in a "V" shape. When cutting items out be careful not to cut all
the way through the cardboard or the tarp.
Banner: Sometimes children have to wait to paint what they are assigned to, so they
can start on a banner. You will need to lay out a long piece of butcher
paper. The banner has the title of the opera along with any border
designs that may depict their opera. This may be hung in the hall or
classroom to advertise the opera. Also, when children have finished
painting in their area have them paint on the banner.
Stapled Items:
If you are painting flowers, snakes, animals or other small objects, you will
need to lay pieces of butcher paper out for the children to draw,paint, and then cut out
(remember to have scissors)these pictures. This allows you to have
children work in another area instead of having so many crowd on the
main scenery piece.
Children have a tendency to draw small. Remind them
they are creating a very large scene to fill a stage. (A
good way to do this; give them the size of paper the items
need to be and tell them to fill it.) You will then staple the objects on
the cardboard when the scenery is completed.
(Even if these objects are not completely dry; they can
still be cut out and stapled on the finished scenery.)
Often children get carried away and paint too many items to staple on. However, it is
important not to discard their work. Some of it can be used on the banner or to
decorate the classroom and halls.
Note: Another idea to utilize their art work would be to set up an "Art Show
Preview" in the lobby or entrance before the performance.
Rinse Station: An area on the tarp needs to be set up where brushes
can be cleaned. Two 5-gallon buckets filled 2/3 full with water works
well for this. Place old rags, towels, etc. all the way around the
buckets so brushes can be dried off and water soaked up.
Supplies: Place the brushes and sponges on the tarp near the rinse station so
that there will be a designated area for the brushes to be easily retrieved and
put back after rinsing. Place the paints and containers (ice cream buckets,
cool whip, butter containers and lids in a convenient area (Lids are used for paint
palettes and to cover containers of left over paints.)
Costumes, Sets, Props 100Paint Preparation: Take seals off of all new paint bottles. Some Tempera paints are
too thick and will need to be thinned. Pour some paint into a container and then add a
little water at a time until desired consistency is achieved. (Thick paints will not
spread easily and take a long time to dry.)
Mixing Paints: If you are painting jungles, forests or anything with
bushes, trees, or plants, you will need paint in three colors; brown and
shades of green. This will give you dark colors for background, depth, and
shading, medium tones for mid-ground, and light tones for foreground and
highlighting.
Dark green- Add black to green until you get a deep green color. (You may
also use blue or purple.)
Medium green- Add orange or red to green. This will tone down the bright
green and make a nature green.
Light green- Always start with yellow and add the nature green you just
mixed. (A little at a time)
Dark brown- Add black to brown.
Medium brown- You can use a regular brown or add orange to it for a
different variation.
Light brown- Start with brown and add orange, yellow, and white.
Note: If you run out of brown paint you can mix red and green for one
variation of brown and you can mix orange and green for another variation of
brown. Black will deepen any color for shading, etc. For pastel colors, always
start with white first and then add a little color at a time.
Getting Started: When set up is complete, bring children to the paint
Have set
up . . . area. It works well to paint two hours before the lunch break. Make
including sure they have proper paint clothes. If they have good shoes on, they
mixed
paint . . .
should take off their shoes and socks. (Some teachers have students
ready bring old socks to place over their shoes. This is a good solution if you
before can get them all to bring an old pair. Then you don't have lots of feet
children
arrive to wash.)
Have the children sit or stand where they can see how to wash out the brushes and put
them back in the pile. Give them whatever rules and instructions necessary. (Please
stress to the parents that they are here to guide and direct. They can show a child how
to shade, highlight, or do a certain technique but then let the children do the painting.)
Start at Creating Your Scenery: Assign a parent to each area. At this
the point, students should go to their assigned area. (You should have
horizon
line
your "assignment list” from planning the paint day.) The
children must patiently wait until the teacher or art specialist
comes with instructions.
Sky and
ground It is not necessary to do a lot of detailed sketching. Start with the
painters
faceCostum
101 each es, Sets, Props
other at
the
horizon
linehorizon line. It is easier to paint the sky and ground colors first, fan them to dry, then
go back and paint trees over the top. It is too hard to paint sky and ground around
details. Mainly the children need to put the main structures in such as ponds, streams,
the perimeter of a castle, barn, house, etc. Doors and windows can be sketched. Most
other details can just be painted right on top. (You will need to check all scenery
pieces before children begin to paint. They tend to draw too small.) Most scenery has
a sky and ground. It is a good idea to have the sky painters and ground painters face
each other at the horizon line and paint from that point back to the outside edges.
Finish
Paint until lunch time, then come back and paint until the scenery is
painting finished. The very last step of painting and one of the most important is,
after outlining. Outlining makes the scenery come to life and really stand out.
lunch
This too, is to be done by the children. It doesn't matter if it is kind of
Outline messy or drips everywhere. From where the audience will see it, it looks
great. Outline with thinned down black paint. (If it is thinned with a
little water it will glide much easier.) This will take approximately 30
more minutes.
Note: (If your class or another class that you can borrow from does not have enough
1/2" to 1" outlining brushes, you can also use the 1" sponge brushes turned sideways.)
Clean Up and Care of Scenery: After all scenery pieces (free standing included)
have completely dried, fold them, and weight them down with chairs, a table,
gymnastic mats or whatever is available. This will allow your scenery to cure flat so
that it will stand up straight on stage. After they have cured, you may store them
wherever.
Evaluation: Was everyone involved in the decision making regarding what scenes would be
created? Did everyone get the opportunity to express their ideas? During the "paint day" did you
notice any students who did not feel involved or useful? Some children are not comfortable
painting because they feel they are not artistic. There is always a specific task that a child can do
to feel like they are contributing. Some children may find that they are very good at lettering,
outlining or even shading. They might be in charge of cutting out items. Maybe a good task for
them would be to change the water, or be in charge of brush cleaning.
Evaluation:Was the process well organized? Were the kids under control? Was
it a positive experience for students and teacher, and was it time well
spent for all involved?
Costumes, Sets, Props 102103 Costumes, Sets, Props
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