I decided to start off my 7th and 8th grade art classes with a name project this year.  I find that a quick drawing that only takes a few classes is a good way for students to get back into the swing of things (and me too!) before we tackle anything too messy.

I gave a short presentation on Egyptian Hieroglyphs and what a “cartouche” is (basically a nameplate) and then gave each student an alphabet to decipher.  They designed a nameplate using the hieroglyphs and then, after transferring the design to large paper, got down to work with the new gelly roll pens I ordered.

The results are fun and sparkly and make for a pretty sweet looking bulletin board.  Plus the kids had a chance to talk about composition and craftsmanship before we delve into the more major projects this semester.