8th grade students created their names in paper relief sculptures. Relief sculptures are different than regular sculptures because they require a support to exist, such as a wall or the side of a mountain--or in this case, a piece of paper.
We could have just drawn the letters out on paper, but making this project into a relief sculpture seemed more interesting and challenged students' problem-solving and planning skills. Students had to draw the letters in block format, add a different pattern to each letter, and attach the letters of their name to their support using multi-leveled, stacked foam mounting squares. Letters could overlap to add dynamics and enhance space. Then they added elements to frame their name, tell a story, create more depth, etc. This project was done on the fly, and I wanted the students to give me ideas for future projects in this style.
Materials: 12 x 18 construction paper, white cardstock, markers, pencils, sharpies, foam mounting squares or tape, tissue paper.
