In this lesson plan, students design and construct a 3-dimensional letter using one of their initials.

1. Architectural Letters
art + language arts
One of the definitions of the word
“architecture” is “the art and
action of building or constructing.”
In this lesson plan, students design
and construct a 3-dimensional
letter using one of their initials.
The surface can be decorated with
descriptive words and images that
are personally meaningful and
unique to the student’s identity.

2. Letter Sculpture in the Manner of
Robert Indiana

3. Look at the sculptures on the following slide.
Consider their DESIGN
(not construction or decoration)
Which is more interesting? Unique? More
wisely designed? Better?
Which of the two artists would you
commission to make a sculpture for you?

4. BOTH are by Robert Indiana
“Ahava”, meaning “Love” in Hebrew.

5. POP ART
• Pop art presented a
challenge to traditions of
fine art by including imagery
from popular culture such
as advertising, news, and
mundane everyday objects.
• LOVE is an iconic Pop Art
image by American artist
Robert Indiana.
• Its original rendering in sculpture was made in 1970 and
is displayed in Indiana at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

6. Other examples of POP Art

7. Robert Indiana: Born
American painter, sculptor,
and Printmaker.
Born September 13, 1928 at
New Castle, Indiana, as Robert
Clark.
Soon after, he was adopted by
Earl Clark and Carmen
Watters.
The family moves repeatedly;
Indiana later says he lived in
twenty-one houses before he
was seventeen.

8. Robert Indiana: Childhood
10. He entered the first
grade where recognition
of his artistic talent by
his teacher, Ruth
Coffman, reinforces his
decision to become an
artist. Halfway through
the school year, the
family moves again.
In September 1935, he skipped second grade and
the family moves three times during the school year,
causing Robert to relocate to three different schools

9. Robert Indiana: Adulthood
11. After attending a technical
school for high school, he
received a Scholastic Art and
Writing Award to attend the
John Herron Art Institute.
12. He chose instead to enlist
in the U.S. Army Air Corps
(which would become the U.S.
Air Force the following year).

10. Robert Indiana: Artist
13. After the military, he
attended 3 art schools,
and settled in New York
in 1954 with other
famous artists.
14. His early works were
inspired by traffic signs,
automatic amusement
machines, commercial
stencils and old trade
names.

11. Robert Indiana: Artist
15.In the early sixties he did
sculpture assemblages and
developed his style of vivid
color surfaces, involving
letters, words and numbers.
16. He became known for
silkscreen prints, posters and
sculptures which took the
word LOVE as their theme.
The brash directness of these
works stemmed from their
symmetrical arrangements of
color and form.

12. 17. Indiana's LOVE
design has since
been reproduced in a
variety of formats for
rendering in displays
around the world.
Spain
Japan
Philadelphia
Israel

14. PROCESS
Steps 1&2
1. Design the shape of
a letter on drawing
paper using a pencil.
2. The letter should be
a minimum of 2-1/2”
thick in all areas, but
may be up to 12” x
18” in overall size.

15. Drafting & Planning
Then consider the colors and designs of your letter
and include them in your draft. Remember, your letter
sculpture will need to balance on its own, so take that
into consideration for your design.

16. Drafting & Planning
In the 2 draft spaces, design a letter from your
initials. Your letter must touch at least 2 sides of the
space, for example (this letter touches 3 sides):

17. BALANCE
Your letter sculpture must be
able to stand on its own
(BALANCED).
Penn & Teller Discuss Sculptural
Balance
Balance Activity: Wait for Ms. Drews’
Instructions
1. Stand up
2. You are a sculpture. Make yourself
into the form of the letter ‘R.’
3. What is necessary for your sculpture
to be balanced?

18. Initial Sculpture
You will design and create a
large sculpture of one of
your initials out of
chipboard, cups, tag board,
masking tape, and
Papier Mache.
Later, we’ll paint it with
colors and images that
represent your personality,
identity, or theme.

19. CONGRUENT
WARM UP 1/2/14:
Put your name on your paper and
please write down the definition
below:
con·gru·ent
• In mathematics : having the
same size and shape.
• For two polygons to be
congruent, they must have
an equal number of sides.
• Or matching or in
agreement with something
A.
B.
C.
D.
Which two
shapes are
CONGRUENT?

20. Warm UP 1/3:
Write your name at the top of your paper.
1. In your own words, what does congruent mean?
2. Write down all the pairs of shapes below that are
CONGRUENT.

21. Warm UP 12/6:
Write your name at the top of your paper. Answer
in COMPLETE SENTENCES.
1. Which letter is most balanced and likely to
stand on its own?
2. Why?
A.
B.
C.

22. Warm UP 12/16:
Write your name at the top of your paper.
Number your paper 1-8.
Next to each number, put the steps for making your
sculpture in the correct order.
1.
g. Draw your initials on a piece of rough draft paper.
2.
a. Cut out your initials from chipboard
3.
4.
b. Use 2.25 inch strips of tag board and masking
tape to build the edges of your sculpture.
c. Trace your initial on TWO pieces of chipboard.
5.
f. Glue a few cups on one façade.
6.
e. Cut out your initials from PAPER.
7.
d. Draw your initials on a piece of large paper.

23. OBJECTIVES
• Day 1: Students will gain background knowledge
of the artist, Robert Indiana.
• Day 2: Students will
– review background knowledge of Robert Indiana,
– discuss balance in sculpture, and
– create a design for their letter sculpture.
• Day 3-4: Students will create a large stencil of
their letter & will trace 2 CONGRUENT shapes
onto chipboard.
• Day 4-5: Students will trace their letter on to
chipboard & cut it out.
• Day 6: Students will cut out their letter and
assemble using Dixie cups.

24. PROCESS
Steps 3 & 4
3. Cut the letter out and use it as a
pattern to trace onto both chipboard
pieces, then cut out.
4. Take one chipboard letter, right
side-up and glue paper cups onto it,
staggering them up and down so the
cups fit together. The more cups used,
the stronger the letter will be. Allow
glue to dry until tacky (or longer), then
glue the top letter in place, being
careful to align it with the
bottom letter. Allow to dry
completely.

25. PROCESS
Step 4: One side at a time!

27. Your Letter Sculpture MUST:
• Use one of your initials.
• Feature a creatively designed
letter that is BALANCED.
• Have TWO congruent faces that
are both cut from ONE piece of
12”x18” chipboard. (Your
sculpture will be about
12”x18”in.).
• Be 3-dimensional. (We will use
dixie cups and tagboard for
this).
Today, we design our letters!
You should make at least 2 designs.

33. The strips should make sturdy
walls all the way around your
letter.

34. Papier Mâché
Papier Mâché, French
for "chewed paper“, is
a composite material
consisting of paper
pieces or pulp
(paper), bound with
an adhesive, such as
glue, starch, or
wallpaper paste.

35. Set Up & Clean up
1. Get out a sheet of newspaper to put on the
table for each person. Throw away when
finished.
2. Get a bowl of paper mache paste for each
table. Return to the orange counter when
finished.
3. Get a small stack of newspapers. Return
unused pieces to the cabinet.

36. Papier Mâché
IMPORTANT TIPS:
• Tear small thin strips of newspaper. It is easier
to apply them. Large pieces may have bubbles
and be difficult to manipulate.
• Start with the edges of your letter.
• Get the paste on BOTH sides of the newspaper
strips.
• You will need at least two layers of Papier
Mâché.

37. Objectives
• Day 7: When students are SURE that their two letter
shapes are CONGRUENTLY glued together, they will begin
to assemble the edges with tag board & masking tape.
• Day 8-10: Students will use Papier (PAH-PEE-YAY) Mâché
(MA-SHAY)to cover their sculptures.
• Day 11: Students will paint their sculpture with
GESSO as a primer for their designs.
• Day 12: Students will create a draft for the design
of their sculpture. Your sculpture must have a
theme! You must do a rough draft
before you can begin your design.

38. What is the
THEME??
YOUR sculpture must be
decorated with a THEME

39. What is the
THEME??
YOUR sculpture must be
decorated with a THEME

40. What is the
THEME??
YOUR sculpture must be
decorated with a THEME