ART

The Art merit badge is historically one of the easier badges to complete. It doesn't have to be, but most Scouts already have some experience here. Some Scouts have a LOT of experience! We recently spent an afternoon (a little over four hours) going over the requirements. Some of them discovered hidden talents; others discovered media that don't really work for them. It was a good thing for all of them, regardless of skill level.

*Tell a story with a picture or pictures or using a 3-D rendering. -- Click here to see some of our comics!

* Do ONE of the following.
b. Design a logo. Share your design with your counselor and explain the significance of your logo. Then, with your parent's permission and your counselor's approval, put your logo on Scout equipment, furniture, ceramics, or fabric. After discussing the importance of logos and identifying some of the more successful ones, Scouts came up with a concept and designed their own, then fabric painted them onto hats or bags.

* Render a subject of your choice in FOUR of these ways: We went to the Port Orchard waterfront, chose a subject, and learned about the medium.
a. Pen and ink, Stippling, hash marks, straight line drawings, diagonals
b. Watercolors, Washes, economy of paint, paper quality, textures, outlining
c. Pencil, Shading, 3D, pressure
f. Tempera, "Stream of consciousness"

*With your parent's permission and your counselor's approval, visit a museum, art exhibit, art gallery, artists' co-op, or artist's workshop. Find out about the art displayed or created there. Discuss what you learn with your counselor. We visited Sidney Art Museum in Port Orchard. It was initially chosen for its central location and its admission price (free). I'm so glad we chose this one! The curator, Pat, was wonderful. She took us around and told all about the art and the artists on display. The current show was a collection of pieces by Sue Zimbreck, a very talented painter. She paints in several different styles, so the Scouts were able to look at, discuss, and analyze a lot of pieces. There was other art on display as well. They enjoyed Toni Nelson's impressionist style, Carol Ward's incredible detail, and several other local artists. If you live in the area, this is a highly recommended stop.

* Find out about three career opportunities in art. Pick one and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss this with your counselor, and explain why this profession might interest you. (Discussing with counselor)

This doesn't have to be a "hurry" badge. It's short enough as is. There are many camps that award the Art badge for less than 30 minutes' work. That seems a shame because it cheats the Scouts out of valuable hands-on experience. Even if your Scout already has the badge, the rendering in different media is well worth doing over and over again!