Día de los Muertos‘Day of the Dead’

Intro Video

?????• What is it?– Los Dias de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, is a traditional

Hispanic holiday honoring the dead. Los Dias de los Muertos is not a sad time, but instead a time of remembering and rejoicing.

When is it?It is celebrated every year at the same time as Halloween and the Christian holy days of All Saints Day and All Souls Day (November 1st and 2nd).

Where is it celebrated?It is celebrated in Mexico, Ecuador, Guatemala, and other areas in Central and South America populated with the Latino ethnic background. The Day of the Dead is also celebrated in areas of the United States, such as California, Texas, and many others, in which the Mexican/American heritage exists.

Traditions- Altars• In the homes families arrange

ofrenda's or "altars" with flowers, bread, fruit and candy. Pictures of the deceased family members are added. In the late afternoon special all night burning candles are lit - it is time to remember the departed - the old ones, their parents and grandparents.

• Altars should include:– A picture of the one being

remembered – Items they were fond of – Something to snack on – Candles – Flowers – Gifts

Ofrenda- Take a minute and think of someone special to you that you’d make an ofrenda for.

In your sketchbook, draw out what their ofrenda would look like if you built one….Draw:A picture of the one being remembered Items they were fond of or represents themSomething to snack on – their favorite food, a food they’d cook, or a food that just reminds you of themCandles Flowers – their favorite flower or marigoldsGifts – what would you give them?

Traditions: Food• Pan de los Muertos– Special loaves of bread are baked, called pan de

muertos, bread of the dead, and decorated with ‘bones’.

Draw an example of a Pan de los Muertos in your sketchbook creating your own symbol on top.

Traditions: Flowers• During los Dias de los Muertos the yellow marigold

symbolizes the short duration of life. • Other flowers commonly seen during this celebration

include the white amaryllis, wild orchids, baby's breath and ruby coxcombs are offered as adornment and enticement for the returning spirits.

• Wreaths made of flowers, both real and plastic, are often placed on the grave sites.

Let’s learn how to draw a marigold:

1. Draw a small circle. That is the main part of the flower.

2. Draw some small petals around it. Make sure they're medium width. Start smaller around the circle. Rotate your paper if it helps to create petals the whole way around the center.

3 Keep doing step 2 until you think that's enough petals'. You can make them big as you want. 4 Draw a very skinny stick but not too

skinny. This is going to be a stem. You can make the stem curved to make it look like there is a very strong wind blowing.

5. Draw some leaves, at least 2. Make them look big as you want them to be. Make the top pointy.

6 Color to your liking.

We will be making tissue paper flowers later on in the unit.

Traditions: Papel Picado• Papel Picado is a traditional art used to

decorate homes, businesses, markets and altars in preparation for the Day of the Dead.

• The thin tissue paper images are usually cut in large quantities and hung in repetitious patterns.

Traditions: Skeletons• Skeletons and skulls are found everywhere. Chocolate

skulls, marzipan coffins, and white chocolate skeletons.

• Handmade skeleton figurines, called calacas, are especially popular. Calacas usually show an active and joyful afterlife. Figures of musicians, generals on horseback, even skeletal brides, in their white bridal gowns marching down the aisles with their boney grooms.

José Guadalupe Posada

CalaveraA calavera is a representation of human skull made from either sugar or clay, which is used in the celebration of the Day of the Dead.Review

For your project, you will be learning how to draw a calavera and creating a scratch-art drawing focusing on positive & negative space and patterns.

We will also be making tissue paper flower.

You will also be creating one ‘sugar’ skull sculpture using air dry clay.

Let’s practice drawing a basic skull as a starting point for your design. Think of your own head, look at other students’ skulls.

Follow along step-by-step.

Begin by drawing the following along…

Use your creativity and add in patterns and designs to create a unique calavera. Be sure to include the common characteristics and symbols, symmetry.