BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD: BASIC FORM

Many Art I students or absolute beginners at the high school level require a great deal of practice when learning how to shade forms. That said, I’ve assigned to eighth graders the two exercises described here. And nearly every one of them enjoyed triumph with both! Performing the tasks required of them, my students, um, drew on their knowledge of essential art concepts.

It was fun to go loopy and bundle up, too!   

This might be too challenging for fifth or sixth graders.

GETTING STARTED   Before class, I had cut white drawing paper into 4.5” x 12” strips, one for everybody. Using transparent tape, I affixed one end of a paper strip to a drawing board to show the students how to start. Then I twisted or curved the strip toward the center and fastened that portion down, too. A final bump or curl, taped down at the paper’s end, makes the form even more interesting. I asked the class to create their own unique, "unboring" forms directly on their desks, but to leave work space on their desks for themselves!  

Before my demonstration on the board, we held a discussion on the element of form, with emphasis on its three-dimensionality and the use of light and dark to depict that. Then I drew an enlarged sketch (outlines only) of my bendy, taped-down example for everyone to see.

I passed around several finished works to exemplify our objective. My own shading on a whiteboard didn’t have the quality I wanted, so I used a piece of 18” x 24” white drawing paper and charcoal instead. Nattering away about values, gradations, and hills and valleys, I smeared charcoal from dark to light to transform my outline drawing into a form with mass. Then the kids began their own works with soft pencils, and I was able to walk the aisles to assist. I directed the artists to include the cast shadow on their desks, to ground their subject.

A form that takes up space!

I reminded the students to try to use their blackest blacks and their lightest grays—a full range of values. The class members were reminded of several fundamentals with the “wavy strip” lesson. ART TIP: Imaginative kids might poke a hole in their paper forms. I had one who even left a pencil in!

A BUNDLE OF FUN The second, related activity is best for another day, especially if class time is only 40 minutes or so. I had been given scraps of flexible foam rubber padding, so I shared a piece with each student. I instructed them to squeeze and squash their foam any way they wanted, and then tie a piece of string tightly around the bunched-up form.

Charcoal and white chalk on blue paper.

They could roll it, pinch it, and fold it any which way before tying it into an interesting form, but they should keep in mind that they would be drawing the bundle! If it was terribly complex, they could be quite challenged.

WE BEGAN very lightly with charcoal pencils on light blue construction paper.  But you could use any toned paper (not too dark), even brown wrapping paper! Following the contours of their bundles with their eyes, class members completed line drawings first.

Then we modeled the sketches with shading, just as we had done in pencil shading the drawings of the wavy paper strips. Again, including in their drawing the shadow cast on their desks was part of my message. “It helps to anchor the drawn form to the page.”

Ask a carpet-layer or re-upholsterer for foam scraps!

Lastly, here’s the reason for the toned paper: We added highlights anywhere the light would strike, especially the rounded tops of bulges. That finishing touch helped to illustrate the volume of the forms very well.
MATERIALS

• White and toned drawing paper
• Soft drawing pencils
• Transparent tape
•  Charcoal pencils
• Upholstery foam scraps or carpet foam padding
• String or rubber bands
• White chalk or white pastels

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: to earn the importance of drawing what they see by using the elements of form and value, & to create a realistic work of art presenting the illusion of mass.

A DRAWING USING PASTELS PENCILS ON TONED PAPER

Not mixed media...next post, I promise!



FOLDS IN THE FLAG…FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY!

In honor of July fourth, coming up soon, here's a study

in colored pencil using a flag or drapery.

This drawing project is quite challenging. Berol Prismacolor pencils are best.

The student flipped 2 corners of the printed fabric.

The following colors are suggested:

• Black
• White
• Gray
• Tuscan red
• Crimson red
• Scarlet lake red
• Blue-violet
• Ultramarine
• Indigo blue          

I like to pin the fabric folds into place on a large sheet of cardboard, since the entire activity takes a good amount of time to complete.
 
I always ask my students to use a large sheet of brown wrapping paper so they can work big! But you could work on white or toned paper if you wish.

Sketch very lightly in pencil first, blocking in the shapes and the folds.

TIP - Begin with the blue field first if you wish. One reason to save the white stripes for last is that you can protect the other colors with sheets of paper. Otherwise your reds and blues will bleed or smear into the white.

Remember to add shading under the flag where needed, too!

TIP - Shadowed areas around folds require a touch of blue, not just black or gray!

Blending is key: An art gum eraser and a waxy blending pencil (made by Berol) will help lots. If your students are less experienced &/or younger, practice with solid fabric instead of stripes, as shown below. 

White fabric with blue and violet shadows.



A DRAWING PRACTICE ALL ABOUT FORM, LIGHT, & SHADE

DRAPERY: A STUDY IN HIGHLIGHTS & SHADOWS

First, arrange a good-sized rectangle of fabric on a large piece of corrugated cardboard. When you arrive at a shape you like, with "bumps and hollows," ridges and valleys, fix it in place with stick pins.

Don't be too easy on yourself! Make it a challenge.

Place the arrangement on a table with a strong light source striking it, mostly from one direction.

 

Choose white or cream drawing paper, toned pastels paper, or one of your other favorite papers for this drawing.

Notice how the shadow on the "table" grounds the drapery.

Very lightly, sketch the outer contours of the main shape first, as well as lines to suggest the inner forms.

 

I and my students used Berol Prismacolor colored pencils, but chalk or oil pastels will do, too.

 

DRAWING TIPS                                  

Leave bare paper where you want

strong highlights. You can always

add white later if your paper is toned. 

The best finished drawings will have more than a single color!

An orange fabric might have burnt sienna in its crevices.

Mix blues, violets, grays, and/or other hues into the shaded

areas and have fun "molding" and rounding the folds,

working in their directions.

A grounding shadow keeps the object from "floating."

ANOTHER DRAWING TIP
Berol makes a waxy blender pencil that is very useful with their colored pencils.

TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF                        
OR AN ADVANCED STUDENT
Use striped cloth! This is an
excellent drawing project
for gifted students.              

THANKS FOR FOLLOWING THIS BLOG!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



MORE DRAWING ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS

Part Two in an ongoing series just for young artists and those who love and care for them.

(Mixed media artists, please watch this blog for something tailored to YOU, coming soon!)

Note how the nails are set into the nail beds that surround them.

HAND IT TO YOU

Materials:

·        White drawing paper

·        Pen or fine-line marker

What to do:     

1. Rest your left hand on the desk—if you're right-handed—and not on the paper. The hand is to be observed, not traced. No pencil allowed! Use contour line (a line that follows the edges) to record the outlines of your own hand. As you look closely at this "object," move your marker in the same way your eye travels over the shapes and lines you see.
2. Draw all the tiny creases, the knuckles, and the skin around the nails, too. This is a very loose approach, so move your whole arm freely, not just your wrist and drawing hand.  Allow your pen or pencil to travel fluidly.  Add shading if desired.

For Your Understanding:

            Try posing your hand differently for another contour drawing. You can even hold a pencil or other small object in that hand to add more interest to your work.   

FROM WHERE YOU SIT

Materials:

·        White drawing paper

·        Pen or fine-line marker

           

            Quick, look down! What do you see? Your legs and feet may be partially or entirely in sight. Your clothing is creased or rumpled in places, isn't it? Each fold is another opportunity for you to practice using contour lines (drawn lines that mark the edges of forms).

What to do:

1. Draw what you can see of your lower body, including the feet.
2. Try to include every detail. Start right out with pen or marker (no pencil, please!). 

For Your Understanding:

            The contour line drawing method is perfect for this lesson because it allowed you to focus on the outlines of your figure.   

WITH A STRAIGHT FACE

Materials:

·        White drawing paper

·        Pencil or other drawing tool

·        Ruler

            Let's pretend to be Picasso! Can you portray a human head, neck and facial features using only straight lines?

            Cubism is a style of art that sometimes uses angled shapes to depict natural forms. Pablo Picasso was one of the first Cubists. In abstract art, the subject is broken down into its basic elements.

What to do:

1. Use a ruler and only straight lines to draw a portrait (a person) with no curves at all.
2. Besides the eyes, nose, and  mouth, remember to add ears, hair, eyebrows, and a neck\ 

For Your Understanding:

            By making the head and neck more simple in your drawing (by changing it into mere straight lines), you have abstracted it! 

LESSONS STRICTLY FOR ART TEACHERS & PARENTS!

This is the first in a series of fast and fun drawing activities 

for kids,beginning with line.            

Here you'll find drawing prompts that are authentic and economical, foolproof and fun. These are experiences in creating two-dimensional works of art with "dry" media, not paint or glue. No elaborate preparation is required!

            These ready-to-use lessons are easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions for children in elementary and middle school. They allow young artists to work on their own with the adult as a facilitator only.  They're tried and tested, meaningful tasks to engage the interest of the creative kid.

            You'll discover that the fifteen-minute marvels in this series are a convenient, educational way to use short periods of time productively.  And most of the artworks can be finished in about a quarter-hour or less.

            We begin with the fundamentals in the first posts—the basic art elements. Each post will highlight a different component. Line, the principle factor in drawing, is the focus of this first section.

            A word about pencils: A common 2B pencil will suffice for most drawings. However, for deep, dark gradations and shadows, try a special 4B or 6B. An HB (or any H pencil) is too hard for softly blended shading effects.

Line: a continuous mark made by a tool onto a surface.                                          

TO THE LETTER

Materials:

·        White drawing paper, pencil &/or other drawing tools

 Have you ever looked at the lines and shapes of alphabet letters and pictured other things? You can “see” a snake in the letter “S” if you try!

What to do:

1. Lightly draw a letter—either capital or lower-case—on a large piece of paper.
2. Squint your eyes and imagine the letter as part of something else. Draw in new lines and shapes, and add more on to it to finish the letter-picture. 

Questions to Ask Yourself:

            Is the artwork as complete and interesting as you could make it? Could you draw a number instead of a letter, and make it part of a brand-new picture?

TAKE A MARKER FOR A WALK

Materials:

· White drawing paper, markers 

What to do:

1. Draw a shape (an animal, a person, a flower, or any other outline) in the center of a large sheet of paper. Shapes are made by enclosing an area with a line. 

2. Next, "take a marker for a walk" around the shape, as closely as possible without touching it. The marker line should go all the way around the first shape, until it touches the place where it began. Then choose a different color marker and create another outline just outside the first, and then another, and another, without touching the other lines. If you can, use markers of different thicknesses, too. Some wide, some thin. Draw around the shape again and again until the page is filled with lines!

For Your Understanding:

       When you repeat lines over and over, you make a rhythm, a regular pattern that lends a feeling of movement. Did you begin with an interesting shape? Did you fill the page with many lines?

WHAT CAN THESE LINES BECOME?

Materials:

·        White drawing paper, pencil &/or other drawing tools

What to do:

1. Lightly draw a squiggle on a large piece of paper. (See those below.) The line can be curvy or sharp and all angles.
2. Squint your eyes and imagine the squiggle as part of something else. Draw in new lines and shapes, and add more on to it to finish the picture. 

NOTE: You mixed-media artists out there, please remember that, besides this series of kid's art activities, I will continue to post material just for you!

Thanks for stopping by!

PASTELS OVER INDIA INK

Sketch loosely with a brush...in fact, use a rather large brush if you wish! Guaranteed to keep you from getting all nit-picky. Create a black and white drawing with the ink on any white paper you like. Then let it dry.

Use soft or hard pastels to accent the piece. Spray lightly with fixative when you're done, if you wish.





GLUE, GOUACHE, AND SOFT PASTELS

I love to "draw" with glue--just regular Elmer's, usually--and let it dry. The figure below was then enhanced with gouache. For those who haven't used it, gouache is like opaque watercolor, also called designer's colors sometimes.  Finally, when the gouache was thoroughly dry,  I used soft pastels.

Washable glue, the bluish kind that dries clear, is great for drawing on black paper.  It seems to make the paper look even more black when it dries! Here I added white gouache when the glue was dry, but gesso would work, too.

The soft pastels really seem to pop against the black, don't they?

20 Fast and Fun Drawing Projects!

In a rut, sketching the same old thing all the time? Break out of the box!

Maybe some of these ideas will excite your muse.

1. Use a small mirror and draw your own eyes. Fill the page.  
2. Draw a clothespin and add shading. Work large.
3. Draw an underwater scene. Add sunken, man-made items.
4. Design your own piece of jewelry.
5. Sketch a scene on another planet. Use every value from white to black.
6. Crumple a sheet of paper and draw it, wrinkles and all.
7. Make up your own futuristic vehicle and draw it, adding lots of details.
8. Draw a composite animal made up of the parts of several real animals.
9. Combine a man-made object with something from nature. Add texture.
10. Sketch a dragon. Add a castle or a knight in the background.
11. Combine a human face with that of an animal.
12. Draw the view outside the window.
13. Sketch the inside of your locker or closet. From memory.
14. Draw a shoe or a pair of shoes.
15. Sketch a glove or a hat.
16. Draw a composite machine made of parts of lots of different machines.
17. Draw your own hand. No tracing!
18. Sketch the back of the head of a person sitting in front of you.
19. Draw an empty candy wrapper.
20. Make a black and white design based on a small section of a map.

Who Doesn't Love to Draw Cartoons?

    Here's a very basic lesson, for all those students or art teachers out there, on creating expression.



Draw a Cylinder and Add Form with Shading

Drawing a Cylinder

I'm including this simple little lesson, below,  for any art teachers or youngsters out there who might want it.

Another Valentine for my Followers! A Giveaway Contest

To say thanks to my present and (I hope) future followers, I am drawing a name from all

those followers who leave a comment here,

to receive the mixed media collage/painting shown below. I will mail the framed, signed work as soon as the winner (after Friday, Jan. 28)

emails me their postal address.

Remember, be a follower and you only need to comment once, with this posting, by late Friday of next week!

Paint, Press, and Peel! An Easy Technique to Make a Background.

Altering paper to create interesting backgrounds or collage papers is simple and inexpensive. Use an enhanced sheet as an element in a collage or as a ground on which to create a two-dimensional work of art. It can also serve as a mat: Place it between a sturdy support and a piece of artwork, or cut a window and place it on top.
Below you’ll find a tried ‘n’ true tutorial for creating a striking effect on paper.


1. Select vintage papers you don't value too much, scrap sheets, or even newspaper pages.


2. Paint acrylics randomly and heavily here and there onto one sheet of paper. Quickly mix and blend colors as desired, using whatever tool you wish. Leave some of the paint thicker in places.

3. While the paint is still wet, press the first piece of paper into it and lift. Instant texture!
4. Try smaller pieces of paper lifted in different directions to produce variety. Keep pressing and lifting more papers until the desired effects are no longer produced.

(Some of you will think my examples look just plain messy, and I would have to agree with you! However, I do plan to use them, changed, as elements in other artworks.)

Free to a Commenting Follower

Remember my freebie (previous post) to be given to a follower who leaves a comment? If you've already done so below, great! Your name is already in the hat. But if you haven't yet and still want a chance to win the blog candy (Romance, frame and all), please leave a comment here. The random drawing will take place Saturday, January 15. Winner announced then!