Drawing from Observation

Anna Esteban, Llicència d'estudis a St Helens, 2005-06

3. Drawing From Observation

To draw from observation,
To encourage creative draw habits.

Drawing pencils,
art paper
blinder

To assure observation I won't show any examples of art work until the end.

The task is not to replicate a drawing, but to create a drawing from observing the real world.

Focus and make open questions to enrich children works, i.e.. What material is made of? What shape/ size it's got? How big the different parts are?

They can do the preliminary activity. Trying to practice sketching using a blinder.

Activity 1:

Children place their pencil through a hole in the middle of a 10.10cm card, which serves as a blinder preventing the temptation to look at their paper.

They practice drawing an unfamiliar object just to make sure they don't draw from memory but observing the lines and shapes that see. The object can be anything made of metal, wood, plastic...

Then, they draw in the same way the animal or object chosen. A live animal as a rabbit, bird, cat, dog is very engaging and creates very strong attention and motivation. But if it's not possible use an object as a jar, tool, bottle...

Activity 2:

Students use a piece of art paper and they have to draw a large drawing and try to fill all the paper. They can try more than once if it is necessary. Then, they can add texture and tone

Finally, display every child's work adding the teacher's goals and objectives to educate what is being learned.

Draw different items made from different materials.
Draw indoors or outdoors.
Use a viewfinder to focus composition.
If you like you can go on and practice visual memory. Again place an unfamiliar object in front of the class. Give them few seconds and replace it. They have to draw what they remember. You can practice this exercise for some sessions and you will observe how the drawings improve.

Blinder
Viewfinder
Line,
Tone
Texture
Shade,
Shapes in nature: long, thin, rounded, regular, symmetrical

- To review what they and the others have done and say what they think and feel about it, using descriptive vocabulary.
- To identify what they might change in the current work or develop in future work.

Sessions	One
Focus	To draw from observation, To encourage creative draw habits.
Material	Drawing pencils, art paper blinder
Resources		Book: The Complete book of drawing Webs: Art Education Links
Talk about	To assure observation I won't show any examples of art work until the end. The task is not to replicate a drawing, but to create a drawing from observing the real world. Focus and make open questions to enrich children works, i.e.. What material is made of? What shape/ size it's got? How big the different parts are?
Sketchbook	They can do the preliminary activity. Trying to practice sketching using a blinder.	Blinder
Doing	Activity 1: Children place their pencil through a hole in the middle of a 10.10cm card, which serves as a blinder preventing the temptation to look at their paper. They practice drawing an unfamiliar object just to make sure they don't draw from memory but observing the lines and shapes that see. The object can be anything made of metal, wood, plastic... Then, they draw in the same way the animal or object chosen. A live animal as a rabbit, bird, cat, dog is very engaging and creates very strong attention and motivation. But if it's not possible use an object as a jar, tool, bottle... Activity 2: Students use a piece of art paper and they have to draw a large drawing and try to fill all the paper. They can try more than once if it is necessary. Then, they can add texture and tone Finally, display every child's work adding the teacher's goals and objectives to educate what is being learned.
Developing the idea	Draw different items made from different materials. Draw indoors or outdoors. Use a viewfinder to focus composition. If you like you can go on and practice visual memory. Again place an unfamiliar object in front of the class. Give them few seconds and replace it. They have to draw what they remember. You can practice this exercise for some sessions and you will observe how the drawings improve.
Vocabulary and language	Blinder Viewfinder Line, Tone Texture Shade, Shapes in nature: long, thin, rounded, regular, symmetrical
Assessment	- To review what they and the others have done and say what they think and feel about it, using descriptive vocabulary. - To identify what they might change in the current work or develop in future work.