The drawings my students did in class this week show that they are really developing outstanding drawing skills as they learn how to be careful observers. We started the project with a demonstration which they watched closely and with great patience I might add... Next they chose a fruit to draw and jumped right in! This was a 30 minute project and you can see the results! I am very proud of the effort each student put into their drawings. The best part was watching them as they left class with a newly found confidence in themselves. This is a unique kind of self confidence that can only come from learning how to draw what you see.
Did I mention that after 20 years, I have never grown tired of teaching middle school art! I continue to delight in the journey in art that the students and I take together every Thursday and Friday. A special part of working with this age is that we are constantly learning from each other. The discoveries we make, the risk taking we take together, along with the fun and the laughter still suck me right in to signing my contract for the next year...
5th Graders created these simple still-lives with one object. They learned how to take shape created with contour line and add value to create form.
They also learned how shadow and a "horizon line", like the edge of a table will keep their objects from floating...
6th graders, in order to build on what they learned in 5th grade, choose 3 fruits, create a still-life, then draw it. In addition, they divide the drawing. Half will be black and white, the other half will be colored pencil.
Drawings from my demonstration...