Our First Weeks Together...

As classes began working in the art studio for the first time this year, they learned the difference between free drawing, observational drawing, and blind contour drawing while practicing the appropriate ways to use crayons, oil pastels, colored pencils and markers.  Students also began to understand that there are specific components, called elements, which make up a picture.  The elements include line, shape, color, texture and space.  When creating a work of art, all elements must be considered for a successful composition!

Free drawing occurs when students are asked to draw whatever their imagination, thoughts and ideas they would like.  Observational drawing takes a bit more skill, using our brains, eyes and hands together to draw things exactly as they are in real life.  (Often this is called a still-life drawing; however, in this case, students were given objects to draw rather than drawing from a previous still life set-up).  Blind Contour drawing is when one studies an object intently; their eyes never leave the subject.  In blind contour drawings, students are asked to move their pencil while their eyes move around an object- and never look down at the paper.  This is an exercise of the brain and teaches us to slow down and really examine the lines, size and shape of an object. 

Preschool classes primarily focused on simple shapes and the lines that are used to create them.  Each student received a wire to be used as a line and then could bend it into an unlimited number of shapes.  While constructing wire shapes, students read When a Line Bends, a Shape Begins.  Afterwards, students practiced drawing geometric (circles, squares, rectangles and triangles) and organic shapes (seashells and leaves). 

Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten classes reviewed basic geometric shapes and began observational drawings of leaves.  Students examined the leaves very carefully and were asked to try to draw the leaf exactly as they saw it.  We noted that oftentimes our brains want to hurry up and quickly draw what it already knows- but this time, we forced ourselves to slow down and draw exactly what we see Our students found this to be quite difficult, but they understand that we are just beginning to draw like this and that our drawings over the year shall strengthen.  After practicing our observational drawings, we tried the blind contour drawings.  For the first time doing this, our students did very well, but found it to be especially hard!  (Many could not keep their eyes off of their paper!) 

Pictures will soon be posted!