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Lesson Plans


Re: My drawing secret!

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Ruth Voyles (rvoyles)
Tue, 19 Nov 1996 09:52:35 -0500 (EST)

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Carol--
I have had the same experience with 5th through 8th graders and still
life drawings. One day, in something akin to desperation, I stumbled
onto still life drawing with a twist. I have the kids choose from a
collection of "grab bags" and then design their own still life.

First, assemble odds and ends you think might be interesting for drawing
(I used alot of things from my junk drawer at home); things like...a
collection of realistic plastic insects or reptiles... nuts, bolts and
other hardware...buttons, spools of thread, a thimble...silverware and
odd kitchen gadgets...small tools from the toolbox...old miniature toys
(I used an old miniature teaset that was my daughter's, and in another
bag some matchbox cars).... You get the idea.
Put the different collections in brown paper lunch or grocery bags
(depending on the size of the items).

Assemble a variety of drawing media including charcoal,
graphite, colored pencils, pastels, etc.

Divide the class into groups (groups of four worked well). Each group
picks a bag and drawing media to use. As a group they must set up a
still life using the items in the bag and draw it using chosen media.
If you have alot of time, you can play art trivia to determine which
group chooses first, second, etc. I have also used this process and then
photographed the assembled still lives, had slides made, projected images
onto canvas and groups worked on photorealist paintings (after looking at
work of Richard Estes and Audrey Flack.

I love some of the other ideas like using teddy bears, plastic animals,
or small motors. Can't wait to try them!!

Ruth Voyles
The Toledo Museum of Art
The University of Toledo

> >Hi everyone, About drawing--I just had my fifth grade classes do a still
> >life drawing that I thought would appeal to them--clothes hung on a
> >hanger, jeans, a vest, a shirt and a hat in a pocket. They had to do a
> >contour drawing first then add shading. The kids hated it--my question
> >is why?
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