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Lesson Plans


TEACHING DRAWING?

[ Thread ][ Subject ][ Author ][ Date ]
Mark Alexander (Alexander)mamjam)
Sat, 19 Oct 1996 07:53:16 -0500

Thom, I couldn't agree more. When people ask me if I'll be teaching the
students how to draw, I simply say no. It throws them a bit until I
explain that I hope to teach them how to see and believe what they see. I
explain that I hope to teach them how to manipulate a variety of medium. I
intend to teach them how to use the elements and principles of design. But
I don't specifically "teach them how to draw." Of course I show the
students proportions, and different types of perspective, and how to draw
the large shapes first, but I am not interested in showing them symbols
they can use instead of relying on true observational skills. Furthermore,
drawing from memory and drawing from the imagination is much easier if the
drawer has had practice observing and drawing from life.

Mark Alexander
1-8 art
Lee H. Kellogg

>Eyes in the forehead, corner suns, "V" birds and "M" birds are symbols that
>they learn very early. They are a kind of folk art formula that they pick
>up from parents and peers. You can replace these formulae with other
>formulae, but I prefer to emphasize observational drawing, or on the right
>side of the brain, if you are into that. Measuring and creating formulae
>are left brain activities. True drawing is right brain. You may have to
>prove the reality of facial proportion by measuring, but nothing replaces
>observing and continuous practice. My fifth and sixth graders draw every
>week, from observation.
>
>The same philosophy applies to teaching one- and two-point perspective.
>
>Thom Maltbie
>South Ripley Elementary School
>Versailles, IN 47042
>
>http://www.venus.net/~sripel2/SRESArt.html
>http://www.geocities.com/Paris/3827

  • Maybe reply: kprs: "Re: TEACHING DRAWING?"