Term 3 session 1

The students were introduced to copying line drawings placed on the desk upside down. It took a little while for the students to get the hang of just looking at individual lines and not the whole drawing.
My whole objective is to get the students looking at, and copying the lines. The skills used develop spatial awareness. Estimating how long the lines are, how big the are lines, the angle they go, how wide apart they are and where they join each other. The students are then looking very carefully and seeing detail they have never noticed before.

They were given the opportunity to draw several pictures, each time reflecting on their performance and writing what aspect they need to improve next drawing.
Comments included:
I didn’t get the lines long enough’.
I need to look at the angles of the lines, they need to go the proper way”.
I need to estimate where the lines join”.

We completed the day with contour sketching. The students looked carefully at their inner hands, they had to follow the lines on their hand with their eye while drawing the information on paper that was taped to a desk behind them. (Taping the paper stopped it from moving). They were not to look a the paper and pencil until after the drawing was complete. The contour lines look like chicken scratches.

We did this exercise several times, once using pencil and white paper, next permanent marker on white paper and the last sketch on coloured card with permanent marker. We used the coloured card as the base for a constructed abstract composition, The students coloured some of the spaces with pencil, and some with permanent marker. Next they cut or ripped parts of the other two drawing and glued them onto the card. This exercise was done to take a break from drawing reality and to be free from the restricts that brings.