Imagination and Observation Drawings

I found inspiration for this project on an art education blog, and it really fit in with our third grade curriculum. To begin, I handpicked several everyday objects and put them in a large box. Students selected an object, and initially drew it from observation. Then, after looking at how surreal artists Salvador Dali and Rene Magritte manipulated everyday objects, I asked the third graders to transform their own everyday object using their imaginations. Below are a few examples of their creative minds at work!

Observational Band Instruments

Fifth grade art students found inspiration from something very familiar… their band instruments. At our school, all students are required to take band in the fifth grade, so they have all been getting to know their new instruments. In art class, students created observational drawings of their instruments looking closely at small details, highlights, and shadows. As a group, we talked about composition in relation to art, which is very similar to composition in music. Students chose an open or a closed composition to feature their instrument. They also made important decisions regarding the arrangement of their subject to create a visually interesting composition. They drew their final piece in sharpie, and then brought in some color using colored pencils. Well done, fifth grade!

Pioneer Still Life

Third grade art takes on a new challenge: the still life! The pioneer still life builds upon observational drawing skills from years prior. Students learn to observe and draw multiple objects, paying close attention to the relationships between each object on the page. For instance, you can see which objects are in front, because they overlap the object behind it. Pioneer objects were carefully chosen as a theme for each still life. This enables the viewer to create their own story behind the artwork. 

Composition Activity

In third grade, as an introductory activity to our big still life project, I had students practice getting comfortable using a viewfinder. We first reviewed observational drawing, and some ways to get better at it. Then, we looked at the difference between open composition and closed composition. Students chose a few everyday art room objects from a box, and arranged them how they liked. Third graders were challenged to create two observational drawings using open composition for one, and closed composition for another. Enjoy a few samples below.

When it Rains, it Pours

As a smaller third grade lesson, sticking with the theme of storytelling, I read the students one of my all-time favorite childhood stories, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. This story inspired our next project. With the weather being so funky lately, and seeing a fair amount of extreme weather happening all over the globe, I asked students to create illustrations of some wacky weather. I had students randomly choose a word from three different boxes marked: severe weather, themes, and settings. Students then had to create an imaginative drawing combining the three words.

Tornado, Desert, Theme: Flowers, Plants and Things

Tornado, City, Theme: Flowers, Plants, and Things

Hurricane, Garden, Theme: Insects

Sunny Sunflowers

After learning about the tragic and intriguing life of Vincent van Gogh, students experimented with his style. In class, we improvised and students drew with oil pastels to try their hands at using thick, multicolored, and active lines like van Gogh. After feeling comfortable with his style, we switched gears, and students built upon observational skills by looking at and drawing a vase and fake sunflowers. Then, students colored each sunflower in the style of van Gogh, creating a painterly characteristic.

3-in-1 Kinetic Drawings (Sol LeWitt, continued)

This piece of art may not move, but it sure does make you move. After exploring Sol LeWitt, students created three separate minimalistic drawings that explore three-dimensional shapes and design. The drawings were colored in using three separate color schemes: full-color, monochromatic, and black, white, and grey. Then, students created a base to hold the three drawings. There was a lot of measuring, folding, cutting, gluing, and taping that went into this project. The final result is a sculptural piece that has three separate drawings to be viewed by standing at different angles.

These photographs show the multiple views of one piece… 

Winslow Homer Inspired Ship Paintings

The second grade has made a dramatic shift from abstraction to realism. And, who better to inspire realism? But, Winslow Homer! After learning about the American artist’s life and artwork (including his usage of foreground, middle ground, and background), students created an observational drawing of model ships in perspective. Students had the advantage of looking closely at some really cool ships in the art room, and drawing what they saw – in perspective! These drawings were then transformed into watercolor paintings by using new techniques like the watercolor wash and adding salt for a clever effect.

 

Full-body Portraits of Immigrant Interviewees (tie-in to social studies curriculum)

For the fourth grade’s final drawing of a person in proportion, I asked students and families to send me a full-body photograph of the person they chose to interview for their immigration project in social studies (thank you, families!). First, students drew their person in proportion by using basic shapes. Then, students learned how to draw clothing on a three-dimensional form. They used their observational drawing skills to closely capture the clothing their interviewee was wearing the day of the photograph. Because a lot of the clothing was black or white, I encouraged students to exercise their own artistic license when it came to coloring in the clothing. Lastly, students were responsible for carefully cutting their person out in preparation for the collaborative mural. The results are really fantastic! Please enjoy the few examples below.