Cardinals are a popular subject in elementary art education, aren't they?
Last year I did the step by step version... I find it difficult to defend step by step artwork to other teachers.
I've read the debates between art educator's and their views of step by step (guided drawing) vs. drawing from observation.
Personally, I see value in both. However, I lean towards students needing practice drawing observationally. For this project, students chose from an array of photos that were displayed on the smart board.
At first they practiced on a half sheet of manilla (6x9) using pencils and no erasers, sketching one on each side.
My verbal prompts included: Notice the organic shapes and lines. How would you draw the texture of the short soft feathers on the belly? What would the lines look like for long tail and wing feathers?
Then I passed out watercolor paper (9x12) and ultra fine sharpies. This part of the lesson took one class period. (The top left one cracks me up!!)
The next class period, students had palettes of liquid water color: only red, orange and magenta. I did a quick demo on how to use only a tiny bit on the tip of the brush for more control. I wanted the colors to blend at times, but I also didn't want them to overwork the colors... it's nice to see all three individually, and sometimes blended too!.
Lastly, students painted a snowy sky in honor of winter.
I adore the individuality and personality of these little guys! Something I would never experience from a step by step drawing of a cardinal.
I hope you enjoy looking at these adorable birdies as much as I do!
(Here are a few great articles on the pros and cons of "how to draw" books and guided drawing.)
Posted by Valerie
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