Still Life Drawings

This is a traditional still life drawing, but I teach it with a twist.  I start out with only one piece of fruit, let the students draw it, then I add another.   This simplifies the arrangement and lets them focus on one object.  I ask lots of questions about the objects so the students will begin to look harder and make connections between objects.  "Do you see the triangle of space between the birds nest and the banana?"   "Is the candle one apple wide?"

To start drawing, we simplify each element.  For example, the candle becomes a simple cylinder, the apples become circles.  Only when every element is in the correct place and is the correct size do we add the details.  (the pinecone is really that large) 

This is a strenuous exersize and is usually the only time these young students have done a dry still life.  They are always amazed with their results. 

Blow Paintings

This is my most requested art lesson of all time!  This lesson starts out with cutting drinking straws in half.  We water down water paint until it is very drippy.  I usually place large drips of paint at the bottom of their paper and let them go crazy.  Controling the paint by just blowing isn't as easy as it would seem.  The students soon learn to blow hard and move direction quickly to get the desired thin branch-like drawings.  They usually get light-headed, too.  It is a fun class...

Smelly Marker Still Life

New students love this project. I always make them laugh introducing the markers.  Students don't believe how they smell!  These markers are great for impaired art students.  They can smell the black licorice before they draw with it.
 I have them draw all kinds of fruit with pencil first on a seperate sheet of paper.  We color the fruit with the scented markers, exploring each scent as we color.  I have a collection of wallpaper sample books that we use to cut out the vase shape.  The fruit and vase gets glued onto stiff paper. I usually draw the background wall design and table after everyting is glued.