Teaching drawing

I don’t have time to teach observation drawing during the school day, so my students have to hand in a drawing that is done at home once every two weeks of the term. I set specific topics that are given to the students at the beginning of each term. Two of the more successful topics have been:

1. Tear a printed image or find a printed image & extend the drawing. I exposed the students to the work of Lauren Spencer King who extends scenes from vintage photographs.

The following images are student's work - by Chia-Min (Grade 11), Keyla (Grade 10) and Yentl (Grade 11) respectively.

2. Draw someone or something you love - and journal about it. I wasn’t too concerned about what they wrote – more about how they integrated text into their drawings. I introduced them to Andrea Joseph. (I have recently blogged about her work)

Maree's Never-Ending Vacation Spot (part three)

The next two inserts in Candice's jewellry box were postcards:

Typed transcript below:

Mom and Dad

I’ve arrived in Italy but I’ve realized that I don’t have any money and so I can’t afford a place to stay for the night and I don’t know what to do…I don’t know anyone and everyone speaks Italian and I can’t find help. So I’m scared and alone…There are so many people but I’ve never felt so alone. I think I made a mistake.

Maree

Typed transcript below:

Dear Mum and Dad

All is well! This sweet Italian couple found me sitting there all alone and they took me in and let me stay on their farm. Their names are Eduardo and Santana and I’m helping Eduardo with the tomato plantations. They also farm grapes. The countryside here is breathtaking by the way. I hope I can stay here for a while!!

Maree  

Grade 11 animated thematic drawing

I set some topics last term for my Grade 11 students using the idea generator.

Nadia chose the theme “Narcotic never ending pick up line” for this animation of a young girl on a drug induced “trip”.  She filmed her friend Bianca and used the technique of “Rotoscope” to create this animation.  

“Rotoscoping is an animation technique in which animators trace over live-action film movement, frame by frame, for use in animated films.^[1] Originally, recorded live-action film images were projected onto a frosted glass panel and re-drawn by an animator. This projection equipment is called a rotoscope, although this device has been replaced by computers in recent years. In the visual effects industry, the term rotoscoping refers to the technique of manually creating a matte for an element on a live-action plate so it may be composited over another background.” From wikipedia

Light, Baking and Ballet

I set a theme for my Grade 11 students last term which had to express Light and the concept “Ching Chong Cha”. Click here to see the original brief.
Maxine interpreted the theme by making this ballet tutu (one of her hobbies) out of paper materials used in baking -waxed paper or presenting baked items (doilies). 

She sees baking, one of her favourite hobbies, as a metaphor for creativity and life; and the different approaches people have towards each of these pursuits. Maxine explained that some people approach baking and life in a methodical manner and others in a more random manner (Ching Chong Cha). She is creative in her baking – often adding ingredients that haven’t been planned and she states:  “As in life, the item doesn’t always turn out the way you intended.”

This ballet tutu was made using a methodical planned approach (the careful pleating of the skirt) and a more instinctive draping of the bodice.

This artwork makes further reference to the game (Ching Chong Cha)- because it is made out of paper, is on a mannequin that has a stone (rock) texture and it has been carefully crafted using scissors.  

Maxine lit the skirt by inserting small fairy lights into wire structure under dress. So it looks quite magical in the dark. I haven’t managed to take a good enough picture to do the lighting justice. 

Grade 11 Drawing assignment Term 2

I took my Grade 11 class to artSPACE Durban during the last week of the first term. We went to see the exhibition “Inspiration” which is an exhibition based on art sourced in the Durban Art Gallery Archives. 

It is described as follows on the artSPACE durban Web site: ”a group of KwaZulu-Natal-based artists met on December 9th at the Durban Art Gallery Archives with the formidable task to find the one artwork that was most inspirational to each of them. At the end of the day twenty-three artists came away with twenty-three images that have now become their foundations of a new artwork.  There were no restrictions as to the subject matter chosen nor are there any restrictions as to the interpretations.”

I tasked my class to choose one artwork that they liked and examine the original artwork and its source and write an analysis of the two images comparing and contrasting the two images.

I have decided to center the Grade 11 homework drawings for this term on the same concept. They will be given the following artists to research:

Vania Zouravliov

Mateo Dineen

Lisel Ashlock

John Borowicz

Wilford Barrington

Sandra Kay Strait

They must pick one artwork by three different artists & create three homework drawings inspired by their selection.