A Life Inspired by Nature: A Fun Drawing Lesson

Monday, March 19, 2012

A Fun Drawing Lesson

I thought I would share a fun drawing lesson that I learned from a book called Drawing Nature. I borrowed the book from the Nature Center, and unfortunately I don't remember the author's name. This lesson applies to all types of drawing not just nature. If you've taken a drawing class, you may already be familiar with these exercises. I know that not everyone enjoys drawing, but I think drawing really helps people take the time look carefully, it helps me remember things that I've seen, and you can create some wonderful art. I liked these exercises because it made me think about how I look at things and helps me improve my hand-eye coordination. I did the lesson with a bunch of 10 year-olds and they seemed to enjoy it, too. Parts of the lesson are a real challenge. You can spend anywhere from 20-40 minutes on the lesson.

1. Pick something to draw. It's good to start with something small, and somewhat simple. You can also choose something in a photo.

2. Observe the object. Spend 10 minutes looking at your object from all angles, trace it with your fingers, close your eyes and feel the texture, perceive how it is proportioned, notice as much detail as possible.

3. Draw from Memory. Put your object away and take 5 minutes to draw everything you can remember about your object.

4. Contour Drawing- Draw without looking at the paper for 5 minutes. Put your notebook under the table. It is really hard to not look. Putting the notebook under the table keeps you from cheating. This is my favorite exercise because the drawings are really funny looking.

5. Gesture Drawing- Draw very quickly for about 20 seconds. Don't worry about anything, no erasing, no worries. This exercise helps you see the most important part of the object and get the feeling of the drawing. It is my second favorite exercise. It helps me loosen up and have fun.

6. Detailed Drawing. Now, draw your object getting as much detail as you want. You can shade parts to make it 3D, ad notes such as the color of the flower, and ad texture. Give yourself 10-20 minutes to make a final piece of art.