What Lurks in the Hallway?
For this assignment students sat in the school hallway and completed a one-point perspective drawing from observation. They learned to illustrate the three-dimensional space by creating horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines organized around a vanishing point. They looked at the work of JJ Manford, and used warm and cool colors to illustrate distance. They also learned how to layer colored marks to create surface texture and optical color mixing.
While students were completing this work, they used content-specific language such as one point perspective as well as general academic language such as, analyze, to interpret the processes used by established artists. Learning the process of established artists aided them in developing their own. To address students' social and emotional needs we discussed the challenges that arise when experimenting with different drawing methods. Some artists have a high comfort level drawing geometric shapes with a ruler while others are naturally more comfortable making organic lines.
We started class with a short journal writing exercise about emotions experienced while drawing with a ruler. They asked themselves: “How does overcoming obstacles while creating art impact the making and refinement of my work?” After assessing the comfort level of class, students were paired based on one's ability to assist others in drawing with a ruler. By the end of the lesson the same question was posed and students wrote about challenges they overcame to complete their perspective drawings.
7th Grade, Ink on Watercolor Paper, 12” x 18”
7th Grade, Watercolor, Oil Pastel and Colored Pencil on Watercolor Paper, 12” x 18”
