7th and 8th Grade Art

We had a focused class this week working on drawing and observational skills. While I love creating open ended projects with the middle school that allows them to explore their own voice and creativity, sometimes I feel the need to tighten up their creative education with set exercises to strengthen their skills. This drawing exercise is from the book "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain."  Students all have the same image, all except 1" of the image is hidden and they have to transfer the information slowly and carefully. The room is silent and the concentration needed to complete the exercise is high. I have personally participated in this exercise over 40 times since high school and still learn something every time! As is the norm, some students enjoy the exercise, some STRONGLY dislike the lesson. I will say that every student tried and I was impressed with the level of achievement. The original drawing the students work from is a portrait of Stravinsky by Pablo Picasso. They realize at the end of the exercise that they have been drawing the portrait upside down. It truly is a wonderful training tool for how to observe.

The original Picasso drawing