Durer hand Study

Objective(s)
Learn about the following

• Reductive drawing using chalk
• Observational drawing of the hand
• hand proportions
• religious art in the renaissance

Supplies

Paper

Chalk

Erasers

Pencil

Tissues 

Image of Durer's "Praying Hands"

Intro

Look at Durer's Praying Hands and discuss what they are doing and the role of religion in Renaissance artwork.  Note that it is a sketch not a finished work, yet it is important and valuable.  Draw a hand together using basic proportions.  Here are some links that are helpful if you arent familiar with drawing hands

• Artmideast
• Nosoart
• Draw Praying Hands

Project

1. Make a medium ground out of chalk pastel (yellows and blacks are a bit too light and too dark for this)
2. Smear the chalk with a tissue to make a nice even medium ground.
3. Draw either praying hands or a simple "hello" hand
4. Use the eraser to make highlights and your chalk to drop shadows in.

This does get messy so roll up your sleeves and wear aprons!  For younger students we used a hot glue gun to attach watercolor butterflies we cut out of some practice watercolor paper from a previous project.

For images of student work click here or here

Durer Insect Drawing

Durer's Stag beetle was the inspiration for this lesson.  A key thing is to have bugs for the students to observe.  There are plenty of stink bugs hanging around my house, however, I once tried to collect them for my high school class to draw and the result was a horrific sight that can be summed it up in two words, smelly cannibals.  I didn't want to disturb my little art classes with the stink bugs so I tried a technique I read about in the book, The Last Child in the Woods.  I put a board down in my yard and expected bugs to gather under it overnight. When my students and I went to get out bugs the morning of the class, no bugs gathered.  Not even an ant.  So we went off in search of bugs.  I have a flower patch in my front yard, overflowing with daisies, and miracle of miracles, there were ladybugs everywhere in there! We cut some daisies for our little friends to hang out on while we observed and drew them in the classroom.  I can honestly say this is one of the funnest lessons I have ever taught.

Objective(s)
Draw from observation
learn about insects
Learn about nature and the Renaissance

Supplies
Bugs
Paper
Pencil
Ink
Clear jars with holes in the lids
Magnifying glass

Intro
Go collect bugs and discuss the 3 parts of an insect (head, thorax, abdomen) and how many legs they have (6).  Observe your bugs with the magnifying glass and have students describe what they see.  Have students draw the parts of an insect (we drew a stag beetle together and a ladybug)  Look at Durer's beetle and identify the three parts and ask students how he made it look so real.

Project
Observe and draw one of the insects using pencil and add color with watercolor.
We drew one together, and painted it in together.  

For more images of student work click here or here

Durer Rhino Drawing

Objectives

• draw using shapes
• use ink and watercolor
• draw using your imagination

Supplies

Pencil

Paper

Pens

Watercolor 

Paper towels or rags

Water container

Brushes (small and medium)

Image of Durer's Rhino

Image of an Indian Rhino

Intro

Give students the description of the Rhino that was given to Albrecht Durer and have them draw something that fits the description. (I drew it with them and added a few things of my own)  Tell them not to say it out loud if they figure out what it is.

Here is a summary

• It is the color of a speckled tortoise
• the size if an elephant but shorter legs
• almost entirely covered by thick scales
• enemy of the elephant
• fast, impetuous and cunning
• strong pointed horn on the end of its nose (say this last!)

I also added the following 

• Ears like a horse
• eyes like a snake

After they draw something that matches the description show them Durer's Rhinoceros  (I gave each a copy of it for their sketchbooks)  and a real photo of an Indian Rhinoceros  Discuss similarities and differences, pointing out that Durer added a few things of his own, like extra horns on the Rhino's shoulders.  

For more into on the Rhino click here

Project

• Draw the Rhino together in pencil using basic shapes.
• Draw basic shapes they see in the Rhino together. (circle, square, leaf shapes for the ears, frowning mouth for the nose, jelly belly shape for the body, triangles etc.)
• After the students draw the Rhino using shapes, have them trace the outline of their rhino onto another paper (watercolor paper if possible) in pencil then pen, or for younger students just trace it in pen, mainly tracing the outline, and let them use their imagination to add things to their Rhino.  We used a window to trace their drawn Rhino onto a new paper.
• Use water color to paint it in.  We used gray for the Rhino and its shadow and a blue for the background.

For more images click here  or here