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