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