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

Figure Drawing

Figure drawing is so fun to do with all ages.  The greatest challenge for me is to not ruin the amazing way they already draw the figure.  Im talking about arms coming out of the head, and the circle hands.  Here are some tips to teach figure drawing;

• Teach proportions (facial and body) but explain that not one of us is exactly like the other, and that they are important for "realistic" drawings
• Have them look at their own proportions and see if they are correct
• Talk about the shapes of the face
• Draw a face together
• Do gesture drawings where the students take turns being the model
• Make a stick figure flip book
• Use a grid to draw a portrait
• Trace a real portrait to practice
• Draw different expressions
• Draw the gesture drawings with crayola washable markers and paint it with water to make it bleed and look like the figure is moving
• Do a reductive drawing of a hand or part of the figure
• Draw the figure using the shadows on the face (the eyes, under the nose, the top or bottom lip, and under the chin
• Let the students draw their own hands
• Make stencils of the students faces
• Draw hairstyles
• Draw someone they admire...or hate
• Design clothing for their figures
• Draw 10 peoples eyes
• Ok there are a ton of ways to teach the figure I usually start out with the whole and move to the parts, that way you are not erasing the eyes you spent three hours on when you realize your head needs to move to the side.

For more images of student work go to my gallery