I Can Do All Things

Beginning Drawing

“Man is a maker. This is part of what it means to be in the image of our Creator God. As we learn to collaborate with Him, He confirms and mightily blesses the work of our hands…. When we allow God to bestow His favor and beauty and delightfulness on the work of our hands, He makes artists of even the humblest among us.”

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Beginning Drawing Drawing is commanding your pencil to do what you want it to do. This is not as easy as it sounds, especially if you are between the ages of 4 and 7. There are three things to consider when drawing: 1 . A s y o u r grow o l d e r y o u w i l l n a t u r a l l y h a v e m o r e c o n t r o l o v e r what you want your pencil to do.

2. The more patience you have in drawing, the more your hand and pencil will do what you want them to do.

3. D rawing takes practice. The more you practice the better you will become.

Rules for Beginning Drawing

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1. S h a r p e n Y o u r P e n c i l : A l w a y s h a v e a s h a r p p e n c i l p o i n t . T h i s i s very important in drawing. The best way to have a shar p point is to use an electric or hand-held pencil sharpener.

Store your Art Pencils Properly: It is important to take care of your art materials.

The best way to store your pencils is in a jar or cup with all the point s facing up.

Do Not M ix Drawing Pencils wit h Color ed Pencils: You will find that the two leads do not work well together. It is best to do your drawings either with all drawing pencils or with all colored pencils.

Hold Your Pencil Away fr om the Point: Most students like to hold their pencils tightly down near the point. Learn how to draw in a relaxed manner.

Holding your pencil farther up from the point will help you relax more.

Draw Lightly: Most beginning students like to draw with a heavy hand and make dark lines. The student needs to learn how to start off his pictures by drawing lightly. A student must be taught to draw lightly. After everything is drawn in correctly he can go over this light drawing with a darker pencil.

R e f r a i n Fr o m U s i n g a R u l e r : The student should learn how to draw lines free hand.

This means drawing without the use of a r uler. This will teach you control , which is being able to make the pencil do what you want it to do.

Refrain From Using an Eraser: One of the first things I would hear in my beginning drawing classes was the sound of erasers! When I heard this it was a sign that the students did not have confidence in what they were drawing. When a student learns to draw lightly he will build up his confidence in his drawing skills.

Listen to Classical Music! Classical music can be very inspiring, especially during art time. Try to learn the composers as you listen.

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Teacher’s Note: Some of the drawing assignments are a little difficult for younger stu -

dents (Lessons 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21 & 23). If this is true with a student you are teaching, pass over those lessons that are difficult and return to them a little later when the child’s motor skills have developed more.

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Lesson #1: Long Lines & Shoestrings A. N o !

B. No! C.

D. Learning to draw is practicing control, or teaching your pencil to do wha t you want it to do. Let’s practice control by drawing shoestrings. The best way to draw lon-n-n-n-ng lines is t o patiently guide your pencil along with control. Take your time. There is no rush! However, do not inch your pencil across the paper like an ant walking through the desert (A). And don’t be in such a hurry that your lines look sloppy (B). Draw a shoestring with stripes in the long figure box on the left (C) going down the side of the page. Make sure to use two lines to d r a w a s h o e s t r i n g t o s h o w i t s t h i c k n e s s . Dr a w s t r i p e s go i n g around the shoe strin g just like the one above (D). Finally, draw a shoestring in the boot below just like the one on the left. Remember, take your time and practice control.

Lesson #2: On a plain sheet of paper draw one of your shoes. Make sure

to draw the shoestring with controlled lines. Start your drawing lightly with your yellow colored pencil and then go over it with your brown pencil. If you have problems drawing this have your mother or teacher draw it for you and then you can draw the shoestring.

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Lesson #3: Wally the Worm & Family A.

Fatter to thinner, to thinner, to thinner......

Drawing Wally the Worm is like drawing a shoestring. However, the lines go from fat ter to thinner to thinner as they meet at his tail (A) . Draw Wally Jr., Wanda, and Mr. and Mrs. Wally in the figure box below (B) with your black pen. Take your time and practice drawing with control. Dra w stripes on their bodies, making sure to show the stripes go around. Finally, pla ce a ba seball hat on Wa lly Jr., a bow on Wa nda’s hea d, a bo nnet on Mr s.

Wally, and a hat on Mr. Wally. Then complete Wally above by giving him a hat and drawing stripes going around his body.

Wally Jr.

B.

Wanda Mrs. Wally Mr. Wally Stripes Go Around

Lesson #4: Foreshortening

Foreshortening means to draw things larger as they come forward and smaller as t h e y g o in t o t h e b a ck g r o u n d . W h e n w e d r a w l i k e t h i s , i t h e l p s s h o w depth in ou r dr aw in g s, creating distance. For this assignment, draw Wa lly as he winds his way forward on the paper (C). Start with a large “S” shape. (Don’t forget, the closer he comes towards you, the fatter he will be.) Finally, on a piece of white paper, draw Wally the Worm winding through a flower bed. Show that he is much larger as he comes forward.

C. smallest smaller larger largest

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