Guidance on Teaching Drawing

Teaching drawing offers both enjoyment and challenges. Being a successful drawing instructor requires patience and encouragement. Avoid criticizing students' mistakes or being judgmental. Remember, everyone starts somewhere! Begin with basic concepts such as sketching, then progress to techniques like shading, to help students develop confidence and skill in drawing.

Commence by instructing students to practice holding a pencil. Encourage them to make simple marks on paper with a pencil. Then, have them experiment with different grips on the pencil and repeat the process. Emphasize that there's no correct or incorrect way to hold a pencil while drawing, and they should use the grip that feels most comfortable for them.

Demonstrate sketching techniques to your students. Draw a simple shape, such as a circle or square, in front of them. While sketching, emphasize the importance of using short strokes with the pencil, and reassure them that the lines don't need to be perfect. Encourage your students to begin sketching instead of relying on one continuous line without lifting their pencils.

Encourage your students to sketch a basic object. Place items like an apple, coffee mug, bottle, or any simple object in front of them, and instruct them to sketch using the demonstrated technique. Observe their drawing process and gently remind them to use short strokes if they're drawing with long continuous lines.

• Remind students that their sketches don't need to precisely resemble the objects they're drawing. It's just a sketch!

EXPERT TIP

Kelly Medford
Professional Artist

Draw what you see, not what you assume. Kelly Medford, an artist specializing in plein air painting, advises: “Mastering drawing involves perceiving reality rather than relying on preconceived notions. Children often substitute symbols for real objects, but it’s essential for students to observe objects as they truly are. Learning to draw from observation lays the cornerstone of drawing skills.”

Encourage students to refine and accentuate the lines in their sketches. After creating a preliminary sketch, guide them to enhance precision by identifying and reinforcing the lines that define the object's contours. Demonstrate how to strengthen these lines with deliberate, extended strokes.

Conclude the activity by instructing students to embellish their drawings with detail. Avoid focusing on shading for now. Instead, prompt students to include any specific features or text present on the sketched object. Additionally, suggest depicting the surface on which the object rests.

• For instance, if the object is a labeled bottle, encourage students to add the label and any accompanying text.

Direct students to position their sketchbooks beneath a table or desk on their laps. With the paper hidden from view, explain that they will engage in a blind contour drawing exercise. This exercise fosters the habit of focusing on the subject rather than the paper while drawing.

Invite your students to outline a simple object. Explain the distinction between sketching and contouring. Sketching involves short, light strokes, while contouring entails outlining an object with elongated strokes. Encourage them to proceed methodically, ensuring that nobody peers at their paper while drawing.

Encourage your students to scrutinize their contour drawings. Emphasize that variations from the actual object are acceptable. The objective is to foster observational skills. Advise them to identify and note any inaccuracies for future correction.

Reiterate the activity using more intricate objects. Introduce furniture pieces or enlist a student as a model. Stress the importance of a deliberate, unhurried approach and direct their attention to the subject. Set incremental improvement goals for each iteration of the exercise.

Position an object under illumination and instruct students to sketch it. Begin with a straightforward item like a ball or a box. Utilize a lamp or leverage natural light from a window to accentuate the object's highlights and shadows. Initiate with outlining the object's contours, excluding shading details.

Instruct your students to indicate the light source in their drawings. Emphasize the importance of understanding the light's direction for shading and creating depth. Have them draw a small circle or arrow next to their sketches to represent the light source's location.

Illustrate shading techniques based on the light source. Demonstrate shading while sketching the object, explaining that the side facing the light will be lighter, and the opposite side will be darker. Additionally, clarify that objects backlit by the light source will appear dark overall.

Supervise your students as they shade their drawings. Provide guidance to struggling students and advise against pressing too hard with the pencil. Encourage the use of the graphite's side for shading instead of the tip.

Guide students to incorporate shadows into their drawings. After shading, prompt them to identify and lightly sketch the shadow's location relative to the light source. Explain that adding shadows enhances the realism of their drawings.

Acknowledge the strengths of your students' drawings. Instead of focusing solely on mistakes, highlight the positive aspects of their artwork. Encourage them to self-reflect by asking if there's anything they'd like to improve next time.

Discourage direct copying from your demonstrations. While it's acceptable to showcase techniques, encourage students to draw from their own observations to nurture their creativity and observational skills.

Prompt students to observe their subjects closely. Encourage them to look at the object they're drawing rather than solely at their paper. This fosters observational drawing skills over relying on memory.

Instill the belief that drawing is a skill that can be learned. Reassure students that drawing proficiency comes with practice, emphasizing that drawing is a skill that improves over time. Avoid fostering the notion that artistic talent is innate.

• Drawing paper
• Pencils (graphite)
• Erasers
• Light source
• Inanimate objects