SchoolArts - May/June 2010

Opposite page top: Erin Edwards, grade ten. Opposite page bottom: Ashley Howdeshell, grade ten. Left: Anthony Martin, grade eleven.

I found online and projected from the classroom laptop, and simple practice drawing based on photos of cars in magazines.

Drawing in the Parking Lot Next, armed with chairs, drawing materials, and gentle reminders about safety and respecting other people’s property, we fanned out across an approved section of the parking lot, and each student chose a car to draw. As they worked, I moved between them, modeling and coaching. In our next session, we repeated the process, but focused only on car engines. Throughout, we emphasized careful observation and strong drawing skills.

Back in the Artroom

Feeling that they needed a low-stakes
opportunity to practice connect-
ing related, but visually dissimilar
objects in their sketchbooks, I chose
an anatomical heart (which resembles
an engine in both form and func-
tion) and the torso of a male figure
(which resembles the rectangular
“body” or chassis
of a car). Working
from a handout that
included both, stu-
dents cut them out
and collaged them
into small composi-
tions that effectively
used a variety of
visual strategies.

Most students were so pleased with their results that they asked if they could enlarge them into finished pieces on board, which we did after completing the lesson.

Final Compositions

With a range of mini-lessons under their (seat) belts, students completed thumbnail sketches before commencing work on their final compositions. At about the same time, my beginning classes were working on corrugated cardboard with graphite, permanent marker, white paint, and coffee (yes, java!). (See “Sculpture Sketches in Bloom,” SchoolArts, October 2009.) Their results were so strong that I decided to use the same media for the car-engine assignment.

Though I emphasized strong drawing throughout, this creative challenge allowed both students who draw beautifully and those whose strengths are more design-based to succeed. All students were experimental in their approach to the media, employing collage, prepared grounds, alteration of the surface (e.g., ripping off the top layer of cardboard to reveal the corrugation), and more.

While some of the students groused initially—cars in two-point perspective are difficult to draw, as they have no true corners, just curves—this challenge ended up being one of, if not the, favorite of the year. When teachers and students let their fears of new challenges with no guaranteed results take a backseat to a “can do” sense of adventure and experimentation, success is just around the corner.

This creative challenge
allowed both students
who draw beautifully
and those whose
strengths are more
design-based to succeed.

Betsy DiJulio is a National Board Certified art teacher at Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where she is a finalist for the title of Citywide Teacher of the Year, 2009–2010. Betsy. DiJulio@VBSchools.com

NATIONAL STANDARD

Students evaluate and defend the validity of sources for content and the manner in which subject matter, symbols, and images are used in the students’ works and in significant works by others.