Nature Study Art Class 2020
For 2020, I am trying something new. I am posting our co-op nature study class lessons online! I encourage you to watch these videos as a family and to let all the ages of your family explore the exercises together-- You, too, parents! In each lesson, I try to teach art principles that can be accessed by young students and give more advanced students interesting challenges to consider. In a typical lesson, expect at least one art principal to be highlighted and one or more challenges that will let you explore an application for those ideas. Periodically, I will bring in biology information, to help students understand what they are seeing. Our in-person classes would include me wandering the class answering questions and working with individual students. This time is usually not on these videos. If you are doing these lessons at home, I encourage you to converse about the process as you go. I often find the questions and ideas of fellow artists are one of the most useful parts of an art class.
I have 3 main goals as an art educator. First, I want my students to learn to see well the world around them. The practice of art is first the practice of noticing reality. If all you learn in a study of art is how to see more clearly what really is- your study will bear fruit in many areas of your life. Secondly, I want students to practice the courageous process of growth: trying hard things, “failing”, and then discovering that you have learned to do more than you once thought possible. Art is fantastic for teaching us this, because, as our eyes become better attuned to reality, we learn to see how our own work falls short of our goal- then, it is exactly by noticing our errors, that we discover that we can improve a drawing and grow skill. And third, I want for my students what they think is the point of art class-- to be better able to communicate their vision to themselves and to those around them.
Most of the techniques I will present this year, are not my own. During this season, we are focusing on teaching realistic, naturalist style nature drawing and watercolor and we are following a method described by John Muir Laws. I have loved The Laws Guide to Nature Study and Journaling for years. I just discovered that he has published more lessons and a new book on his website at https://johnmuirlaws.com/ Also, I am indebted to Mona Brookes and the pedagogical style she presents in Drawing with Children. I highly recommend both author’s works for teaching yourself or your children to draw.
If you would like to use the same art materials used in our class, I will write another post listing them. This year we are meeting outside at the Anniston Museum’s complex so you will see their lovely grounds in the background. If you are in our area, our challenges are designed for flora and fauna usually visible on their grounds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpfRc4lrL5I&list=PLlWiJH2FpJxxBK7OYaURjbE5PrdT7ipyA
I hope you enjoy following along as we explore the world around us through art.
CHALLENGES:
Art Class 1 : Draw a Circle using the sketching method described then turn it into a sphere by adding shadows and highlights. Then Explore the world around you and find shadows. Examine them and draw some of them.
Art Class 2: Challenge in two levels (a) Go on a shape scavenger hunt. Look for things in the world that are good examples of the elements of shapes. (b) Find a single object, like a sleeping animal, a plant or still person and find the shapes their form is made from. Most of our class drew sleeping barn owls from the bird of prey sanctuary. Start drawing in blue, check the frame, build in the brown, then add color, shadow and highlights.