Main Teaching:
Collect a group of fruit (including exotic varieties). Include fruit that is interesting when you cut it in half, for example, peppers, oranges, kiwi fruits. Look closely and ask children to touch and smell each one. Discuss the textures and colours.
Arrange the fruit in a display and ask the children to look at it from different viewpoints/angles – what can they see now? Is it different from before? How can we make the fruit more interesting?
Slice it in half – discuss what can be seen now? Ask children to look closely at the detail inside.
‘When children are drawing something, especially something unfamiliar, the teacher’s role is to talk more about the object they are drawing than the drawing itself’, (Barnes, R. 2002)
Discuss what ‘observational drawing’ is – drawing only what you can see and not what you know to be there. Demonstrate this to the children by drawing what you can see. Model this process, be explicit with your eye movements – keep looking. Say what you can see – ‘I can see tiny black seeds and so this is what I am drawing…’ Encourage the children to look at the shapes, to allow their eyes to travel around the edges of the objects and to appreciate how the individual shapes relate to each other. Use a pointed finger in the air or on the desk to trace the outline.
Activity:
Children are to make a set of observational drawings of a variety of cut fruit or vegetables. It is up to them which they would like to draw – they can do two. Ask them to look very carefully – you must not accept a two second drawing – they are to practice looking.
Teaching points:
Can I make a detailed observational drawing of a fruit?
Look at shade and tone – is it all the same colour? Show this with pencil by making it darker in areas where the colour changes. Look at the size of the object – compare it to your hand, nail etc.
Resources:
HB pencils, A4 cartridge paper, selection of fruit and vegetables (kiwi, apple, orange, tomato, different coloured peppers), knife for slicing in half by adult
Session 2
During this session the children are to concentrate on colour. They are to use pencil crayons as ordinary coloured pencils can offer great scope for detailed work, with a subtlety and range of colour and tone which can be achieved according to the type of pencil and the way it is used, (Calloway G. & Kear M., 1999). Coloured pencils are to be used in sets, or sorted into colours in containers with the leads uppermost. Make sure they are sharp, clean and that children have the opportunity to choose from a range of reds, greens, yellows, etc.
Learning Objective:
To be able to record from first-hand observation using colour.
Main Teaching:
Discuss what ‘observational drawing’ is again = drawing what you can see.
- What about colour?
- Do we draw with pencil then colour in?
- Does the fruit have an outline?
- How can we make a picture just using colour?
- What if we make a mistake?
The children to choose one or two different fruit – make sure they choose two that are different in colour, shape and texture.
Activity:
The children to make a series of sketches using colour.
They must draw the outline with the correct colour very lightly – making sure they look at shape and size. Once they are happy with the shape, they can then go over it again and again and begin to build up the colour. Try to discourage children from drawing, for example, a green circle and calling it an apple. Make sure they look closely at the colours – there maybe more than one colour there.
Teaching Points:
Can I make a detailed observational drawing of a fruit using colour?
Think carefully about whether the colour changes – use different shades of the same colour to highlight or darken.
Resources:
Coloured pencils, A4 cartridge paper, selection of fruit and vegetables (kiwi, apple, orange, tomato, different coloured peppers), knife for slicing in half by adult
Session 3
Children to be allowed to make their own decisions as to which previous artwork to choose to use for a template for an appliqué design (principle of self-responsibility). ‘When children or teachers are involved in the process of making choices, they are inevitably manipulating thoughts and ideas’ (Barnes, R. 2002).
Learning Objectives:
- To make simple drawing based on previous artworks in order to make a template for appliqué design.
- To cut out the templates for their design.
- To be able to make their appliqué.
Main Teaching:
The children must choose one fruit for their appliqué design.
Ask them to look very closely.
- What is the basic shape of the outline?
- What is the main colour of the fruit?
- What smaller shapes can you see?
- How many of those other shapes will you need?
Activity:
The children are to choose one fruit and make a simple drawing of that fruit. They must then decide what the main shapes within the fruit are and draw them separately. Make sure they draw them big enough – these drawings will be used as a template for their appliqué.
Cut out the paper templates and draw around these onto the felt – make sure that this is done carefully and that they draw enough of each shape. Use felt tip pens for this. Then the children are to cut out the shapes.
Each child must have a calico rectangle/square on which they are to make their appliqué. Attach the felt pieces to the material with PVA glue.
Teaching Points:
Can I make a simple drawing for my appliqué?
Appliqué = cut out from one material and apply to another.
Resources:
Sketching pencils, A4 sheet, scissors, felt (various colours), PVA glue & calico
Bibliography
Barnes, R. (2002) Teaching Art to Young Children 4-9, London, RoutledgeFalmer
Calloway G. & Kear M. (1999) Teaching Art & Design in the Primary School, London, David Fulton Publishers Ltd
DfEE (1999) The National Curriculum, Key Stages 1 and 2, London, HMSO
