Week 1: Introduction to Drawing Materials and Tools
IN THIS LESSON
Objective: Today, you’re going to learn and practice basic mark-making techniques to develop control and understand how different marks can create texture, depth, and form in your artwork.
Materials Needed:
Drawing paper (preferably A4 size or larger)
Graphite pencils (HB, 2B, 4B, 6B)
Erasers
Fine-tipped black markers or pens (optional)
Charcoal sticks or pencils
Lesson Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Lesson Outline:
Introduction (10 minutes):
Discussion: Let’s start with a brief discussion on what mark-making is and why it’s important in art.
Different marks can convey different textures, emotions, and forms.
I’ll show you some examples of artworks that use various mark-making techniques.
Objective: Here’s what we’ll aim to achieve today.
Develop control over the tools.
Understand the variety of marks that can be made with different materials.
Create a sample sheet of mark-making techniques.
Warm-Up Exercise (10 minutes):
Free Mark-Making: Grab your paper and pencils.
Fill a sheet of paper with as many different marks as you can think of (e.g., dots, dashes, lines, cross-hatching, scribbles, etc.).
Experiment with pressure, speed, and grip.
Main Activity (60 minutes):
Controlled Mark-Making (20 minutes):
Line Exercises:
Draw straight lines of varying lengths and widths.
Practice creating even lines and lines that change thickness gradually.
Pressure Control:
Practice making marks that transition from light to dark by changing the pressure on the pencil.
Create gradients using different grades of pencils (HB, 2B, 4B, 6B).
Texture Exploration (20 minutes):
Hatching and Cross-Hatching:
Create squares filled with parallel lines (hatching).
Overlay another set of lines at an angle to the first (cross-hatching) to create darker values.
Stippling:
Use dots to create texture and gradients. Make dots closer together for darker areas and farther apart for lighter areas.
Scribbling and Random Marks:
Experiment with controlled scribbles to create texture. Use varying pressure and overlapping marks to create depth.
Expressive Mark-Making (20 minutes):
Charcoal and Ink:
Let’s introduce charcoal and ink as tools for mark-making.
Use the side of the charcoal for broad strokes and the tip for fine lines.
With ink, practice using brushes to create thick and thin lines, experimenting with brush control.
Combining Techniques:
Combine different mark-making techniques on a single sheet.
Create a small composition or abstract piece using a variety of marks to show texture, depth, and form.
Conclusion and Review (10 minutes):
Group Discussion:
Share your mark-making sheets and discuss what you learned.
Talk about which techniques you found most challenging and which you enjoyed the most.
Homework/Extension:
Create a small drawing at home using at least three different mark-making techniques you learned today.
Focus on a simple subject, like a piece of fruit, a plant, or a household object.
Assessment:
I’ll evaluate you based on your participation, effort, and the variety and control of marks you used.
I’ll provide feedback on your ability to create different textures and your control over the materials.
Tips for Success:
Experiment and remember, there are no mistakes in mark-making, only learning opportunities.
I’m here to provide individual feedback and assist if you struggle with certain techniques.
Use positive reinforcement to build your confidence in your artistic abilities.
By the end of this lesson, you’ll have a deeper understanding of mark-making and the control needed to create various textures and effects in your artwork.