Durer Style Animal Drawing

Submitted by: Ti Hewitt, middle school art teacher,
St. Elizabeth School in Kansas City, Missouri.
Grade Level: 6th - 8th grade

 

Materials:

• Picture of Albrecht Durer's The Rhinoceros

• Encyclopedias

• Drawing Paper

• Drawing Pencils or writing instrument

Procedure:

This is a fun project that requires pencils, papers, and a set of borrowed encyclopedias. It is also necessary to locate a copy of Albrecht Durer's drawing of a Rhinoceros.

 

Explain to the class that Albrecht Durer created this drawing of a rhino simply by hearing someone's description of the animal. And that this, of course, was his interpretation. Have each student pair up with a partner.

 

One student will read the description of a "secret" animal from an encyclopedia while the other will draw from the description. Once the young artist has guessed what animal they are creating the two will switch.

 

It is also very fun to hang the finished pieces and have other members of the class try to guess what animals the drawings are of.

 

Optional:

Finish drawings with Crow Quill Pens and India ink

 

NOTE: This lesson was submitted in the early days of IAD when teachers had no scanners or digital cameras to take pictures of student work.

 

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Hidden Collages

Submitted by: Colin Lenox and Richard Barbeau,
Samuel Crowther Middle School in Strathmore, Alberta, Canada.
Grade Level: 6th - 7th grade

 

Materials:

• Scissors

• Glue Sticks

• 11 X 14 paper

• Magazines

Procedure:

This project is a take off of a Where's Waldo style of puzzle.

 

Have the students work in teams of 2 - 4. They must first choose a theme for their puzzle like animals, toys, electric appliances etc. Next they will need to go through the magazines and begin to cut out as many pictures of items that relate back to their theme. Out of all the pictures that they cut out have them choose 15 - 20 which they will hide in the puzzle.

 

They can then begin to glue the pictures to the paper backing. When they are finished there should be no paper backing showing through and the students will need to make a list of all of the items that the readers are to find.

 

We bound our classes puzzles together in a book form and they are sent to other classes in the school for free time activities. Our students had a great time making the puzzles and trying to solve the other students puzzles.

 

NOTE: This lesson was submitted in the early days of IAD when teachers had no scanners or digital cameras to take pictures of student work.