Art & Design: Drawing
Practice observation, line, value, texture, and composition
Art & Design: Drawing
Practice observation, line, value, texture, and composition
Art & Design - Grade 6-8
- 1
Choose a simple object near you, such as a shoe, mug, or stapler. Make a blind contour drawing of it without looking at your paper for at least one minute. Then write one sentence about what this exercise helps artists practice.
Move your eyes slowly along the outside edges of the object and let your pencil follow.
A blind contour drawing helps artists practice careful observation because they focus on the edges and shapes of the object instead of trying to make a perfect picture. - 2
Draw five different types of lines: straight, curved, zigzag, broken, and wavy. Label each line and write one word that describes the feeling or movement each line creates.
The drawing should include five labeled line types. The descriptions may vary, but they should connect the line to a feeling or movement, such as wavy for flowing, zigzag for energetic, or broken for uneven. - 3
Draw a cube using one-point perspective. Include a horizon line, one vanishing point, and visible construction lines. Label the horizon line and vanishing point.
All receding edges should aim toward the same vanishing point.
The drawing should show a cube receding toward one vanishing point on a horizon line. The horizon line and vanishing point should be labeled, and the cube should use straight perspective lines. - 4
Create a value scale with at least five boxes, moving from white to very dark. Label the boxes from 1 for lightest to 5 for darkest.
The value scale should show five clear steps from white or very light gray to very dark gray or black. The boxes should be labeled 1 through 5 in order from lightest to darkest. - 5
Use shading to turn a circle into a sphere. Add a light source arrow, a highlight, a midtone, a core shadow, and a cast shadow. Label at least three of these parts.
The cast shadow should fall away from the light source.
The drawing should show a sphere with shading that matches the light source. It should include a highlight on the light side, darker shading on the opposite side, and a cast shadow on the surface below or beside it. - 6
Draw a small object twice. In the first drawing, use only outline. In the second drawing, add shading and texture. Write one sentence explaining how the second drawing changes the viewer's understanding of the object.
The second drawing should look more three-dimensional or detailed because shading shows form and texture gives information about the object's surface. - 7
Look at a chair, desk, or table. Sketch it using basic shapes first, such as rectangles, cylinders, or boxes. Then refine the shapes into the object. Write which basic shapes helped you the most.
Do not start with tiny details. Build the large forms first.
The sketch should begin with simple shapes and then become more like the chosen furniture item. The explanation should name useful shapes, such as boxes for the seat, cylinders for legs, or rectangles for flat surfaces. - 8
Draw three texture samples: wood grain, fabric, and rough stone. Use marks such as dots, short lines, crosshatching, or scribbles to show each texture.
The drawing should show three different texture samples that are visually distinct. Wood grain may use long curved lines, fabric may use woven or repeated marks, and rough stone may use uneven dots, cracks, or jagged marks. - 9
Choose an animal and draw it using correct proportion. Start by lightly sketching simple body shapes, then add details. Write one sentence about one proportion you checked, such as head size compared with body size.
Compare parts before adding fur, eyes, or patterns.
The animal drawing should show attention to proportion by comparing body parts. The written sentence should explain a specific proportion, such as the head being smaller than the body or the legs being the correct length compared with the torso. - 10
Create a composition using at least one foreground object, one middle ground object, and one background object. Label each area.
The composition should include a clear foreground, middle ground, and background. Objects in the foreground should usually appear larger and lower on the page, while background objects should appear smaller or farther away. - 11
Draw the same simple object three times using three different viewpoints: front view, side view, and top view. Label each viewpoint.
A top view often shows the widest flat surface, while a side view may show height and depth.
The three drawings should show the same object from front, side, and top viewpoints. Each drawing should be labeled, and the shapes should change based on the viewing angle. - 12
Use crosshatching to shade a rectangle so it looks darker on one side and lighter on the other. Explain how you made the darker area.
The drawing should use crossed lines to create value. The darker area should have closer lines, more layers of lines, or both, while the lighter area should have fewer or more widely spaced lines. - 13
Draw a simple still life with at least three objects that overlap. Write one sentence explaining how overlap helps show space.
Place one object so it covers part of another object rather than keeping all objects separate.
The still life should include at least three objects, with some objects partly covering others. Overlap helps show space because the object in front blocks part of the object behind it. - 14
Design a pencil sketch for a poster about keeping the school clean. Include a focal point, at least one symbol, and a short slogan. Write one sentence explaining what the viewer should notice first.
The poster sketch should include a clear focal point, a symbol related to cleanliness, and a short slogan. The explanation should identify what the viewer should notice first and why it stands out. - 15
Review one drawing you made in this worksheet. Write two strengths and one specific improvement you would make if you revised it.
Use art vocabulary such as line, shape, value, texture, space, proportion, or composition.
The response should name two clear strengths, such as strong shading, accurate proportion, or interesting texture. It should also name one specific improvement, such as adding darker values, improving perspective lines, or making the focal point clearer.