We teach a variety of fun and educational lessons to our students centered around drawing, painting, and computer graphics. Look below to see all of the amazing skills students are able learn as a part of the Empowered Education A.R.T. program!
- Warmup: Assessing students’ skill level
- Students will spend 5 minutes drawing what they are interested in, so that I can learn what they want to draw and what skills they already have.
- Lesson 1: Light logic and Shading
- Techniques I will teach-
- Highlight, Midtone, Core Shadow, Cast Shadow, and Reflective light
- Projects to practice skill-
- Drawing and shading a sphere using graphite
- Sketching other still life objects, such as an apple, using graphite
- Techniques I will teach-
- Lesson 2: Color and blending
- Techniques I will teach-
- Shading with colored pencils, blending multiple colors, and the color wheel:
- How to make/ use primary colors, secondary colors, and complementary colors
- Shading with colored pencils, blending multiple colors, and the color wheel:
- Projects to practice skill- Students will color the drawing they made of an apple, using the skills they have learned regarding shading, blending, and color combinations (especially complimentary colors)
- Techniques I will teach-
- Lesson 3: How to use Watercolors
- Techniques I will teach-
- I will explain the different ways of using watercolors, including Wet-on-wet, Wet-on-dry, and creating color gradients
- Projects to practice skill-
- Students will start with a practice assignment, so they can get accustomed to using the watercolor paints
- I will create landscape drawings ahead of time that the students can paint on
- Meet the Masters: students will learn about artists like Van Gogh and paintings like Starry Night
- I will create landscape drawings ahead of time that the students can paint on
- Then, students will create their own drawing and begin painting it with watercolors, preferably a landscape
- Students will start with a practice assignment, so they can get accustomed to using the watercolor paints
- Techniques I will teach-
- Lesson 4: Portraiture
- Techniques I will teach-
- Proportions of the face; bone/skeletal structure; how to represent different features; step-step-process of drawing and shading the face
- Projects to practice skill-
- Students will practice drawing a face and skeletal structure using graphite
- Students will begin working on their self-portrait
- Step 1: Students will draw themselves from their shoulders and above using the skills they learned on Thursday
- Step 2: Students will shade their self portrait using graphite, or colored pencils if they prefer
- Step 3: Students will add additional detail to their drawings, making them appear more realistic
- Step 4: Students will paint the background of their drawings using watercolor paints
- Students will use the watercolor paint techniques (especially color gradients) that they learned for this portion of the project.
- Techniques I will teach-
- Lesson 5: How to Draw Animals
- Techniques I will teach-
- I will show students the best ways to draw common animals realistically
- Skills they will learn include:
- beginning the drawing by sketching out the basic skeletal structure of the animal and then adding more details
- Helpful techniques for coloring fur realistically
- Skills they will learn include:
- I will show students the best ways to draw common animals realistically
- Projects to practice skill- Students will draw and color (using colored pencils) their favorite animal in its natural habitat.
- Techniques I will teach-
- Lesson 6: Intro to Photoshop
- Techniques I will teach-
- I will show students the basics of how to draw and paint on Photoshop
- I will also introduce students to the different tools you can use on Photoshop
- Projects to practice skill-
- Students will try out using Photoshop by digitally painting a simple item, such as a flower.
- Time permitting, students may start additional digital paintings on Photoshop.
- Techniques I will teach-
- Additionally, students can finish up any art projects from the past week if there are any that they haven’t finished.
- Lesson 7: Intro to Mural Painting
- Lesson 1: I will teach the students the basics of painting, including the following-
- Color wheel: color combinations, mixing colors, primary colors, secondary colors, and complimentary colors
- Different brush stroke techniques (focus on directionality)
- Lesson 1: I will teach the students the basics of painting, including the following-
- Lesson 8: Sketching the Mural Design
- Students will begin/ continue to sketch the design for the mural.
- Time permitting, we can begin to paint the mural.
- Lesson 9: Painting the Mural
- Students will begin/ continue to paint the mural
- I will give out assignments, so that each student has a portion of the mural to work on.
- We will start by painting the larger areas with minimal detail
- Students will continue to paint the mural collaboratively.
- At this point, students can start adding more detail to the mural, and can also add highlights and shadows
- Students will begin/ continue to paint the mural
- Lesson 10: Complete the Mural
- Students will complete the mural painting and add finishing details.
- Students will also sign their name on to the mural when they have finished.
- Students will complete the mural painting and add finishing details.