7th Grade Exercises and Plays in the Art Studio

Middle School students begin every studio class with a 10 minute silent observation contour drawing. Sometimes the observation subject is a still life and other times it is an object or environment chosen inside or outside the studio. Students are encouraged to study the object they are drawing, checking in visually every 5 seconds to confirm the angle, shape, or texture of the next line they are about to draw. Today 7th Graders completed their first observation drawing of a filled glass vessel that they will continue to draw once a month to increase their familiarity wit the object, and to strengthen their confidence with perspective and proportion in general.

Group drawing games in the Art Studio are important for fun, team building, 

and increasing organizational skills.

Scribblish, a game played the first day of class, encourages drawing, writing, and interpretive skills. Fashioned upon the idea of telephone, it is best played with 4+ participants. Here's how you play: The 1st person draws a picture in the first folded square on the scribblish sheet and passes it to the person next to them. The second person looks at the picture and writes what they think is happening in the picture in the second folded square. Here's where it gets tricky! Before the second person passes the sheet to the third person, they fold down the first square (with the drawing) so the third person can not see the drawing. The third person reads the writing and then draws a picture of how they think that would look. Then before the third person passes it to the fourth they fold and hide the drawing (1st square) and writing (second square) so that the fourth person can only see their drawing on the third square. The fourth person looks at the picture and writes what they think is happening in the picture. Repeat until your sheet is full. Sometimes the beginning and end match, and other times they are as different as night and day!!