Lesson 13: Panel Drawing

Objective: To have children create a sequential composition that shows an action.

Vocabulary:

figure - A human body or animal in an artwork.

gesture drawing - A sketch created with loose arm movements showing the movement of a figure.

movement - A design principle often using diagonal and curved lines to create the feeling of motion.

rhythm - Repeating art elements (dots, lines, shapes, forms, space, textures, colors, values, and time) in various ways or the sense of movement created by repeated art elements.

sequential composition - The arrangement of the parts of an artwork in a series of steps.

Two Blue Dancers by Edgar Degasabout 1900, pastel on paper75 cm x 49 cmVon der Heydt Museum, Wuppertal, Germany, EU

Figures in Motion

Artists create portraits of people in still poses and of people in motion. What are the people in Two Blue Dancers by Edgar Degas doing? How can you tell they are in motion?

Study of a Dancer (Etude de Danseuse) by Edgar Degaspastel and charcoal on paper12.75" x 8.5"

Gesture Drawing
Before artists create a finished artwork, they draw a sketch. Study of a Dancer (Etude de Danseuse) by Edgar Degas shows a sketch the the artist made of a ballerina. One kind of sketch, a gesture drawing, is created by using loose arm movements. Why do you think an artist might use a gesture drawing to sketch a person in motion?

Rhythm
In music, when a sound is repeated, it creates a beat or rhythm. Artists create a visual beat or rhythm by repeating lines, shapes, or colors. Both artists and musicians may use rhythm to create a certain mood. Look at Two Blue Dancers and Study of a Dancer (Etude de Danseuse). How do the lines of the arms show rhythm?

The Bicycle Race by Lyonel Feininger1912, oil on canvas31.8" x 39.5"National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., USA

Lyonel Feininger, the artist of The Bicycle Race, was trained as a violinist before he became an artist. How do you think his training as a musician may have helped him as an artist? How did he create rhythm in The Bicycle Race? What kind of feeling did he show?

Child Who Runs on the Balcony by Giacomo Balla1912, oil on canvas127.5 cm x 127.5 cmCivica Galleria d' Arte Moderna, Milan, Italy, EU

Look at Child Who Runs on the Balcony by Giacomo Balla. Do you think this is a good title for the painting? Why or why not? How did the artist of Child Who Runs on the Balcony use rhythm?

Think Critically - Tell what you learned.

Studio Time: Panel Drawing

Materials:

Pencils, Sketchbooks, White Paper, Crayons

Plan

Brainstorm a list of steps for performing an action, such as hitting a baseball. Then have a partner model the steps. Use simple lines and shapes to make gesture drawings of your partner.
Check list:
- Create a sequential composition that shows movement.
- Use gesture drawing and rhythm to show three stages of movement.

Create

Fold a sheet of paper into three sections, or panels. Draw a vertical line along each fold to separate the sections.
Use your gesture drawings as a guide to draw your subject at the beginning, middle, and end of the action. Make a drawing in each panel.

3. Use crayons to add color and details to your panel drawing.

Reflect - Tell about your work.

Photograph and Submit your work on Google Classroom.

Photograph sketches as well as completed artwork.
"Add" (attach) to Google Classroom assignment.
"Mark as done" to submit your work for a grade.

Challenge: Group Action Print

Create a print of a person doing an activity from a foam tray, ink and transfer to paper repeatedly to create rhythm.

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