Students will write/reflect on what messages their hands are telling the viewer (note: no obscene gestures permitted).ĭo this all with cut paper. Once completed, outlining is done with fine point Sharpie. Mix about 1/3 jar of color in a baby food jar for negative space background color. Use a thinned paint to cut in close to hands - for sharper edges. Ĭolor is painted with tempera (the negative spaces and letters) by mixing colors that provide a nice contrast with the chosen paper color. Two coats may be necessary for negative space background.This composition is transferred onto Canson paper in pencil (any quality colored paper could be used and/or brown butcher paper for those on a tight budget) Letters can overlap and go beneath the hands also run partial letters off of the edge of the format around the composition. These are added to the negative space. Students make patterns to trace. Letters (student name or initials) are developed from various font resources (lettering books, etc.). Note: contour drawings can be enlarged slightly larger than life with photocopier. A goal of this arrangement is to break up the background space into interesting negative shapes that are fairly evenly balanced. The five best drawings are assembled onto a newsprint 'working drawing' composition (cut out newsprint drawings close to the contour of hands and arrange - tape in place when satisfied). Wrists should run off edge of paper - fingers touch - connect or overlap. We do these on newsprint and go through the stages of blind contour, continuous line and modified contours.

Younger grades may need demonstration of what is expected for contour drawings.ĭevelop good 3-D quality contour drawings of 5 different hand poses (have not tried the signing idea with this). Students should not need much demonstration for this at high school level. Review design principles to be addressed. Review blind contour and semi-blind contour. Make a comparison to one other work from same time period. Select at least one work to critique paying close attention to what messages the hands are giving the viewer. Students will research (independently) for works showing the hands. Show PowerPoint of expressive hands (from your collection of scanned images or from the Internet) Address hands as a symbol of protection and a sign of identity. Find examples through the course of art history (from all time periods). Scan in the paintings - then blow up the section that shows the hands. Look through an art history book for paintings that show the hands. Escher - Escher's famous picture of a hand drawing a hand.

The Book of a Hundred Hands - 100 drawings and in-depth instruction in this guide to drawing virtually every aspect and posture of the human hand.ĭrawing Hands by M.C. Lettering books and computer fonts (many web resources are available for fonts)ĭrawing Dynamic Hands - A book on drawing hands using a revolutionary system for visualizing the hand in an almost infinite number of positions. Sulphite Drawing Paper (or other fade resistant colored paper)

Newsprint, Drawing Pencils, Magic Rub Erasers Balance, repetition, contrast, variety, positive/negative space, figure/ground.Įxamples are 18 inch (45.7 cm) square with drawing 16' (40.6 cm) square. Symbolism, gesture, contour, cross contour, blind contour, semi-blind contour, fonts, serif, Sans serif, book, Old English, Gothic, Roman (etc).

Īppreciate use of hand gestures in art to show emotion - symbolism.

Ĭreate a composition that works for all directions - combined with text - emphasizing design principles of balance, contrast and repetition.

Work with blind and semi-blind contour drawing

Contour line lesson plans