How to Teach the Art Elements of Line and Movement to Kids
The presence of movement in an image can change it from just a picture to a work of art. Children are usually quite capable of creating static drawings, but when it comes to creating a sense of motion, they stumble. An easy way to teach students to imbibe their image with movement is to show them how to convey movement through the use of lines. With flowing, well-placed lines, students can create captivating, dynamic images.
Instructions
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Introduce the concept with examples. Children are not going to understand how something as simple as a line can create the sense of movement within a piece of art, unless you start by introducing the connection between lines and movement through examples. Show your students classic works from the Art Nouveau movement, as pieces from this movement often contain motion-creating lines. Also provide some teacher-created examples, as students will delight in seeing your artistic efforts.
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Explore student preferences and the reasons behind those preferences. After students inspect the examples that you provided, ask them about their feelings. Discuss which images they liked and which they didn't and try to get them to elaborate on why they preferred certain pieces. This practice forces students to look more closely at the pieces of art and truly appreciate the artistic forms that each piece contains. This practice will allow students to see the impact that the presence of movement can have on the quality of a piece of art. Also, it forces your students to view critically instead of giving each piece of art just a cursory glance. After closer inspection, students will be more capable of recreating the forms that they have seen in the example and infusing motion into their original art work.
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Teach basic principles of conveying movement through lines. Show students how to create motion similar to what they have seen in the examples that they inspected. Discuss the concept of a whiplash line, as whiplash lines can be very effective in creating motion in a piece. Explain to students that a whiplash line should look like the shape a whip makes when lashed in the air. Have them try their hand at creating one of these motion-filled lines.
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Add additional lines to the piece of art. Once students have successfully created one whiplash line, have them create additional ones on top of the original line. Show them that the lines should meet at curves and they should never meet in right angles, as right angles diminish the feeling of movement present in the work of art.
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Allow your students freedom in seeing what they want to see in their line drawings. When a student has finished creating her collection of dynamic lines, instruct her to inspect the piece and think about what it could become. Many Art Nouveau pieces contain whiplash lines as a backdrop with another image juxtaposed over the lines. Help students decide what they might add to their group of lines to finish their piece.
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Encourage and praise students as they turn their line drawings into art. As the student gives in to his artistic ambitions, be sure to praise him and encourage him to continue looking critically and taking steps toward improving his ability to turn static work into movement-filled masterpieces.
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