How to Teach Lines in Art Class for Elementary Students
Because of the prolific use of typing and drawing on computers, the hands-on playful use of lines can actually be a mind expanding experience for many of our children. Learning how to make a multitude of lines can help any child have a broader experience of life and art. Neurologists are learning that practicing simple doodling is useful to our brain's functioning and can help with attention to other school subjects. Doing contour drawings will help students to focus on drawing the edge and its direction. This will reinforce the idea of negative space and the fact that the object edge and the space edge are the same thing. Emphasize the truth that there are no right and wrong drawings.
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Instructions
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Pencil and Paper
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Direct students to place their pencil on the paper in any spot and do not lift their hand again until they get back to their beginning spot after numerous squiggles and cross overs. Doing a simple endless line drawing is a great way for children to loosen up their hand and allow them to feel some confidence with no pressure to be representational.
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Guide children to fill six of the enclosed spaces they created with different types of lines. Suggest straight, crooked, fat, thin, dark, and very light.
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Explain that students can make crossed marks as in a plaid. Depending on the age of your students, you may need to demonstrate some of these types of lines.
Markers
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Give direction for a vase/face drawing. Using markers will add to their drawing experience but pencils may be used for this task. Fold a piece of paper lengthwise down the middle. Show a very simple profile of a face or monster starting at the top of the head and continuing down to under the chin. Name the parts as you go such as forehead, top of nose, nose, under nose, top lip, bottom lip, chin, and neck. It is only important that this line have some indented areas, so there is no need to feel incompetent. Whatever you draw will be fine.
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Direct students to draw their unique profile line on one side of the fold they just made. Start at the top, 2 inches away from the center fold. Right handed students should start on the left side and have the face point toward the center line and left handed children do the opposite.
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After they have all finished this direction, have them place their pencil on the other side of the fold at the top spot opposite the face/monster line already drawn. Draw the same face but in reverse. Make it a mirror image of the one you just drew. When your original line curves right, your mirror line will curve left. Continue in this manner down to the bottom point. This causes the brain to shift to the right, spacial side.
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Connect the two lines at the top and bottom and you will see a vase shape. This lesson reinforces the idea of direction and negative space with lines. It is practice for your brain to shift into the subjective, intuitive, right mode.
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Tips & Warnings
These exercises can be accomplished with any drawing tools. It is good to expose children to as many different mediums as possible, so crayons might also be an option. Use whatever you have available.
