Let's Draw Animals Upside Down! (Develop Attention to Details, Lines, & Shapes)

The greatest artists are also the best observers. They are able to see details that most people miss and put these details into their work. That's why our observation skills, or the ability to identify details, is so important! In this course, students will activate the right side of the brain by drawing animals upside-down. And no, we won't be hanging upside down as we are drawing, although that would be fun! 
We will be using a different reference picture of a simple, cartoon style animal each week. This reference picture is then placed upside down, so that the bottom of the picture is at the top. The page is be divided into horizontal sections, so we will uncover one section at a time and draw what we see on a separate piece of paper. This will enhance each student's ability to identify various details, lines, and shapes because rather than looking at the whole picture at once, their brain will have to focus on the details of each section. At the end when we flip our paper right-side-up, each learner will see how all the details they drew make an animal! 

 I will attach a file of the picture we will be drawing to the classroom page each week. All of the reference pictures are simple, cartoon-type pictures with fairly simple lines and shapes, making this an ideal course for beginners! Here is a schedule of what we will draw each week:
Week of January 16th: Bear (This one loves honey!)
Week of January 23rd: Fish Under the Sea
Week of January 23rd: Horse on a Farm 
Week of February 6th: Elephant Safari
Week of February 13th: A Friendly T-Rex
Week of February 20th: Monkey-ing Around 


Of course, perfection is not required! I will be drawing with my students and answering questions that they have along the way. I believe that art is about self-expression and learning, and I hope to create a fun, interactive environment where students can develop a love for art while building their confidence in a new skill.