Let's Just Draw! Drawing Abstract Art Using Visual Prompts

This class is wonderful for young, imaginative artists who want to create an abstract drawing, and most of all THERE IS NO WRONG ART! This class is well-suited for students who just love to draw! And, because it is all about experimentation and expression, it's good for students who don't necessarily feel art is their strong suit.

*NOTE* Some of my more engaged, fastidious artists may not feel they are finished when class ends—AND THAT'S OKAY! I will send the student the "inspiration board"used that week after class so they can finish the piece in their own time.

The class is structured so that the bulk of our time is spent drawing. At the start of class, we'll view the work of abstract and cubist artists (namely Fernand Leger, Leo Leuppi, and American artist Stuart Davis). We'll briefly discuss the pieces and what makes a strong composition. I will give students some pointers on how they can go about creating their own abstract piece (like using abstracted versions of objects, choosing color schemes, and incorporating letters or words). Then, I will display five pictures and one word that they can incorporate into their piece. "Can" is the operative word, as each visual is there for them to use or not—each student's interpretation will be different. The point of the visual aids is to give the artists some inspiration. They can also incorporate imagery from their imaginations or other sources (such as photos or postcards or items around them).

For an example of how the artistic process will be discussed, using the thumbnail for this class as a case study, I will point out how the three circles are most likely an abstraction of a stoplight, and that the artist used other shapes of various sizes and colors while also incorporating type with the letter "U." I'd then conclude that this piece of art feels like an abstraction of a street scene. Throughout class, I will be there to guide each artist with their piece by brainstorming if they'd like (e.g., what will be the focal point [if they want one], will there be a particular color "scheme," how any of the visual inspiration might be abstracted, etc.). I will also give them time markers when they're one- and two-thirds into their drawing time, and when we have five minutes left. The last couple of minutes will be for the students to share their pieces if they like.

I also encourage the use of more than just one medium. Students will be encouraged to mix graphite/lead pencils, chalk, color pencils, pastels, and color markers or Sharpies. Some more advanced students may also want to try adding in wet media like watercolors and multimedia items like words or letters cut from a newspaper, magazine, or packaging. A ruler, compass, and stencils would be other useful items.

Finally, because this class is fairly free-form, the artistic inspiration will rotate in twelve-week cycles. So, if an artist enjoys themselves, they can take the class each week for twelve weeks before they see previous inspiration! And, even then, because the art is abstract, the same inspiration will yield different results—so, the sky's the limit.