Beginning drawing

My classes for children have started this week and I am always so amazed at what they are able to do! We started this week learning about Contour Drawing: the edges of objects which we draw as lines... the outer edges and the inner contours too. This is really a practice in slowing down and really seeing. I start with a cartoon of a cylinder (an Art Attack) from the days when I taught Middle School Art and I find that cartoons are less intimidating (and more fun!) when I'm introducing three-dimensional drawing. We talked about foreshortening and how shapes change depending on the angle of your viewpoint. We turned that cylinder into a birthday cake! Then we started looking at real objects. I showed how contour lines drawn incorrectly can make an object appear flat... or they can create the illusion of form. I used a cartoon of a snake with stripes to explain contour lines and I think it helps the kids see quickly what I mean. Ellinor drew the stick first because she thought it was easiest. Then went on to an acorn, where I was amazed at the patience she had when drawing in the top texture of the acorn cap. Then she drew the oak leaves. It is a beautiful drawing that captures the textures and contours of the three different objects. How old do you think she is? She is in Third Grade this year! Are you as impressed as I am? And this happens every time! The best part is when my students realize that drawing is in their grasp! I think every person should have the opportunity to learn visual communication skills so that they can express themselves in a variety of ways. I think she's off to an incredible start!