Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Creative Challenge #1

Welcome to our first installment of Creative Challenges! Follow the steps below, read the helpful tips, and if inspiration strikes, take it to the next level!

STEP 1:
Draw a plant from observation.


Helpful tips:
- Drawing from observation means drawing what you SEE! (not what you remember, or imagine.)
- Use any drawing style that you like - make it sketchy, or make it neat; make your drawing with just lines, or add value and shading.
-Draw with any material that you like - pencil, pen, crayon, paint - even tape!
- If the plant is in a pot - draw the pot, too! If the plant is in the ground, include the ground!
- Don't have a real plant nearby? Use a fake plant, look out the window, or find a picture in a book or on the internet! The key is to find a plant to observe.
- Observation drawing is a
thoughtful process, during which you should be constantly looking back and forth between the object and your paper. So, take your time!

STEP 2: Transform your plant into a MONSTER!!!!

Helpful Tips:
- Take a look at your plant, and imagine it
transforming before your eyes - moving, breathing, making noises - its not just a plant anymore, its a creature!!!
- Add a face, body parts, textures, patterns and other details to transform your plant into a monster. Where is its head? Does it have claws? A tail? Teeth? Spikes? Fur? Wings?
- Imagine what kind of personality your monster has. Is it friendly, scary, silly, mean, gross, sweet?
- Does it do anything special, like breathing fire or flying?
- Consider the background of your drawing. Do you want to show where the monster lives, or add a colorful design to make it "pop"?

Take it to the NEXT LEVEL:

You've created an awesome drawing, now what else will you do with your new idea? Here are just a couple of ways to take it to the next level!

a) Do some creative writing about your monster! Pretend you are a scientist who just discovered a new species and document its origins, traits and habits. Or tell an interesting story involving your creature - it could be a terrifying thriller, a silly comedy, an exciting adventure or an extraordinary tale of friendship! The possibilities are limitless!

b)
Create 3-D sculpture of your monster! Build it out of recycled materials, like bottles, cardboard, and marker caps, or newspaper and masking tape. Or use play dough, model magic or clay to sculpt your creature. Look here and here at some of the birds built out of recycled materials by Briargrove students - wouldn't it be fun to try this with your creature? Or check out some awesome masking tape creatures made at Briargrove here, here and here. Exciting possibilities!

c)
Draw more monsters! Find more plants or other types of objects around you to draw from observation and transform into monsters! Check out these tool monsters for inspiration!

d) Design a
comic strip depicting the adventures of your new creature!

Children and adults alike are invited to participate! I'd love to see what you made for Creative Challenge # 1 - share a link in the comments below, or email an image to me @ kweymout(at)houstonisd(dot)org. Briargrove students, stop by the art studio so I can see what you made! I would love to feature submissions here on the blog!

2 comments:

  1. I like this challenge. I changed it ever so slightly (no paint or 3D) for a sub lesson.

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