DRAW-WHAT-WE-SEE

In Second Grade we are learning to observe. We are learning to use our eyes to see shapes, colors, textures and details. We talk about our eyes like muscles we need to exercise, the more we use them the stronger they will be. The stronger our eyes are the more we will notice about the world around us. 

Our first step is pretty fun. We get a chance to look at tiny little animal figures and examine them with magnifying glasses. We notice as many details of the animal we are examining as we can, its color, its shape, patterns, proportions, etc etc... We look for almost 15 minutes before we make any marks... 

Once we get an eyeful we get to drawing our animals...

Below are some of the animals we were able to draw all on our own just by looking! 

We actually amazed ourselves quite a bit :)

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For our next LOOKING exercise we checked out some 3 dimensional shapes...

We received some simple instruction on how to create a 3-D effect, examining which sides we could see and how light hits a shape to create shadow and form. We also learned the proper names of our 3-D shapes.

Part of our process included talking about how to use the eraser as much as we need in order to get our drawings to look "correct".  We talked a lot about frustration and practice. Sometimes in order to overcome frustration we need to try again and again until we are satisfied. No matter how many tries it took to get it right we were able to understand how practice really does make perfect and how working through our frustrations as opposed to backing away from them is quite rewarding.

Once we felt proficient in our observational drawing skills we were asked to compose a picture that included two or more of the 3-D shapes we had been practicing...

Below are just a few of our 3-D Masterpieces!

Stay tuned for more of what we can can draw from what we see. Currently we are each  working to see and draw a different animal that we are studying in our regular classrooms. We will work hard and get frustrated but our progress will be amazing and we will be very proud of our developing skills!