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Creative Arts · Grade 6

Observation, Line and Shape

Drawing well starts with seeing well. Learners practice slow, careful observation (drawing what they see instead of the symbol they remember), use the main kinds of line and line weight on purpose, simplify subjects into geometric and organic shapes, notice positive and negative space, and measure proportions by sighting with a pencil held at arm's length. Every lesson ends with a short paper-and-pencil drawing to try at home or in class.

  • 4 lessons
  • About 115 minutes
  • Observation, line and shape check: 10 questions
  • Ways to answer: fill in the blanks, choose an answer, highlight a text, match pairs, type a number and put in order
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What learners will discover

  • Observe a subject closely and draw what is actually seen from one viewpoint, rather than a remembered symbol.
  • Identify contour, gesture, hatching, cross-hatching and implied lines, and use line weight and line direction for a purpose.
  • Simplify subjects into geometric and organic shapes, and use positive and negative space to check and plan a drawing.
  • Measure and compare proportions by sighting, and use ratios to scale those proportions in a drawing.

Lessons

  1. Look first: draw what you see 6 steps3 practiceabout 28 min
  2. Line: the artist's first tool 6 steps3 practiceabout 28 min
  3. Shape and space 6 steps3 practiceabout 28 min
  4. Measuring by sighting 6 steps3 practiceabout 31 min
  5. Observation, line and shape check 10 questions at the end

Keep exploring

Games to practice with

  • Color by NumberA little color. A beautiful discovery.
  • Paint StudioBrushes, stamps, shapes and a paint bucket for any picture you can imagine.
  • Pixel StudioMake pixel art square by square, with mirror tools and a frame strip.

More 6th grade art

Guide for grown-ups