Directed Drawing in the Art Room
Directed Drawing is a step-by-step way of teaching drawing. Students follow along with the teacher or use a how-to-draw page as a reference.
Do you use directed drawing in your art room?
Here are a 3 reasons why directed drawing guides can be useful to you and your students.
For the student who says “I don’t know what to draw” open-ended drawing prompts can lead to a lot of frustration. Directed drawing guides can eliminate the worry and allow them to get right to work.
Help learners build confidence one step at a time. As educators we know students need bite-sized scaffolded information and practice. Drawing guides are exactly that. Seeing the steps of a process all on one page can lead to deeper understanding about how something is made. When students practice drawing step-by-step they begin to see the things around them in terms of shapes and lines, too.
Encourage students to think beyond the guide. For once, they don’t have to follow the instructions! I always remind my students that the guide is a starting point. Drawing guides are just the right amount of guidance while still allowing for student choice. Like the time a student of mine used the steps to draw a fox but turned it into a skunk. Fantastic!
Don’t underestimate the value of directed drawing guides with your students. They can be useful in so many ways!
Grab this free download to try with your next class.
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