by Liz Ann Lange
This week, I got to hang out in Carrie McGoldrick’s classroom and give the students a little intro about myself as the A.I.R., and to offer some tips on sketching. Their assignment was to create a political cartoon.
I know sometimes that a big blank page of paper can be intimidating. Sometimes it makes me feel like I have this big, beautiful fresh sheet of paper (or a fresh panel, or canvas) that has to become a masterpiece and I don’t want to mess it up or make any mistakes.
But that feeling is a barrier, so to break free of that feeling, I encouraged them to make preliminary sketches, or thumbnail sketches of their ideas, and to use as much of the paper as they needed. Thumbnail sketches are sort of a drawing version of hashing out a rough draft for an essay or paper.
I think it helped, because within 10 minutes the sound of pencils sketching could be heard throughout the room.
I also received a lovely Secret Santa gift from one of Mr.J’s 3rd hour painting students: a mug and some delicious looking coffee!
Thank you, Katelyn! The secret is out.
The painting I had been working on just didn’t quite fit my mood this week, so I set it aside to start a new one. It is based from a picture I took earlier this month of a mossy tree stump.
nhsartdept.com 